The villagers had already postponed their normal routine in order to visit the good spirits who had graced their village. Wayne urged Ishihara to explain that they wanted to dress as fellow villagers for their walk into Khanbaliq. The villagers seemed amused and honored by this request.

Two men agreed to work in the fields bare to the waist so their guests could wear their shirts and hats. After some consultation, a couple of women reluctantly brought out some old, tattered pants that had been discarded even by the peasants. Ishihara assured them that these clothes were sufficient, and the two of them changed clothes in their room.

Wayne was willing to go barefoot like the peasants, but Ishihara refused to allow this under the First Law. Instead, Ishihara borrowed a knife and cut both pairs of boots he had prepared for Roman Germany down into a sort of makeshift shoes. Then they joined the small group of peasants making the journey into the city. The strongest and healthiest men and women of the village returned to work in the fields for the day.

Lao Li, the village elder in whose house they had stayed, led the others to Khanbaliq. Most of the other peasants who accompanied them were elderly, too, except for Lao Li’s twelve-year-old grandson, Xiao Li. Ishihara told Wayne that “Lao,” which meant “old,” and “Xiao,” meaning “little,” were common honorific nicknames.

Wayne walked in silence, of course, since no one but Ishihara could understand him. The robot talked with the villagers, often with everyone waving, gesturing, and sometimes laughing as they tried to communicate. Ishihara was learning the language as fast as he could.

As they finally drew near the walls of the city, Ishihara turned to Wayne. “I am making good progress now. One of the villagers has told me that in many of their old fairy tales, good spirits come to earth like this in human form to travel in secret among people.”

“That means we fit right in.”

“Yes. I am very relieved that we are not, in fact, introducing new ideas to this culture but simply demonstrating existing ones.”

“Well, that helps explain why they’ve been so cooperative, too.”

“Still, we must remain very alert to the possibility that we may truly interfere historically with these peasants in some significant way.”

“I don’t think we have much to worry about,” said Wayne. “They’re going to market like they do every day, aren’t they? We’re just tagging along.”

By mid-morning, Hunter had led his team up and down every street in the foreign quarter. They passed more Turks and Arabs in colorful, embroidered Chinese gowns, Koreans wearing their topknots and with slightly different embroidery on their gowns, and stocky Mongol soldiers wearing their armor, swords, and daggers. Chinese citizens owned and worked in most of the shops, however, and they were the people most likely to cooperate.

Steve and Marcia spoke briefly to people on every block, describing MC 5. They approached many who worked in shops, but they also spoke to peddlers pushing their carts and to children who were old enough to remember their description of MC 5. Hunter had heard Steve grudgingly agree to Marcia’s system of rewards. While they spoke to passersby, Hunter and Jane hung back slightly in their pose as foreign visitors.

They passed merchants of all sorts. The shops and stalls sold fabrics and sturdy, simple furniture on one street and fine porcelains and iron cookware on the next. The third block they visited held stall after stall of different crafts, including a family that was boiling big vats of plant fibers to make paper. On every street, small children ran and played and peddlers pushed carts of small trinkets.

When Hunter realized that the team had seen the entire foreign quarter, he stopped and turned to his companions.

“We have saturated the neighborhood with our offers of rewards,” said Hunter. “Since we have been walking for some time, I suggest that we find a place to sit so that you three can rest. We can consider what to do next.”

“There’s a place back up this block,” said Steve. “They’re selling tea under the shade of two big trees.”

“A tea garden,” said Marcia. “That’s what the sign over the front entrance said.”

Steve glared at her in annoyance. She always seemed to show him up, no matter what he said. For the sake of the team, he decided not to make a scene about it.

“Good idea,” said Jane. “I could use a rest.”

“I’m hot,” said Marcia. “But they don’t have cold drinks here, unless you’re out in the country and find a mountain stream or something.”

“That is fascinating,” Hunter said quickly. He found Marcia’s spontaneous lectures on local history interesting, but he realized that Steve, in particular, really disliked listening to them.

“Come on.” Steve started for the tea shop at a brisk walk and the others followed.

“Shall we just rest up and wait for someone to find MC 5?” Jane asked as she hurried along.

“That is one possibility,” said Hunter. “For the first time since our trip to the Late Cretaceous, we have staked out the location where our quarry should return to full size. With the reward we have offered, the number of people around, and the stable nature of life here, we have far more potential help than usual.”

“I hear a ‘but’ coming,” said Jane. “I think I know what it is, too. You still can’t be sure if MC 5 has already returned to full size.”

“That is true,” said Hunter. “However, because of his European appearance in a society with very few Europeans, we are not likely to lose track of him completely with our offer of a reward circulating.”

Steve turned and waited for them to catch up. “I heard that. We could, you know…split up.” He grinned.

“That is unwise,” said Hunter. “You will remember that in the past-”

“It’s a joke, Hunter,” said Jane, grinning. “Every time we split up, we regret it. We both know that.”

“I see,” said Hunter. “Was this joke funny?”

“Skip it,” said Steve. “Look, it wasn’t totally a joke; I just didn’t think you’d go for it. But think about it. Maybe splitting up won’t be as bad this time.”

“Why not?”

“Well, as you said, life is pretty stable here. Two of us could sit down in a prominent place and wait for someone to bring the good news that MC 5 has been found. The other two could keep up a more active search.”

As they reached the counter of the tea garden, Steve turned to order tea for them.

“Has everyone forgotten that we had a plan already?” Marcia asked impatiently. “We were going to look for the Polo family today, remember?”

“I had not forgotten,” said Hunter. “I merely raised the question of what to do next. Searching for the Polos is one option.”

“All right,” said Marcia. “I really didn’t think you’d forget.”

A young woman led them to a round wooden table under the trees, where they sat down on short, wooden benches.

“I kind of like the idea of meeting Marco Polo myself,” said Steve. “Just out of curiosity. But is he really important to what we’re doing?”

“We discussed this last night,” Marcia said testily. “MC 5 probably knows about him, too, and may also try to contact him. Is that important enough?”

“Yeah, all right,” Steve muttered, shrugging.

“When you have rested and finished your tea, I suggest we search for the Polo family,” said Hunter.

As Wayne followed the peasants into Khanbaliq, he realized that they knew exactly where to go. They worked their way through the crowded streets to a block of open-air markets filled with fresh produce. An empty stall with wooden shelves and a couple of benches waited for them. Lao Li and his companions quickly moved their produce from their cart to the shelves in the stall.

“Is this place theirs?” Wayne asked Ishihara.

“They rent it. Lao Li complained to one of the others that their rent will be due next week.”

“So that means they’re in the same place every day.” Wayne looked up and down the street. “They must know their neighbors on this block, then.”

“I suppose so. Is this important?”

“Maybe.” Wayne paused to estimate the length of the city blocks. “We’ll want to start spreading the word for people to find Hunter and his team. From what I can make out, the part of the city where MC 5 will return to normal size is fairly close. I think that neighborhood is maybe another couple of blocks east of here.”

“That is where Hunter will be.”

“Obviously.” Wayne looked at Xiao Li, as the boy arranged some stalks of sorghum on a low shelf. “But we don’t want Hunter to find out where we are. We’ll need some help. Can they spare the kid, here?”

“I will ask.” Ishihara switched to Chinese, talking with Lao Li.

Their host spoke with his grandson, whose eyes widened with excitement. Lao Li talked to him in a stern tone of voice. Wayne guessed that he was admonishing the boy to obey these good spirits. Then Ishihara turned to Wayne again.

“He will do whatever we ask. Of course, I cannot allow him to take any significant risks.”

“Well, I don’t have anything dangerous in mind. I just want him to spot Hunter’s team for us without revealing our involvement. Since Hunter can’t let him get hurt, either, he should do just fine.”

“I agree. What shall I tell him?”

“Ask him what sort of neighborhood lies a few blocks east of here.”

Ishihara translated and waited for the answer. “He said it’s where the foreign traders and diplomats live. Also many of the foreigners who have taken jobs in the government here.”

“I see. Guys like Marco Polo, I guess.”

“Yes, that is my impression.”

Xiao Li looked back and forth between them, eager to please.

“Well, let’s give this a try. Say that we want him to take us over there because we think Hunter may be in that area. Repeat the description of Hunter and also Steve and Jane. Then describe MC 5 and tell the boy that he is even more important than Hunter. And explain that we have to hang back and keep these big hats over our faces so that Hunter won’t recognize us until we choose to be seen.”

Ishihara translated and Xiao Li waved for them to follow him. Wayne shifted his hat down lower over his face. Ishihara did the same,

The morning had grown hot. After a short walk, Wayne could see that they had reached the foreign quarter; he saw a number of people he guessed were Turks. In any case, they were not Chinese.