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abandoning the two outermost units and creating two new ones farther in toward the world’s center, unless effective entrance was made to other worlds. Current Projects One and Two would probably have to be abandoned, and Three looked more and more dubious. And among the most recent hatch of his own get was a high proportion of females.
    “Thus it is by all. I think, ‘Murriste, that the new units require to be made larger than the ones they are to replace; also I see no other choice but that a certain number of underlings pertaining to other units must be transferred to them in order to relieve pressure.”
    “That will not be necessary. Long before then, I am confident, we shall have achieved successful penetrations into Current Project Areas Four and Five.”
    Arrettagorretta made a swift, astonished gesture. “What thing is this? Did you not say that all reports were more or less what might have been predicted?”
    “Thus. You have allowed yourself to be too much out of touch with things, ‘Gorretta. It is not thus that life-through-life is to be perpetuated. But enough … it is not proper that one Sire should much reproach another. We must now consider the implications of such successful penetrations. In our own world, from our own inhabited areas, there is only one direction in which we can move: Inward. Downward. But the aquisition of the two Project Areas will give us mobility such as we have scarcely dared conjecture. They are thus to be valued not merely for themselves — rich, rich sources of space and heat and protein that they are — but for what they in turn can lead to —
    “Infinite mobility, ‘Gorretta! Crossroads after crossroads! It means that every Na now living is a potential sire!”
    His guest moved and muttered. “They must not be told, yet. Almost I wish that I had not been told, myself. It will be difficult containing my impatience. Indeed, I can scarcely believe it — but I do not dare deny myself the hope. It has been long, ‘Murriste … It has been so long …”
    It would not be impossible to check the records to find out exactly how long, but that was not important. The only thing now of importance was victory. Escape. Penetration. Extension. Life! Life! And life-through-life!
    • • •
    Something roused the Na from deep rest. He looked without moving anything but his eyes, looked around and over the rows and rows of shelves where, from each silent and unmoving form arose a now-dim breath aura. All seemed as usual. Yet — he was certain — all was not quite as usual. He continued to look, and, meanwhile, he began to think. Rich, exciting, comforting were his thoughts. They were not unlike his often, earlier thoughts of the young Mas and of sireship; indeed, they included all of that … but they went much further. Surely no other Na had ever had such thoughts before.
    Slowly his eyes moved from figure to figure and from shelf to shelf. And then he saw and then he realized what must have awakened him and all at once everything became clear to him.
    Slowly and silently he extracted himself from his place on the shelf. Slowly and silently he moved through the dim, acrid-scented chill. There, there on the third shelf … a figure with an aura, a second, third, fourth figure, each with an aura … and a fifth figure — with no aura.
    The body of the old work-Na was quite light and easily abstracted from its place without disturbing its neighbors. The Na considered dragging it, but decided against this because of the sound, no matter how slight, which this would make. Easily, then, he draped it over his shoulder and moved away. Someone had to do this task; it was in theory anyone’s task, yet specifically it was no one’s assigned task. The absence of the body would create neither surprise nor comment.
    Through room after room, chamber after chamber, hole after hole, the Na proceeded; and came eventually to a deeply sloping way. The nature of the air, its temperature, scent,