“Sure, it’s good land! We’re gonna have a mighty fine farm here. But farmin’ and fightin’ don’t mix. What about that fella what lived fight over there? He didn’t live out the last war, did he?”
“Suppose they want this good land back? How long can we defend it?”
For the first time a shadow of doubt appeared in Tim Harmon’s eyes.
“Okay!” he flung up a hand in surrender. “I’ll go with you halfway. I say be friends with the mermen and help ’em-some. But I’m not gonna vote for no gangin’ up with ’em in a private war!”
“That’s all we want you to do, Tim. We’ll ally with the mermen and make plans for defense,” Kordov soothed him.
Dard smiled wryly. Inside he was amused, amused and tired. They had come across the galaxy to escape to freedom, only to live again under the shadow of fear. It was a long way to travel to come-home!
A new frontier to guard. What was that thing Kimber had once quoted while standing on a mountainside in the Terran winter?
"Frontiers of any type, physical or mental, are but a challenge to our breed. Nothing can stop the questing of men, not even Man. If we will it, not only the wonders of space, but the very stars are ours!”
They had known the wonders of space, the stars were theirs-if they could hold them! But who-or what-dared to say that they could not? Why, Dard savored the new pride growing hotly within him, they had broken the bonds of space-
There was a wide world before them, unlimited in its possibilities. On distant Terra this ill-assorted group had drawn into tight alliance because they believed alike-in what? Freedom-Man’s freedom! They had faced the sterility of Pax clear-eyed and refused to be bound by it- entrusting their lives to the knowledge Pax had outlawed- and it had brought them here. They-if they willed it-worked for a united goal-they could do anything!