“We won’t overlook that possibility,” Seranis replied with just a trace of pique. Rorden detected it instantly.
“And what of myself?” he asked with a smile. “I know as much as Alvin now.”
“Alvin is a boy,” replied Seranis quickly, “but you hold an office as ancient as Diaspar. This is not the first time Lys has spoken to the Keeper of the Records, and he has never betrayed our secret yet.”
Rorden made no comment: he merely said: “How long do you wish to keep Alvin?”
“At the most, five days. The Council meets three days from now.”
“Very well: for the next five days, then, Alvin is extremely busy on some historical research with me. This won’t be the first time it’s happened-but we’ll have to be out if Jeserac calls.”
Alvin laughed.
“Poor Jeserac! I seem to spend half my life hiding things from him.”
“You’ve been much less successful than you think,” replied Rorden, somewhat disconcertingly. “However I don’t expect any trouble. But don’t be longer than the five days!”
When the picture had faded, Rorden sat for a while staring at the darkened screen. He had always suspected that the world communication network might still be in existence, but the keys to its operation had been lost and the billions of circuits could never be traced by Man. It was strange to reflect that even now visiphones might be called vainly in the lost cities. Perhaps the time would come when his own receiver would do the same, and there would be no Keeper of the Records to answer the unknown caller…