"Run. What else can we do?"
Down back over the ridge, out of sight of the aircars and into the foothills, and all the while knowing that there was nowhere to run to now.
"No, Eric! We've got to go back. We've got to find Mag and Nell—" Her voice rose in anguish, then broke, and she was crying.
"We can't help them by going back," he said harshly. "Maybe they got away. Maybe they didn't. But the others would catch us for sure if they got near us."
Run. It was all they could do, now. Run to other hills and leave the aircar and hide, and live as Lisa had lived, as others of their kind had lived.
"We've got to think of ourselves, Lisa. It's all we can do, now."
Down through the foothills, toward the open valley, and the future, the long blind race to other mountains, and no choice left, no alternative, and the books lost and the starship left behind, forever....
Lisa cried, and her fingers bit into his arm. Ahead of him, too close to flee or deceive, was another line of aircars, flying in from the valley, their formation breaking as they veered toward him.
"Land, Eric. Land and run!"
"We can't, Lisa. There's not enough time."