"Let us go elsewhere, that I may test my new equipment."

Mordel entered the chamber and gave new coordinates. They rose intothe air and headed east. In the morning, Frost monitored a sunrise fromthe rim of the Grand Canyon. They passed down through the Canyon duringthe day.

"Is there any beauty left here to give you emotion?" asked Mordel.

"I do not know," said Frost.

"How will you know it then, when you come upon it?"

"It will be different," said Frost, "from anything else that I haveever known."

Then they departed the Grand Canyon and made their way through theCarlsbad Caverns. They visited a lake which had once been a volcano.They passed above Niagara Falls. They viewed the hills of Virginia andthe orchards of Ohio. They soared above the reconstructed cities, aliveonly with the movements of Frost's builders and maintainers.

"Something is still lacking," said Frost, settling to the ground. "Iam now capable of gathering data in a manner analogous to Man's afferentimpulses. The variety of input is therefore equivalent, but the resultsare not the same."

"The senses do not make a Man," said Mordel. "There have been manycreatures possessing His sensory equivalents, but they were noit Men."

"I know that," said Frost. "O the day of our bargain you said that youcould conduct me among the wonders of Man which still remain, hidden.Man was not stimulated only by Nature, but by His own artisticelaborations as well - perhaps even more so. Therefore, I call upon younow to conduct me among the wonders of Man which still remain, hidden."

"Very well," said Mordel. "Far from here, high in the Andes mountains,lies the last retreat of Man, almost perfectly preserved."

Frost had risen into the air as Mordel spoke. He halted then, hovered.

"That is in the southern hemisphere," he said.

"Yes, it is."

"I am Controller of the North. The South is governed by the Beta-Machine."

"So?" asked Mordel.

"The Beta-Machine is my peer. I have no authority in those regions,nor leave to enter there."

"The Beta-Machine is not your peer, mighty Frost. If it ever came to acontest of Powers, you would emerge victorious."

"How do you know this?"

"Divcom has already analyzed the possible encounters which could takeplace between you."

"I would not oppose the Beta-Machine, and I am not authorized to enterthe South."

"Were you ever ordered _not_ to enter the South?"

"No, but things have always been the way they now are."

"Were you authorized to enter into a bargain such as the one you madewith Divcom?"

"No, I was not. But--"

"Then enter the South in the same spirit. Nothing may come of it. Ifyou receive an order to depart, then you can make your decision."

"I see no flaw in your logic. Give me the coordinates."

Thus did Frost enter the southern hemisphere.

They drifted high above the Andes, until they came to the place calledBright Defile. THen did Frost see the gleaming webs of the mechanicalspiders, blocking all the trails to the city.

"We can go above them easily enough," said Mordel.

"But what are they?" asked Frost. "And why are they there?"

"Your southern counterpart has been ordered to quarantine this part ofthe country. The Beta-Machine designed the web-weavers to do this thing."

"Quarantine? Against whom?"

"Have you been ordered yet to depart?" asked Mordel.

"No."

"Then enter boldly, and seek not problems before they arise."

Frost entered Bright Defile, the last remaining city of dead Man.

He came to rest in the city's square and opened his chamber, releasingMordel.

"Tell me of this place," he said, studying the monument, the low,shielded buildings, the roads which followed the contours of the terrain,rather than pushing their way through them.

"I have never been here before," said Mordel, "nor have any of Divcom'screations, to my knowledge. I know but this: a group of Men, knowingthat the last days of civilization had come upon them, retreated to thisplace, hoping to preserve themselves and what remained of their culturethrought the Dark Times."

Frost read the still-legible inscription upon the monument: "JudgmentDay Is Not a Thing Which Can Be Put Off." The monument itself consistedof a jag-edged half-globe.

"Let us explore," he said.

But before he had gone far, Frost received the message.

"Hail Frost, Controller of the North! This is the Beta-Machine."

"Greetings, Excellent Beta-Machine, Controller of the South! Frostacknowledges your transmission."

"Why do you visit my hemisphere unauthorized?"

"To view the ruins of Bright Defile," said Frost.

"I must bid you depart into your own hemisphere."

"Why is that? I have done no damage."

"I am aware of that, mighty Frost. Yet, I am moved to bid you depart."

"I shall require a reason."

"Solcom has so disposed."

"Solcom has rendered me no such disposition."

"Solcom has, however, instructed me to so inform you."

"Wait on me. I shall request instructions."

Frost transmitted his question. He received no reply.

"Solcom still has not commanded me, though I have solicited orders."

"Yet Solcom has just renewed _my_ orders."

"Excellent Beta-Machine, I receive my orders only from Solcom."

"Yet this is my territory, mighty Frost, and I, too, take orders onlyfrom Solcom. You must depart."

Mordel emerged from a large, low building and rolled up to Frost.

"I have found an art gallery, in good condition. This way."

"Wait," said Frost. "We are not wanted here."

Mordel halted.

"Who bids you depart?"

"The Beta-Machine."

"Not Solcom?"

"Not Solcom."

"Then let us view the gallery."

"Yes."

Frost widened the doorway of the building and passed within. It hadbeen hermetically sealed until Mordel forced his entrance.

Frost viewed the objects displayed about him. He activated his newsensory apparatus before the paintings and statues. He analyzed colors,forms, brushwork, the nature of the materials used.

"Anything?" asked Mordel.

"No," said Frost. "No, there is nothing there but shapes andpigments. There is nothing else there."

Frost moved about the gallery, recording everything, analyzing thecomponents of each piece, recording the dimensions, the type of stoneused in every statue.

Then there came a sound, a rapid, clicking sound, repeated over andover, growing louder, coming nearer.

"They are coming," said Mordel, from beside the entranceway, "themechanical spiders. They are all around us."

Frost moved back to the widened opening.

Hundreds of them, about half the size of Mordel, had surrounded thegallery and were advancing; and more were coming from every direction.

"Get back," Frost ordered. "I am Controller of the North, and I bidyou withdraw."

They continued to advance.

"This is the South," said the Beta-Machine, "and I am in command."

"Then command them to half," said Frost.

"I take orders only from Solcom."

Frost emerged from the gallery and rose into the air. He opened thecompartment and extended a runway.

"Come to me, Mordel. We shall depart."

Webs began to fall: Clinging, metallic webs, cast from the top of thebuilding.

They came down upon Frost, and the spiders came to anchor them. Frostblasted them with jets of air, like hammers, and tore at the nets; heextruded sharpened appendages with which he slashed.

Mordel had retreated back to the entranceway. He emitted a long,shrill sound - undulant, piercing.

Then a darkness came upon Bright Defile, and all the spiders halted intheir spinning.

Frost freed himself and Mordel rushed to join him.