"Bring me more," said Frost.

"Alas, great Frost, there is no more," he told him.

"You have scanned it all."

"Then go away."

"Do you admit now that it cannot be done, that you cannot be a Man?"

222.

"No. I have much processing and formulating to do now. Go away."

So he did.

A year passed; then two, then three.

After five years, Mordel appeared once more upon the horizon, approached, came to a halt before Frost's southern surface.

"Mighty Frost?"

"Yes?" .

"Have you finished processing and formulating?"

"No."

"Will you finish soon?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. When is 'soon?* Define the

term."

"Never mind. Do you still think it can be done?"

"I still know / can do it." ;

There was a week of silence.

Then, "Frost?"

"Yes?"

"You are a fool."

Mordel faced his turret in the direction from which he had come. His wheels turned.

"I will call you when I want you," said Frost.

Mordel sped away.

Weeks passed, months passed, a year went by.

Then one day Frost sent forth his message:

"Mordel, come to me. I need you."

When Mordel arrived. Frost did not wait for a saluta-^ tion. He said, "You are not a very fast machine." U

"Alas, but I came a great distance, mighty Frost. X'

sped all the way. Are you ready to come back with me

now? Have you failed?"

"When I have failed, little Mordel," said Frost, "I will

tell you.

Therefore, refrain from the constant use of the inter- rogative. Now then, I have clocked your speed and it is not so great as it could be. For this reason, I have ar- ranged other means of transportation."

"Transportation? To where, Frost?"* ^ ^;

"That is for you to tell me," said Frost, and his color,?,;

changed from silverblue to sun-behind-the-clouds-yellow.^,

Mordel rolled back away from him as the ice of a-

hundred centuries began to melt. Then Frost rose upon a-l',- ^.

223.

cushion of air and drifted toward Mordel, his glow grad- ually fading.

A cavity appeared within his southern surface, from which he slowly extended a runway until it touched the ice.

"On the day of our bargain," he stated, "you said that you could conduct me about the world and show me the things which delighted Man. My speed will be greater than yours would be, so I have prepared for you a cham- ber. Enter it, and conduct me to the places of which you spoke."

Mordel waited, emitting a high-pitched whine. Then, "Very well," he said. and entered,

The chamber closed about him. The only opening was a quariz window Frost had formed.

Mordel gave him coordinates and they rose into the air and departed the North Pole of the Earth.

"I monitored your communication with Divcom," he said, "wherein there was conjecture as to whether I would retain you and send forth a facsimile in your place as a spy.Jollowed by the decision that you were expendable."

*'Will you do this thing?"

"No, I will keep my end of the bargain if I must. I have no reason to spy on Divcom."