the elder dreamers. We must be married today, at once. We have so little time. We must be husband and wife tonight." She slipped softly from the room. Eric watched her, marveling at his luck. He suddenly remembered that he had not seen his brother since he had arrived at the house of the elder dreamers. He wondered where Garve was, and wanted to talk to him. Perhaps if he thought strongly enough the machine would get the message thought to Garve. He concentrated. Ten minutes later Garve walked into the room. He said, "I thought I heard you calling. How'd you make out with the dreamers?" "Well enough. Don't think me mad, Garve, but Nolette and I are to be married, tonight." Garve's face grew red, then as white as river sand. He said bitterly, "I should have let them kill you in the street, but how could I? After all we are brothers." "You love her too." "No! But I love this city. It is paradise, and now you will destroy it." Eric said, "The Legend again! Everyone believes it. Yet it is but a prediction. In time such a man as the Legend had to come, and some day one more greedy than myself may destroy the city. Perhaps I will refuse to carry out the destruction." Garve laughed, a bitter cynical laugh. He cried, "You fool! How can you help yourself? Everyone believes you are the Bronze one and the machine will make that come true. How can you defeat the machine?" Eric was staggered by a logic he had not even considered. "Piece by piece," Garve said, "the prediction is coming to pass. Now you are to wed Nolette, and that too is a part of the Legend." "That was predicted?" "Yes. And that is not the end." Garve's voice was as sharp as the bite of a whip. "Do you know what else you will do?" "No!" A thin horror seeped slowly into Eric's mind. "You will destroy the Daughter of the City." Eric's eyes were wide. He shuddered and cried, "NO! NO!" Garve's face took on the glint of madness. He said, "But I will stop you. I'll stop you if I have to kill you." He turned and strode bitterly from the room.
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