NORTHWORLD

intruder in Diamond," said North, speaking for the first time during the assembly
he had called, "because only in Diamond can we be sure that all of his weapons
will be stripped from him—" he smiled"— without harm." "What do we care
about hurting him?" Rao asked. "I mean, it's all right with me, but he's just an
outsider. Isn't he?" He looked around his fellows to make sure that there wasn't
some point he had missed. Ngoya patted his arm. North nodded. "I understand
your position, my friend," he said, "but I've seen far enough into the Matrix to be
sure that this Hansen is no threat to Diamond." "But still—"' said Miyoko. "And I,"
North continued, "have my own reasons for wanting him unhaarmed for the time.
Surely I needn't be the one to apologize for not killing, eh?" "Well, do what you
want, then," said Penny, who had finally fixed on slight, red-haired youthfulness.
"You're going to anyway. I don't see why you even bothered to call us here." Fortin
began to laugh, because Penny was again perfectly correct.... Rolls waited to
meet Eisner in the doorway of North's palace as they left the assembly. She smiled
at him, but the expression went no deeper than her thin lips. "He sees something
in the Matrix,"" she said, flicking her head back to indicate their leader and late
host. "Do you?" Eisner's hair was the color of a gray-draggled mouse; a few wisps
which, had escaped from her tight bun wobbled abstractedly. Rolls shrugged.
"North plays games," he said. "If there were something to see, you or I would know
it. But still...." Neither of them spoke for a moment. Their eyes glanced over their
fellows leaving the assembly; some of them concerned, some not. Rao had hitched
to his cart a pair of frilled ceratopsians from the plane where the Lomeri ruled.
Most of the beasts which whim led others to ride or drive gave the dinosaurs a
wide berth, but Saburo's huge hog-like dinohyid exchanged angry grunts and foot-
stampings with Rao's much larger animals. Eisner nodded. "Good day," she said
and turned. "Let me take you back," Rolls said. "You don't need to walk." "I don't
need to do anything," the woman corrected crisply. "None of us do." Eisner was thin