“There, there, little girl,” he cheered her, “don't be impatient. All in good time we'll have another, garden and sun-dial and everything. All in good time. The more we have to overcome, the more we'll appreciate results, eh? The only really serious matter to consider now is you!”
“Me, Allan? Why, what do you mean? What about me?”
He sat down on the rough-hewn bench of logs that he had fashioned and drew her to him.
“Listen, Beta. This is very serious.”
“What, Allan? Has anything happened?”
“No, and nothing must, either. That's what's troubling me now. Our separation, I mean.”
“Our--why, what--”
“Don't you see? Can't you understand? We've got to be apart a while. I must go alone--”
“Oh, no, no, Allan! You mustn't; I can't let you!”
“You've got to let me, darling! The machine will only carry, at most, three persons and a little freight. Now if you take the trip back into the Abyss I can only bring one, just one of the Folk back with me. And at that rate you can see for yourself how long it will take to make even a beginning at colonization. I figure three or four days for the round trip, at the inside. If you go we'll be all summer and more getting even twenty-five or thirty colonists here. Whereas, if you can manage to let me do this work alone, we'll have fifty in the caves by October. So you see--”