"But we're on the edge of them," the girl insisted. "One more teeter and we will go totter."
Zen turned to West. "What the hell has happened to Nedra?"
"Nothing," the craggy man answered. "She has some degree of clairvoyance and it is coming to consciousness. Unfortunately, she has not yet had time to develop her talents in that direction."
"Maybe the turtle wouldn't want to rebuild human culture," the girl interrupted. "Maybe it wouldn't want to go back down that blind alley again. Perhaps it would decide to go into another channel, to develop into something totally different. In that case, it might not need hands."
Zen deliberately ignored her. He turned to West. "A bomb will be going off," he said.
"That is what I've been trying to talk to you about," the craggy man answered. "This is another reason why we came back for you—so we could talk to you about that bomb."
"To me?" Zen said startled.
"Yes, to you."
"Why?"
"Because you are a colonel of intelligence and have experience in such matters. Also because you are something that none of us are—a fighting man."