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plain, earth mortal Adam, was able to bring to the house of Launie such peers as Saturn, Neptune, Orion, and Lyra. Thus, if only superficially and for a passing time, she loved Adam, shutting her true love, Leo, deliberately out of her mind. Adam surrendered himself to the ecstasy of this new-found love, unmindful of Saturn, who had not yet completed his examination and was exploring around his ears for any sign of upsurge in the lymphatic ailment. To Adam, the sight and presence of Launie submerged concern regarding his physical condition, and made him oblivious to others around him. Saturn and Adam now joined the others and they all sat quietly for a moment, sipping the delicious nectar. Launie sat on the floor next to Adam’ s chair. He felt unworthy of her nearness, but it was w14 so irresistible he accepted it in silence. Launie lifted her glass to her lips, and suddenly broke into tears. Lyra gave vent to her own emotions, following with tears of equal volume. The men were at a loss to understand this outburst. Orion looked intensely at Lyra. Saturn and Neptune held their poise, but glanced at each other as if to say silently, “Thus be all learning and true ascension of soul; painful, delightful but progressive; and thus even the lowest rises up, and becomes a glorified one.” ad . Weed ca toed aa 1 tad Adam, feeling a little of the mood of the others, concurred with Saturn and Neptune in thought. Wisdom was asserting itself in this moment. Why should tears move him any more than they moved Saturn and Neptune? He, a mere earthman, was more poised than some of these Alpha Centaurians. He was equal with Saturn, the chief, and with Neptune, a high peer. Launie had spent her emotion. With eyes still damp, she turned smilingly toward Adam’s own eyes, asking of them their inmost history, their very reason for existence. In that instant Adam the master became Adam the slave. He knew that for her he would forget all else, for her he would nullify a segment of the universe itself. For her he would become selfish desire For her he would become desire personified. There was not now, and there never had been, in his present senses, any kind of existence anywhere but 101 LANDING ABOARD ANDROMEDA