It looked as though the largest part of the population was located in the single straggling city。 Roads led from it to not…too…distant villages and there were scatterings of other buildings that might be farms。 The only really puzzling thing about the 3D map was what looked like a wall that appeared to cut the city in two。 There were no walls around the city； just this single one in the middle。 I pointed to it。
〃Any idea what this is…or what it means？〃
Tremearne shook his head。 〃No idea。 Looks like a wall； that's all。 But there is a road alongside it。 Which appears to be the only road leading in from the plain。〃
I poked my finger into the holomap。
〃Here。 Where the road fades and runs out in the grass。 That's where we have to go。 Unless anyone has a better idea？〃
〃Looks good to me；〃 Tremearne said。 〃I'll land you on this bit of plateau； beyond this ridge where we won't be seen。 Then I'll take the launch out of there and stay in touch with you by radio。〃
We unloaded。 〃Sleep first；〃 Floyd yawned。 〃It's been a long night。〃
It was even longer than that； what with the longer days here。 Tremearne took off and we settled down to sleep。 We slept； and woke up and it was still dark。 Slept some more。 At least the others snored on： I had too much on my mind to drift off as easily as they did。 We had a clue now to the whereabouts of the alien artifact。 A clue that was useless until we started looking。 And we couldn't look in the darkness。 And I had how many days left before the thirty…day poison zonked me？ I counted on my fingers。 Just about eighteen gone； which left twelve to go。 Wonderful。 Or had I counted wrong？ I started again with the fingers； then grew angry with myself。 Enough with the fingers already。 I clicked on my puter and wrote a quick program。 Then touched D for deadline…or death； whatever…and a glowing eighteen appeared before me acpanied by a flickering twelve。 Not that I enjoyed looking at them； mind you； but this way I could stop worrying about the changing count。 Some part of me must have been satisfied with this because I fell deeply asleep。
Finally； with great reluctance and sloth； the sky lightened and another day began。 Before it was pletely light the Captain drifted the launch in low and slow behind the hills； boarded us； then let us out behind the final ridge。
〃Good luck；〃 he said； with a certain grimness。 The port ground shut and the launch moved away and vanished in the growing light。 Scarcely aware of what I was doing I punched D into the puter。 The numbers snapped into existence； vanished just as quickly。 But I remembered。 Day nineteen。
CHAPTER 12
Dawn crept on interminably as we walked； the sun dragging itself up over the horizon only with great reluctance。 It was still not quite full daylight when we came to what had to be the beginning of the wall。 Just a single row of bricks almost hidden in the grass。
〃What do you think？〃 I asked of no one in particular。 Steengo bent and rapped one with his knuckles。
〃Brick；〃 he said。
〃Red brick；〃 Madonette said brightly。
〃Thanks； thanks；〃 I mumbled with plete lack of appreciation。
There was a barely visible path next to the right…hand side of the row of bricks； for want of a better idea we began walking along it。
〃It's higher； see；〃 Floyd said； pointing。 〃A second course has been added。〃
〃And more still ahead；〃 Madonette said。 〃Three bricks high now。〃
〃What's this？〃 Steengo said； bending and pushing the grass aside to look more closely； touching the brick with his fingertip。 〃There's some kind of symbol stamped into each of the bricks。〃 We all looked now。
〃Sort of a circle with an arrow sticking out of it。〃
〃Arrow 。 。 。 circle；〃 I muttered。 A sudden intuition bounced about inside my skull。 〃I've seen that symbol before …yes indeed！ Would someone kindly step over the wall and see if there is a circle with a cross sticking out of it on the other side。〃
Madonette lifted lovely eyebrows with curiosity； stepped daintily over the low wall； bent and looked。 Eyebrows even higher now。
〃How did you do that？ On this side there is a circle…cross sign stamped into each brick。〃
〃Biology；〃 I said。 〃I remembered from school。〃
〃Yes； of course；〃 she said； stepping back。 〃The symbols for male and female。〃
Floyd had strolled on ahead； he called out。 〃Right as rain。 Here is VIROJ stamped into a brick。 And；〃 he leaned over and looked； 〃VIRINOJ on the other side。〃
Very gradually the wall became higher as we walked beside it。 In addition to the symbols we came to LJUDI then MTUWA； HERRER； SIGNORI。
〃Enough；〃 I said； stopping。 〃Packs off。 We shall now take our break while we see what we have here。 The message seems to be clear enough。 Look at the path we have been following。 Is there another path on the other side as well？〃
The brick wall was as high as our waists now； Floyd put one hand on it and vaulted over； bent and looked。
〃Maybe； but not too clear。 Could have been here once but it is so overgrown with grass that it is hard to tell。 Can I e back now？〃
〃Yes…because it's about time for a decision。〃 I pointed ahead to the slowly heightening wall。 〃The Fundamentaloids said they came to the city to trade。 So they must have e this way； possibly made this track that we are following。〃
Madonette nodded agreement…and didn't like it。 〃And they were all men； I remember that all too clearly。 Unclean indeed！ No women allowed。 Or if the women did e this way they would have to have walked over on the other side of the wall。 What do you want us to do； Jim？〃
〃What do we want to do？ As I said…it's time for a decision。 Do we all stick together and ignore the obvious instructions？ That's the first question that we have to answer。〃
〃Do that and I'll bet that eventually we get into some kind of trouble；〃 she said。 〃A lot of serious work went into this wall。 So if we don't read the message something not too nice is guaranteed to happen。 It always does on this world。 The choice is mine。 I'll cross over and trot down the other side…〃
〃No；〃 I broke in。 〃As we go along the wall gets higher and we'll be separated； out of contact。 That won't do。〃
〃Well I'm not staying here…and I can't go back。 So we need contact； what you just said。 Kindly clack your jaw…a…phone and get onto Tremearne。 Tell him to get some radios down here that we can use to keep in touch。 If we are going to plete this assignment the right way； we will have to know what is going on on both sides of the wall。 And I'm the only one who can find out what happens…here。〃
She picked up her pack and planted her bottom on the wall； swung her legs up and over and smiled at us from the other side。 I didn't like it。
〃It's not a matter of liking or not liking it；〃 she said reading my doubts from my expression。 〃It is just the only way that we can get the job done。 Get the radios。 Don't forget that Tremearne will always be listening in and can send the marines if any of us gets into trouble。 Call him。〃
〃I will。 But let us make sure they are the right kind of radios before we put in the order。 Line of sight is going to be out with the wall standing in the way and blocking the signal。 Plus…who knows hour thick the thing is going to be？ It could soak up all the radio frequencies and that would be the end of that。 Anyone know of a kind of radio that shoots a signal through rocks？〃
I was speaking my thoughts aloud； half in jest。 So was more than a little surprised when a voice behind me said； 〃Yes。〃
I spun about and glared at Steengo who was buffing his fingernails on his shirt； then admiring his image in their shining surfaces。
〃You said that？〃 I accused。 He nodded sagely。 〃Why？〃
〃Why is a good question。 The answer is that although I stand before you； an aging amateur musician drawn from retirement to risk his life for the public good； it should not be forgotten that I worked for many a decade in the cause of that same public good。 League munications。 Where I helped develop a neat little device referred to as MIPSC。〃
〃Mipsic？〃 I echoed inanely。
〃Close enough； my good friend Jim。 MIPSC is the acronym of Miniaturized Personal Satellite municator。 I suggest that you clamp your jaw and order up a brace of them。 Although four would be better…that way we could all keep in touch at all times。 And remind Tremearne to put a msatellite into orbit as well。 Geostationary over the city of Paradise。〃
〃MIPSCs are not only highly secret but incredibly expensive；〃
Tremearne said when I contacted him。
〃Just like this little task force。 Can you do it？〃
〃Of course。 They're on the way。〃
A half an hour later a small package drifted down from the sky hanging from a gray…lifter…which zipped up and vanished as soon as the package had been removed。 I popped the end open and shook out a handful of false fingernails。 I popped my eyes at these…then remembered how Steengo had been buffing his own fingernails when he told me about MIPSC。
〃Tricky；〃 I said。
〃High tech and perfect concealment；〃 he said。 〃There should be glue in the package。 They e in pairs。 The one marked E goes onto the index finger； left hand。 M glued to the pinkie of the same hand。 Inside the nails are holographed circuitry so they can be trimmed as small as needed to fit。 Without damaging