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quality-RAG-64_3_4

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[ "Why does Shannon reach for his gun when Beamish introduces himself?", "Why is it so important for Jig and Shannon to find Gertrude a mate?", "Who does Jig suspect wants them dead, and let loose the vapor snakes?", "What is Ahra referring to when she says \"something has been taken?\"", "How does Shannon feel about the circus?", "Why does Jig bluff to Beamish initially?" ]

[ [ "The sound of the chair being pulled back sets him on high alert. \n", "He sees that Beamish has something in his hands. \n", "Shannon is prone to suspicion after being hunted down by people they owe money to, and thinks Beamish is one of them. ", "Beamish tells them he's there to collect money from them. " ], [ "They want to preserve her species, and they're close to extinction. Her species is too valuable to let die out. \n", "They need another \"cansin\" for their show. ", "She feels alone in her cage and in the circus, and they feel badly for her. ", "Her crying and loneliness without one is affecting the entire crew, and they can't afford to have her out of commission. " ], [ "Beamish and the crew. The circus has not been doing well, and Beamish may be unhappy with the deal they cut. ", "The crew. They resent how little money they make. ", "Beamish, because he knows they cut him a bad deal.", "Gow. He didn't call back the snakes as they attacked them, and is beside himself because of Gertrude. \n" ], [ "Gertrude's happiness. ", "Beamish's money.", "The cansin male. ", "Jig and Shannon's safety. " ], [ "He needs it for money, nothing more. ", "He resents that he's stuck with it, and gets angry when people insult it. \n", "Despite it's quality, he truly cares about it. ", "He believes in it's quality, and has faith in it. " ], [ "He knows he can get away with it - Beamish has the money to match what they ask.", "He doesn't trust Shannon to close a good deal. ", "He doesn't trust Beamish, and wants to see if he's committed to the idea. ", "For them to start a new tour would be costly for them, and Jig wants to get the maximum price. " ] ]

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[ 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1 ]

[ [ "Bucky Shannon opened the door. He looked white and grim, and there was\n a big burn across his neck. He said:\n\n\n \"Beamish is here with his lawyer.\"", "Shannon has a good vocabulary. He used it. When he got his breath back\n he said suddenly,\n\n\n \"Beamish is pulling some kind of a game.\"\n\n\n \"Yeah.\"", "Shannon stared at me. Beamish started to get indignant. \"Shut up,\" I\n told him. \"We got a contract.\" I yanked the curtains shut and walked\n over to the bar.", "Bucky Shannon got up. He grinned his pleasantest grin. \"Delighted. I'm\n Shannon. This is Jig Bentley, my business manager.\" He looked down at\n the table. \"I'm sorry about that. Mistaken identity.\"", "I looked at the cigarette stub smoldering on the table. I looked at\n Beamish with his round dead baby face. I climbed over Shannon and\n pushed Beamish suddenly down into his lap.", "I reached across Bucky suddenly and jerked the curtain back. Beamish\n was standing there. Beamish, bent over, with his ear cocked. Kapper\n made a harsh strangling noise and fell across the table.", "\"Question is, Jig, who wants to kill us, and why?\"\n\n\n \"Beamish. He realizes he's been gypped.\"", "He pulled the curtains to and departed. Bucky Shannon groaned. Beamish\n cleared his throat and said, rather stiffly,\n\n\n \"Gertrude?\"", "second I thought I saw something back of his round blue eyes, and my\n stomach jumped like it was shot. Beamish smiled sweetly.", "Bucky Shannon walked out into the glare of the light at the entrance to\n the roped-off space around the main lock. He was pretty steady on his\n feet. He waved and said, \"Hiya, boys.\"", "He sat down, looking like a mean dog waiting for the postman. Beamish\n ignored him. He went on, quietly,", "Shannon put his hands down on his belt. He closed his eyes and smiled\n pleasantly and said, very gently:\n\n\n \"Would you be collecting for the feed bill, or the fuel?\"", "\"I quite understand that. I would be prepared....\"\n\n\n The curtains were yanked back suddenly. Beamish shut up. Bucky and I\n glared at the head and shoulders poking in between the drapes.", "Bucky Shannon lurched against me suddenly. I choked back a yell, and\n then wiped the sweat off my forehead and cursed. The scream came again.", "\"Kidding.\" Shannon put his elbows on the table and peered at me through\n a curtain of very blond hair that was trying hard to be red. \"He says", "Beamish sipped his drink, made a polite face, and put it down. \"I have\n independent means, gentlemen. It has always been my desire to lighten\n the burden of life for those less fortunate....\"", "I shot a glance at the newcomer. He'd saved me from a beating, even if\n he was a lousy bill-collecter; and I felt sorry for him. Bucky Shannon\n settled his shoulders and hips like a dancer.", "Bucky Shannon regarded them possessively, wiping blood from his nose.\n \"They're good guys, Jig. Swell people. They stuck by me, and I've\n rewarded them.\"", "Bucky got red around the ears. \"Just a minute,\" he murmured, and\n started to get up. I kicked him under the table.\n\n\n \"Shut up, you lug. Let Mister Beamish finish.\"", "Beamish never changed expression. He didn't move while Bucky felt\n Kapper's pulse. Bucky didn't need to say anything. We knew.\n\n\n \"Heart?\" said Beamish finally." ], [ "it's all I got. I love it, Jig. Unnerstan' me? Like Gow there with\n Gertrude. She's ugly and no good, but he loves her. I love....\"", "Gow said softly, \"She wants a mate. And somebody better get her one.\"", "He looked at me like he was thinking it wouldn't take much timber to\n fit me for a coffin. \"Okay! But Gertrude's unhappy. She's lonesome,", "She was also much younger, but I didn't go into that. Gertrude may be\n a little creaky, but she's still pretty impressive. I only hoped she", "Gow's black eyes were unpleasant. \"I'm tellin' you, Boss, Gertrude\n ain't happy. She ain't had the right food. If something....\"", "He pulled the curtains to and departed. Bucky Shannon groaned. Beamish\n cleared his throat and said, rather stiffly,\n\n\n \"Gertrude?\"", "He said, \"Boss, Gertrude's actin' up again.\"\n\n\n \"Gertrude be blowed,\" growled Bucky. \"Can't you see I'm busy?\"", ". The only other one on the Triangle belongs to Savitt\n Brothers, and she's much smaller than Gertrude.\"", "It had been quiet. Now every brute in the place let go at the same\n time. My stomach turned clear over. I called Gertrude every name I", "Gertrude screamed again. She didn't move, not even to raise her head.\n The sadness just built up inside her until it had to come out. That", "Bucky Shannon regarded them possessively, wiping blood from his nose.\n \"They're good guys, Jig. Swell people. They stuck by me, and I've\n rewarded them.\"", "\"Well for Pete's sake, do what you can. We got a charter, and we need\n her.\" I took Shannon's arm. \"Come to bed, Bucky darlin'.\"", "He hammered on his gong, and things quieted down again. Gow stood\n looking out over the tank, sniffing a little, like a hound. Then he\n turned to Gertrude.", "I wouldn't know, of course, but Gertrude looks to me like she got stuck\n some place between a dinosaur and a grizzly bear, with maybe a little\n bird blood thrown in. Anyway, she's big.", "I looked at Gertrude. Her cage is the biggest and strongest in the tank\n and even so she looked as though she could break it open just taking a", "\"You pretty, Mis' Jig,\" he giggled. \"You funny like hell.\"", "\"Question is, Jig, who wants to kill us, and why?\"\n\n\n \"Beamish. He realizes he's been gypped.\"", "It was dark down there in the tank. Way off at the other end, there was\n a dim glow. Gow was evidently holding Gertrude's hand. We started down", "Bucky Shannon got up. He grinned his pleasantest grin. \"Delighted. I'm\n Shannon. This is Jig Bentley, my business manager.\" He looked down at\n the table. \"I'm sorry about that. Mistaken identity.\"", "I said, \"Sure,\" rather sourly. Bucky hiccoughed.\n\n\n \"Let's go see Gertrude.\"" ], [ "\"Jig,\" he said, \"those vapor worms were all right when we went in.\n Somebody followed us down and let them out. On purpose.\"", "\"Question is, Jig, who wants to kill us, and why?\"\n\n\n \"Beamish. He realizes he's been gypped.\"", "I thought, \"\nSomebody's down here. Somebody let 'em out. Somebody wants\n to kill us!", "I yelled, \"Gow! Gow, the Vapor snakes! Gow—for God's sake!\"", "\"You were right, Jig,\" he mumbled. \"Circus is no good. I know it. But", "\"Death,\" she whispered. \"Death and trouble. The jungle tells me. I can\n smell it in the swamp wind.\"", "\"Yeah,\" Bucky said reflectively. \"And I hear starvation isn't a\n comfortable death. Okay, Jig. Let's go sign.\" He put his hand on the", "Shannon and I did a little quiet sleuthing, but it was a waste of time.\n Anybody in the gang might have let those electric worms out on us. It", "I snarled, \"What do you want, with this lousy dog-and-pony show!\" and\n went out. He followed. The gang was converging on the lock, but they", "\"Mis' Bucky okay. You save life. You big hero, Mis' Jig. Mis' Gow come\n nickuhtime get snakes. You hero. Haw! You funny like hell!\"", "\"Yeah,\" he said. \"I hope there'll be enough left to bribe the jury.\" He\n poked his head outside. \"Hey, boy! More", "the smell, I think; rank and sour and wild. And the sound of them,\n breathing and rustling in the dark, with the patient hatred walled\n around them as strong as the cage bars.", "it's all I got. I love it, Jig. Unnerstan' me? Like Gow there with\n Gertrude. She's ugly and no good, but he loves her. I love....\"", "\"The deep swamps are angry,\" she whispered. \"Something has been taken.\n They are angry, and I smell death in the wind!\"", "I reached across Bucky suddenly and jerked the curtain back. Beamish\n was standing there. Beamish, bent over, with his ear cocked. Kapper\n made a harsh strangling noise and fell across the table.", "We were a long way from the light, then. The cages and tanks loomed\n high and black over us. It was still. The secret, uneasy motion all\n around us and the scruffing of our feet only made it stiller.", "The first snake touched me. It was like a live wire, sliding along the\n back of my neck. I screamed. It came down along my cheek, hunting my\n mouth. There were more of them, burning me through my clothes.", "Bucky Shannon got up. He grinned his pleasantest grin. \"Delighted. I'm\n Shannon. This is Jig Bentley, my business manager.\" He looked down at\n the table. \"I'm sorry about that. Mistaken identity.\"", "\"A blue one, Jig. A morgue if I ever saw one!\"", "Bucky Shannon regarded them possessively, wiping blood from his nose.\n \"They're good guys, Jig. Swell people. They stuck by me, and I've\n rewarded them.\"" ], [ "\"The deep swamps are angry,\" she whispered. \"Something has been taken.\n They are angry, and I smell death in the wind!\"", "I heard a noise behind me and looked around. Ahra the Nahali woman was\n standing in the mud with her arms up and her head thrown back, and her", "Ahra opened her slitted red eyes and looked at me and laughed with\n white reptilian teeth.", "\"I saved her life,\" he said. \"When we bought her out of Hanak's wreck\n and everybody thought she was too hurt to live, I saved her. I know\n her. I can do things with her. But this time....\"", "got to go back. Back where I found it. I tried to take it, but they\n wouldn't let me, and I was afraid they'd find it....\"", "\"Death,\" she whispered. \"Death and trouble. The jungle tells me. I can\n smell it in the swamp wind.\"", "\"Don't leave me. Got to tell you—where it is. Got to take it back.\n Promise you'll take it back.\" He gasped and struggled over his\n breathing.", "Gow glared at us as we came up into the lantern light. \"She's gettin'\n worse,\" he said. \"She's lonesome.\"", "He looked at me like he was thinking it wouldn't take much timber to\n fit me for a coffin. \"Okay! But Gertrude's unhappy. She's lonesome,", "We had a lot of fun. Some of the boys inside the ship came out to join\n in. We raised a lot of dust and nobody got killed, quite. We all went\n home happy. They had their money, and we had their blood.", "We were a long way from the light, then. The cages and tanks loomed\n high and black over us. It was still. The secret, uneasy motion all\n around us and the scruffing of our feet only made it stiller.", "sunk into her shoulders, looking out. Just looking. Not at anything.\n Her eyes were way back in deep horny pits, like cold green fire.", "He reached suddenly and grabbed the edge of the table. \"I don't know\n how they found out about it, but they did. I've got to get it back.\n I've got to....\"", "Shannon has a good vocabulary. He used it. When he got his breath back\n he said suddenly,\n\n\n \"Beamish is pulling some kind of a game.\"\n\n\n \"Yeah.\"", "Gow said softly, \"She wants a mate. And somebody better get her one.\"", "I felt cold, suddenly, between the shoulders. Somebody scraped a chair\n back. It sounded like he'd ripped the floor open, it was so quiet. I", "He shrugged. He was huge and tough and ugly, and his voice was like a\n woman's talking about a sick child.\n\n\n \"This time,\" he said, \"I ain't sure.\"", "triangular mouth open like a thirsty dog. She didn't have anything on\n but her blue-green, hard scaled hide, and she was chuckling. It didn't\n sound nice.", "\"\nCansin\n. Male. Only one. You don't know...! Take him back.\"\n\n\n \"Where is it, Sam?\"", "see? And if she don't get happier pretty soon I ain't sure your tin-pot\n ship'll hold her.\"" ], [ "Shannon has a good vocabulary. He used it. When he got his breath back\n he said suddenly,\n\n\n \"Beamish is pulling some kind of a game.\"\n\n\n \"Yeah.\"", "Bucky Shannon walked out into the glare of the light at the entrance to\n the roped-off space around the main lock. He was pretty steady on his\n feet. He waved and said, \"Hiya, boys.\"", "Bucky Shannon lurched against me suddenly. I choked back a yell, and\n then wiped the sweat off my forehead and cursed. The scream came again.", "Our footsteps sounded loud and empty on the iron floor. I wasn't\n near as happy as Shannon, and my skin began to crawl a little. It's", "\"You were right, Jig,\" he mumbled. \"Circus is no good. I know it. But", "Shannon put his hands down on his belt. He closed his eyes and smiled\n pleasantly and said, very gently:\n\n\n \"Would you be collecting for the feed bill, or the fuel?\"", "\"That's tough,\" said Bucky Shannon. His grey-green eyes looked like an\n owl's. He swayed slightly. \"That's sure tough.\" He sniffled.", "\"Kidding.\" Shannon put his elbows on the table and peered at me through\n a curtain of very blond hair that was trying hard to be red. \"He says", "The Blue Behemoth\nBy LEIGH BRACKETT\nShannon's Imperial Circus was a jinxed\n\n space-carny leased for a mysterious tour\n\n of the inner worlds. It made a one-night", "Shannon stared at me. Beamish started to get indignant. \"Shut up,\" I\n told him. \"We got a contract.\" I yanked the curtains shut and walked\n over to the bar.", "I'm kidding! With Shannon's Imperial Circus, the Greatest Show in\n Space, plastered so thick with attachments....\"", "Bucky Shannon opened the door. He looked white and grim, and there was\n a big burn across his neck. He said:\n\n\n \"Beamish is here with his lawyer.\"", "Nobody would have minded that, only one of 'em had only four legs. It\n lived just long enough to scare that bunch of superstitious dopes out\n of their pants. Circus people are funny that way.", "The little guy nodded. \"Excellent idea. My name is Beamish. Simon\n Beamish. I wish to—ah—charter your circus.\"", "lot quicker grabbing the pitcher. \"The Greatest Show in Space. Phooey!\n I've wet-nursed Shannon's Imperial Circus around the Triangle for", "I must have had the pitcher oftener than I thought. Nobody insults\n Buckhalter Shannon's Imperial Circus to Buckhalter Shannon's face\n unless he's tired and wants a long rest in a comfy fracture-frame.", "thildatum\n!\"\nIt was pretty late when we got back to the broken-down spaceport where\n Shannon's Imperial Circus was crouching beneath its attachments. Late", "Bucky Shannon began to cry. I snarled, \"You'll have to snap her out of\n this, Gow. She's driving the rest of 'em nuts.\"", "remedy that. I propose to charter your circus, Mister Shannon, to make\n a tour of several settlements along the Tehara Belt.\"", "Shannon looked at me, kind of funny. He looked at the bulge in my tunic\n where the roll was. He raked back his thick light hair." ], [ "\"Question is, Jig, who wants to kill us, and why?\"\n\n\n \"Beamish. He realizes he's been gypped.\"", "Shannon has a good vocabulary. He used it. When he got his breath back\n he said suddenly,\n\n\n \"Beamish is pulling some kind of a game.\"\n\n\n \"Yeah.\"", "Beamish sipped his drink, made a polite face, and put it down. \"I have\n independent means, gentlemen. It has always been my desire to lighten\n the burden of life for those less fortunate....\"", "He sat down, looking like a mean dog waiting for the postman. Beamish\n ignored him. He went on, quietly,", "\"That would be expensive, Mister Beamish,\" I said. \"We'd have to cancel\n several engagements....\"\n\n\n He looked at me. I was lying, and he knew it. But he said,", "It was twice what we had any right to ask. I was prepared to dicker.\n Beamish looked at me with that innocent dead pan. For a fraction of a", "second I thought I saw something back of his round blue eyes, and my\n stomach jumped like it was shot. Beamish smiled sweetly.", "\"Kidding.\" Shannon put his elbows on the table and peered at me through\n a curtain of very blond hair that was trying hard to be red. \"He says", "\"You pretty, Mis' Jig,\" he giggled. \"You funny like hell.\"", "Shannon stared at me. Beamish started to get indignant. \"Shut up,\" I\n told him. \"We got a contract.\" I yanked the curtains shut and walked\n over to the bar.", "Bucky got red around the ears. \"Just a minute,\" he murmured, and\n started to get up. I kicked him under the table.\n\n\n \"Shut up, you lug. Let Mister Beamish finish.\"", "it's all I got. I love it, Jig. Unnerstan' me? Like Gow there with\n Gertrude. She's ugly and no good, but he loves her. I love....\"", "I looked at the cigarette stub smoldering on the table. I looked at\n Beamish with his round dead baby face. I climbed over Shannon and\n pushed Beamish suddenly down into his lap.", "Bucky Shannon opened the door. He looked white and grim, and there was\n a big burn across his neck. He said:\n\n\n \"Beamish is here with his lawyer.\"", "Bucky Shannon got up. He grinned his pleasantest grin. \"Delighted. I'm\n Shannon. This is Jig Bentley, my business manager.\" He looked down at\n the table. \"I'm sorry about that. Mistaken identity.\"", "latch and looked at my feet. \"And—uh—Jig, I....\"", "He pulled the curtains to and departed. Bucky Shannon groaned. Beamish\n cleared his throat and said, rather stiffly,\n\n\n \"Gertrude?\"", "that it wasn't transparent at all. It was the most complete dead-pan I\n ever met, and you couldn't see into those innocent blue eyes any more\n than you could see through sheet metal.", "I reached across Bucky suddenly and jerked the curtain back. Beamish\n was standing there. Beamish, bent over, with his ear cocked. Kapper\n made a harsh strangling noise and fell across the table.", "\"You were right, Jig,\" he mumbled. \"Circus is no good. I know it. But" ] ]

[ "How did Trillium end up as a stow-away on the ship?", "How had the fusion control points been adjusted?", "Had Trillium known the outcome of her stowing away, would she have likely still stowed away?", "What were the hiding places selected by Trillium while stowing away?", "Why were the Venus women transfixed by the Earthmen?", "What caused Trillium to be found in her hiding place the final time?", "Why is it in the best interest for an Earthman to never lay eyes on a Venus dame?", "Why did Callahan think Trillium was Berta when he first spotted her?", "How did Trillium sneak her way onto the ship?", "What were Callahan and O'Rielly awarded for assisting the revolution?" ]

[ [ "She had been kidnapped by the men under the official command of the President of Earth. ", "She had fallen for the Earthmen and had chosen to run away with them.", "She chose to show away so that the Venus women could bring their cause to the attention of Earth's President. ", "She had accidentally boarded the ship while looking for the shower. " ], [ "The control had reset itself in flight. ", "It had been moved by a scurrying three-tailed mouse of Venus", "Trillium had adjusted it when she got too heated.", "They were not correctly inspected and locked before blast-off." ], [ "Yes, because she was able to accomplish her mission. ", "Yes, because she had already shown that she was selfish and lonely. ", "No, because she was jeopardizing being condemned to a Uranus moon.", "No, because she wasn't able to prove her point and was sent back to Venus. " ], [ "In the shower and behind the burner", "By the lockers and behind the burner", "Behind the burner and under the bunk", "In the shower and under the bunk" ], [ "They felt abandoned by their own men who had obsessions with war and little time for them.", "The Earthmen were much more attractive and had real facial hair. ", "The women of Venus liked to break the rules. ", "Venus was solely occupied by women, leaving them no other option. " ], [ "The Earthmen couldn't stop staring at the bunk where she was because of their lust. ", "His Excellency saw her hiding under the bunk and recognized her immediately. ", "O'Rielly and Callahan had turned her in to the Old Woman in hopes of a reward. ", "A loud thump from under the bunk that caught the attention of the Old Woman. " ], [ "Because the Venus dames were thought to be only goofy tale set loose by some old space bum. ", "Because they would be so infatuated by the dame even knowing she would be their damnation. ", "Because they would be condemned to a Uranus moon for even looking at them. ", "Because of their dangerous nature." ], [ "Because Berta was Trillium's Grandmamma and she resembled her from a hundred and twenty-five years ago. ", "Because she introduced herself as so and led him to believe that was who she was. ", "Because all the Venus women have the same enchanting appearance. ", "Because only Berta was able to enter the ship. " ], [ "She disguised herself as a boy hustling bags through the ship. ", "She had an enchanted Earthman help her onto the ship. ", "She had sneaked on while no one was looking and went straight to the burner. ", "She disguised herself as a boy who was serving food in the quarters. " ], [ "They were allowed to visit with the women of Venus", "They were allotted five minutes leisure before returning to their stations. ", "They were punished, rather than rewarded, and programmed to be hung, shot and thrown to the crows for breakfast. ", "Nothing, but they were spared from being condemned to a Uranus moon." ] ]

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[ 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0 ]

[ [ "Trillium—with her shape—passing as a boy hustling bags through this\n ship. O'Rielly chortled as he tucked her under his bunk. \"Now don't you\n worry about another thing!\"", "\"No. One of us stowing away was the only way we Venus women could bring\n our cause to the attention of Earth's President. If Earth will only", "\"I threw them in there before you came on duty before blast-off,\"\n Trillium explained. \"I knew the burner room would be warm.\"", "\"Impossible!\" Grandpapa President's ear beards stood near straight up\n as he roared, \"You couldn't have stolen away by yourself! Trillium,\n tell the truth!\"", "\"Well, Grandmamma,\" Trillium said with a highly self-satisfied air, \"it\n works. And just like you said, Earthmen meant nothing once I knew we\n Venus women had our own men in our power.\"", "O'Rielly still had memories of the way he had felt about Trillium\n before her revolution. \"All right, Callahan, why did 'our boy' leave\n Grandmamma?\"", "\"Trillium?\" His Excellency bellowed as if stung by one of the\n sabre-tailed hornets of his native planet. \"Trillium!\"", "Old Woman sighed through her teeth. \"Venus woman aboard this ship.\n Stowaway. Rattle that around your belfries.\"", "\"Oh, no, Grandpapa,\" Trillium said swiftly; \"I stole away all by\n myself, and Mr. O'Rielly and Callahan have been very helpful.\"", "\"She learned,\" Trillium stated emphatically, \"a hundred and twenty-five\n years ago.\"", "Wasn't too bad a fib. The more O'Rielly thought of Trillium, the more\n ideas he got of doing things he'd never dreamt of before in his life.\n Yes, ma'am!", "\"You—I mean, that Earth guy a hundred twenty-five years ago,\" O'Rielly\n said in sudden thought. \"If Venus dames wanted to be loved so bad, why\n did Trillium's Grandmamma let him go?\"", "\"Oh, I'm Trillium,\" she assured Callahan sweetly. \"But Grandmamma's\n name is Berta and people say I'm just like she was a hundred and", "\"Trillium,\" O'Rielly pleaded in loving anguish, \"why do you have to\n keep coming out of hiding just when nobody's going to find you?\"", "\"Dimmy,\" Trillium was saying firmly to His Excellency, \"you have beat\n around the bush with me long enough. Now say it!\"", "\"Were.\" Features more beautifully mature than Trillium's crowded onto\n the panel too. \"From now on I'm doing the deciding.\"\n\n\n \"Nonsense! You're only my wife!\"", "\"Very well. Grandmamma told me how.\"\n\"Obviously Trillium's poor little brain has been drugged,\" His\n Excellency Dimdooly declared. \"Grandmamma Berta wouldn't know the first\n thing about such things!\"", "\"Yes! War in which people will actually die!\" As His Excellency paled\n at that grisly remark, the Old Woman spoke through her teeth at\n O'Rielly, Callahan and Trillium. \"All right, come along!\"", "Earth out of the universe. \"My grandchild was kidnapped by men under\n your official command! Weren't you, Trillium dear?\"", "O'Rielly joined the death march gladly. He felt the way Callahan\n looked: ready to wrap his arms around Trillium's brave loveliness and\n protect it to his last breath of life." ], [ "When he talked he was like digging a hole in front of himself. \"Well,\n what about that control?\"\n\n\n \"What control?\"\n\n\n \"Your fusion control that got itself two points low!\"", "Old Callahan's voice crackled now through the helmet's ear contact.\n \"Well, Mr. O'Rielly?\"\n\n\n \"Fusion control two points low, sir.\"", "\"So a control reset itself in flight, hey?\"\n\n\n \"I don't know yet, sir.\"\n\n\n \"Well, Mr. O'Rielly, you better know before we orbit Earth!\"", "\"If every control hadn't been locked in correct setting,\" O'Rielly\n answered from his own angry bewilderment, \"the error would have\n registered before blast-off—wouldn't it, sir?\"", "in pre-flight school, no control had ever been known to slip. But one\n had moved here. Not enough to cause serious trouble this far out from", "\"Wasting your time talking nonsense!\" Old Woman's look was fit to\n freeze O'Rielly's brain, then she gave Callahan the look. \"I sent you\n down here to find the answer to that fusion control slippage!\"", "O'Rielly wondered had Callahan passed out, was so long before the old\n Burner Chief demanded hoarsely, \"Didn't you lock them controls before\n blast-off?\"", "couldn't stand the heat any longer and I couldn't open that big door.\n So I moved one of your controls a tiny bit. All the noise in there,", "\"I threw them in there before you came on duty before blast-off,\"\n Trillium explained. \"I knew the burner room would be warm.\"", "on tour the ship. Old Woman catches you like you been rassling skunks\n she'll peel both our hides off. Not to mention what she'll do anyway\n about your fusion control!\"", "chance! Swiftly O'Rielly unlocked the controls and reset them. The\n throbbing rumble changed tone.", "Chief's console up in the flight room full of beautifully efficient\n officers. Ever since Venus blast-off O'Rielly had been in Four's watch", "Earth. On blast-down, though, with one jet below peak, the uneven\n thrust could throw the ship, crash it, the whole lovely thing and all\n aboard gone in a churning cloud.", "whether there's any fusionable junk inside. Well, our boy got himself\n one of them bags, stuffed himself inside and joined a bigwig's pile of\n 'em.", "The parties in the panels saw each other now. Each one's left hand on a\n desk moved toward a big red button marked, ROCKETS.", "Especially she eyed Callahan, like running chilled drills through his\n old conniving brain. \"I award the pair of you five minutes leisure\n before returning to your stations.\"", "blowing her gaskets completely, O'Rielly simply stepped in, shut the\n door, flipped a switch and tingled as he was electronically cleansed", "Then use it! Mr. Callahan, remain at attention while I inspect this\n burner!\" She tendered a cool glance at the Venus bigwig. \"Care to join\n me, Your Excellency?\"", "She was fit to put frost on a hydrogen burner. \"Mr. Callahan, I asked\n you a question, did I not?\"", "Madame President's shapely finger now rested full on the button that\n could launch the fleets of war rockets that had been pre-aimed for a" ], [ "Trillium—with her shape—passing as a boy hustling bags through this\n ship. O'Rielly chortled as he tucked her under his bunk. \"Now don't you\n worry about another thing!\"", "would be improved by knowledge of she who was in O'Rielly's shower now.\n Not that the dear stowaway was less than charming. Quite the contrary.\n Oh, very quite!", "\"Impossible!\" Grandpapa President's ear beards stood near straight up\n as he roared, \"You couldn't have stolen away by yourself! Trillium,\n tell the truth!\"", "\"Well, Grandmamma,\" Trillium said with a highly self-satisfied air, \"it\n works. And just like you said, Earthmen meant nothing once I knew we\n Venus women had our own men in our power.\"", "\"She learned,\" Trillium stated emphatically, \"a hundred and twenty-five\n years ago.\"", "\"No. One of us stowing away was the only way we Venus women could bring\n our cause to the attention of Earth's President. If Earth will only", "Wasn't too bad a fib. The more O'Rielly thought of Trillium, the more\n ideas he got of doing things he'd never dreamt of before in his life.\n Yes, ma'am!", "O'Rielly still had memories of the way he had felt about Trillium\n before her revolution. \"All right, Callahan, why did 'our boy' leave\n Grandmamma?\"", "\"You—I mean, that Earth guy a hundred twenty-five years ago,\" O'Rielly\n said in sudden thought. \"If Venus dames wanted to be loved so bad, why\n did Trillium's Grandmamma let him go?\"", "opened it. O'Rielly, however, suffered a cruel stab of dismay. Surely\n his dear stowaway had been listening through the door. Why didn't she", "\"Were.\" Features more beautifully mature than Trillium's crowded onto\n the panel too. \"From now on I'm doing the deciding.\"\n\n\n \"Nonsense! You're only my wife!\"", "\"I threw them in there before you came on duty before blast-off,\"\n Trillium explained. \"I knew the burner room would be warm.\"", "\"Trillium,\" O'Rielly pleaded in loving anguish, \"why do you have to\n keep coming out of hiding just when nobody's going to find you?\"", "Old Woman had been flimflammed for fair! Dear Trillium was saved! And\n betwixt O'Rielly's grand brain and Callahan's great experience she'd be\n happy forever.", "O'Rielly joined the death march gladly. He felt the way Callahan\n looked: ready to wrap his arms around Trillium's brave loveliness and\n protect it to his last breath of life.", "\"Dimmy,\" Trillium was saying firmly to His Excellency, \"you have beat\n around the bush with me long enough. Now say it!\"", "\"Very well. Grandmamma told me how.\"\n\"Obviously Trillium's poor little brain has been drugged,\" His\n Excellency Dimdooly declared. \"Grandmamma Berta wouldn't know the first\n thing about such things!\"", "O'Rielly stood looking thoughtfully at lovely, womanly, exquisite\n Trillium. Just like that, O'Rielly felt as sparkling of mind as a", "\"Oh, I'm Trillium,\" she assured Callahan sweetly. \"But Grandmamma's\n name is Berta and people say I'm just like she was a hundred and", "\"Oh, no, Grandpapa,\" Trillium said swiftly; \"I stole away all by\n myself, and Mr. O'Rielly and Callahan have been very helpful.\"" ], [ "Trillium—with her shape—passing as a boy hustling bags through this\n ship. O'Rielly chortled as he tucked her under his bunk. \"Now don't you\n worry about another thing!\"", "\"I threw them in there before you came on duty before blast-off,\"\n Trillium explained. \"I knew the burner room would be warm.\"", "\"Trillium,\" O'Rielly pleaded in loving anguish, \"why do you have to\n keep coming out of hiding just when nobody's going to find you?\"", "\"Oh, no, Grandpapa,\" Trillium said swiftly; \"I stole away all by\n myself, and Mr. O'Rielly and Callahan have been very helpful.\"", "\"Impossible!\" Grandpapa President's ear beards stood near straight up\n as he roared, \"You couldn't have stolen away by yourself! Trillium,\n tell the truth!\"", "\"Oh, I'm Trillium,\" she assured Callahan sweetly. \"But Grandmamma's\n name is Berta and people say I'm just like she was a hundred and", "\"She learned,\" Trillium stated emphatically, \"a hundred and twenty-five\n years ago.\"", "Wasn't too bad a fib. The more O'Rielly thought of Trillium, the more\n ideas he got of doing things he'd never dreamt of before in his life.\n Yes, ma'am!", "\"Well, Grandmamma,\" Trillium said with a highly self-satisfied air, \"it\n works. And just like you said, Earthmen meant nothing once I knew we\n Venus women had our own men in our power.\"", "\"Dimmy,\" Trillium was saying firmly to His Excellency, \"you have beat\n around the bush with me long enough. Now say it!\"", "\"Trillium?\" His Excellency bellowed as if stung by one of the\n sabre-tailed hornets of his native planet. \"Trillium!\"", "\"Very well. Grandmamma told me how.\"\n\"Obviously Trillium's poor little brain has been drugged,\" His\n Excellency Dimdooly declared. \"Grandmamma Berta wouldn't know the first\n thing about such things!\"", "O'Rielly stood looking thoughtfully at lovely, womanly, exquisite\n Trillium. Just like that, O'Rielly felt as sparkling of mind as a", "Was all O'Rielly could do to keep from rolling on the deck with glee.\n Old Callahan had been flimflammed for fair! The dear little stowaway", "then all the gas went out of him. His ear beards, however, still had\n enough zip left to flutter like butterflies. \"Yes, Trillium dear. I", "O'Rielly still had memories of the way he had felt about Trillium\n before her revolution. \"All right, Callahan, why did 'our boy' leave\n Grandmamma?\"", "away from Trillium and took a look at Callahan. Old guy looked away\n from Grandmamma President like he was packing the second biggest\n headache in history.", "O'Rielly's shower opened and Callahan, glowing like a young bucko,\n bounced onto the bunk. \"Well, did you hide her good this time? No,", "Old Woman sighed through her teeth. \"Venus woman aboard this ship.\n Stowaway. Rattle that around your belfries.\"", "Old Woman had been flimflammed for fair! Dear Trillium was saved! And\n betwixt O'Rielly's grand brain and Callahan's great experience she'd be\n happy forever." ], [ "\"There are rewards,\" the Old Woman said with the deadly coldness of\n outer space, \"for Earthmen found in a Venus woman's company, and for\n her leaving her planet.\"", "\"Well, Grandmamma,\" Trillium said with a highly self-satisfied air, \"it\n works. And just like you said, Earthmen meant nothing once I knew we\n Venus women had our own men in our power.\"", "\"Thousand years ago, it was, the first flight reached Venus. Guys\n got one look at them dames. Had to bring some home or bust. So then", "\"Well, that's when Earth dames took over like armies of wild cats\n with knots in their tails. Before the guys who'd brought the Venus", "\"Those crewmen there,\" Grandmamma President said, \"seem to be proof\n enough that we Venus women no longer radiate any threat to Earth's\n tranquility.\"", "\"But Venus men are so excited all the time about going to war they\n haven't time for us women. That's why we always radiated such a fatal", "attraction for Earthmen. We want to be loved! We want our own men home\n doing useful work!\"", "Venus thrown to the tigers for supper. Same for any Earth guy caught\n around a Venus dame. In return, Earth could buy practically everything\n at bargain basement prices.\"", "\"No Venus dames allowed within fifty miles of their port. Earth guys\n stay inside the high-voltage fence. Any dame caught trying to leave", "dames to Earth could say anything they was taken apart too small to\n pick up with a blotter. Earth dames wound up by flying the Venus ones\n back where they come from and serving notice if one ever set foot on", "everybody on Earth got a look, mostly by TV only of course. That did\n it. Every guy on Earth began blowing his fuse over them dames. Give up", "\"No. One of us stowing away was the only way we Venus women could bring\n our cause to the attention of Earth's President. If Earth will only", "\"Impossible! The men run Venus! Nobody's turning this planet into\n another Earth where a man can't even sneeze unless some woman says so!\"", "\"Presidents of Earth and Venus, please,\" the Old Woman stated evenly.\n \"Interplanetary emergency.\"\n\n\n Highly groomed flunkies appeared on the panels and were impersonally\n pleasant.", "\"May as well.\" His Excellency glanced at O'Rielly and Callahan much as\n he might at a couple of worms. Could bet your last old sox no female\n ever told any Venus man what to do.", "Then use it! Mr. Callahan, remain at attention while I inspect this\n burner!\" She tendered a cool glance at the Venus bigwig. \"Care to join\n me, Your Excellency?\"", "\"You—I mean, that Earth guy a hundred twenty-five years ago,\" O'Rielly\n said in sudden thought. \"If Venus dames wanted to be loved so bad, why\n did Trillium's Grandmamma let him go?\"", "IMAGE OF SPLENDOR\nBy LU KELLA\nFrom Venus to Earth, and all the way between,\n \nit was a hell of a world for men ... and", "\"I'm not sure,\" O'Rielly said, \"what you mean by, 'that's all.'\"\n\n\n \"Anybody ever seen anybody but a Venus guy come built with ear beards?\n Course not.\"", "much longer. Venus dames could of let it out centuries ago themselves\n but didn't, just to spite Earth probably. Later, was part of organizing\n to take over Venus, I guess.\"" ], [ "\"Trillium,\" O'Rielly pleaded in loving anguish, \"why do you have to\n keep coming out of hiding just when nobody's going to find you?\"", "Trillium—with her shape—passing as a boy hustling bags through this\n ship. O'Rielly chortled as he tucked her under his bunk. \"Now don't you\n worry about another thing!\"", "\"Oh, I'm Trillium,\" she assured Callahan sweetly. \"But Grandmamma's\n name is Berta and people say I'm just like she was a hundred and", "\"Dimmy,\" Trillium was saying firmly to His Excellency, \"you have beat\n around the bush with me long enough. Now say it!\"", "\"Impossible!\" Grandpapa President's ear beards stood near straight up\n as he roared, \"You couldn't have stolen away by yourself! Trillium,\n tell the truth!\"", "O'Rielly still had memories of the way he had felt about Trillium\n before her revolution. \"All right, Callahan, why did 'our boy' leave\n Grandmamma?\"", "\"She learned,\" Trillium stated emphatically, \"a hundred and twenty-five\n years ago.\"", "Old Woman had been flimflammed for fair! Dear Trillium was saved! And\n betwixt O'Rielly's grand brain and Callahan's great experience she'd be\n happy forever.", "\"I threw them in there before you came on duty before blast-off,\"\n Trillium explained. \"I knew the burner room would be warm.\"", "\"Oh, no, Grandpapa,\" Trillium said swiftly; \"I stole away all by\n myself, and Mr. O'Rielly and Callahan have been very helpful.\"", "\"Yes! War in which people will actually die!\" As His Excellency paled\n at that grisly remark, the Old Woman spoke through her teeth at\n O'Rielly, Callahan and Trillium. \"All right, come along!\"", "\"Well, Grandmamma,\" Trillium said with a highly self-satisfied air, \"it\n works. And just like you said, Earthmen meant nothing once I knew we\n Venus women had our own men in our power.\"", "\"Trillium?\" His Excellency bellowed as if stung by one of the\n sabre-tailed hornets of his native planet. \"Trillium!\"", "\"Very well. Grandmamma told me how.\"\n\"Obviously Trillium's poor little brain has been drugged,\" His\n Excellency Dimdooly declared. \"Grandmamma Berta wouldn't know the first\n thing about such things!\"", "then all the gas went out of him. His ear beards, however, still had\n enough zip left to flutter like butterflies. \"Yes, Trillium dear. I", "O'Rielly stood looking thoughtfully at lovely, womanly, exquisite\n Trillium. Just like that, O'Rielly felt as sparkling of mind as a", "A fine loud \"thump,\" however, was now heard. Old Woman whirled back and\n yanked open the doors under O'Rielly's bunk.", "Wasn't too bad a fib. The more O'Rielly thought of Trillium, the more\n ideas he got of doing things he'd never dreamt of before in his life.\n Yes, ma'am!", "O'Rielly joined the death march gladly. He felt the way Callahan\n looked: ready to wrap his arms around Trillium's brave loveliness and\n protect it to his last breath of life.", "The Venus panel finally held steady on universally notorious features,\n that were as fierce as an eagle's, in a fancy war helmet. \"Trillium! My" ], [ "\"There are rewards,\" the Old Woman said with the deadly coldness of\n outer space, \"for Earthmen found in a Venus woman's company, and for\n her leaving her planet.\"", "\"No Venus dames allowed within fifty miles of their port. Earth guys\n stay inside the high-voltage fence. Any dame caught trying to leave", "Venus thrown to the tigers for supper. Same for any Earth guy caught\n around a Venus dame. In return, Earth could buy practically everything\n at bargain basement prices.\"", "dames to Earth could say anything they was taken apart too small to\n pick up with a blotter. Earth dames wound up by flying the Venus ones\n back where they come from and serving notice if one ever set foot on", "\"Thousand years ago, it was, the first flight reached Venus. Guys\n got one look at them dames. Had to bring some home or bust. So then", "\"Impossible! The men run Venus! Nobody's turning this planet into\n another Earth where a man can't even sneeze unless some woman says so!\"", "\"Well, Grandmamma,\" Trillium said with a highly self-satisfied air, \"it\n works. And just like you said, Earthmen meant nothing once I knew we\n Venus women had our own men in our power.\"", "\"Pray heaven you'll never lay eyes on one nor have one get within ten\n foot of you! Even though you'd know she'd be your damnation wouldn't", "\"No. One of us stowing away was the only way we Venus women could bring\n our cause to the attention of Earth's President. If Earth will only", "\"May as well.\" His Excellency glanced at O'Rielly and Callahan much as\n he might at a couple of worms. Could bet your last old sox no female\n ever told any Venus man what to do.", "guess our boy was the only guy on Earth or Venus to find out and live.\n Dames bossing both planets now, though, his old secret won't be one", "\"You—I mean, that Earth guy a hundred twenty-five years ago,\" O'Rielly\n said in sudden thought. \"If Venus dames wanted to be loved so bad, why\n did Trillium's Grandmamma let him go?\"", "\"But Venus men are so excited all the time about going to war they\n haven't time for us women. That's why we always radiated such a fatal", "No Earth dame ever admitted any guy was even equal to any female. Old\n Woman, a prime symbol of her gender's superiority, whipped a razor edge\n onto her own words. \"Facilities of the Captain's quarters are more\n satisfactory.\"", "much longer. Venus dames could of let it out centuries ago themselves\n but didn't, just to spite Earth probably. Later, was part of organizing\n to take over Venus, I guess.\"", "\"Well, that's when Earth dames took over like armies of wild cats\n with knots in their tails. Before the guys who'd brought the Venus", "Earth again there wouldn't be enough left of Venus to find with an\n electron microscope.\n\"Venus boys rared up and served notice that if Earth ever got any funny", "Venus for ten thousand years and all the women in the universe can't\n change it!\"", "\"Long may the superior sex reign on Venus too! We shall be delighted to\n receive an Ambassadoress to discuss a new trade treaty at your earliest\n convenience.\"", "attraction for Earthmen. We want to be loved! We want our own men home\n doing useful work!\"" ], [ "At sight of her, of course, Callahan's eyes near popped from his old\n head. \"Berta!\"", "\"Oh, I'm Trillium,\" she assured Callahan sweetly. \"But Grandmamma's\n name is Berta and people say I'm just like she was a hundred and", "O'Rielly still had memories of the way he had felt about Trillium\n before her revolution. \"All right, Callahan, why did 'our boy' leave\n Grandmamma?\"", "O'Rielly joined the death march gladly. He felt the way Callahan\n looked: ready to wrap his arms around Trillium's brave loveliness and\n protect it to his last breath of life.", "away from Trillium and took a look at Callahan. Old guy looked away\n from Grandmamma President like he was packing the second biggest\n headache in history.", "\"Hah? What?\" Callahan blinked like waking from a trance; even groaned\n to himself, something that sounded like, \"Blabbering like I'd had", "O'Rielly stood looking thoughtfully at lovely, womanly, exquisite\n Trillium. Just like that, O'Rielly felt as sparkling of mind as a", "Old Woman had been flimflammed for fair! Dear Trillium was saved! And\n betwixt O'Rielly's grand brain and Callahan's great experience she'd be\n happy forever.", "Trillium—with her shape—passing as a boy hustling bags through this\n ship. O'Rielly chortled as he tucked her under his bunk. \"Now don't you\n worry about another thing!\"", "\"Oh, no, Grandpapa,\" Trillium said swiftly; \"I stole away all by\n myself, and Mr. O'Rielly and Callahan have been very helpful.\"", "\"Very well. Grandmamma told me how.\"\n\"Obviously Trillium's poor little brain has been drugged,\" His\n Excellency Dimdooly declared. \"Grandmamma Berta wouldn't know the first\n thing about such things!\"", "O'Rielly's shower opened and Callahan, glowing like a young bucko,\n bounced onto the bunk. \"Well, did you hide her good this time? No,", "Especially she eyed Callahan, like running chilled drills through his\n old conniving brain. \"I award the pair of you five minutes leisure\n before returning to your stations.\"", "room. Nobody had passed through. O'Rielly knew it. Callahan knew it.\n By now the Old Woman herself, Captain Millicent Hatwoody, had probably", "don't flimflam the Old Woman!\" With which ominous remark, rendered in\n a zesty devil-may-care manner, however, Callahan threw himself into\n O'Rielly's shower.", "Callahan said something through his teeth, then studied O'Rielly\n sharply. \"Hey, you been wetting your whistle on that Venus vino again?", "\"Believe you did, ma'am,\" Callahan responded cheerfully. \"And the\n answer is, ma'am, that Apprentice Burnerman O'Rielly and me was", "women—merely chanced to arise whilst we was scientifically analyzing\n the control phenomenon, ma'am. Naturally I offered this innocent young\n Burnerman the benefit of me long years of experience. Why,\" Callahan", "\"Yes! War in which people will actually die!\" As His Excellency paled\n at that grisly remark, the Old Woman spoke through her teeth at\n O'Rielly, Callahan and Trillium. \"All right, come along!\"", "\"Of all the sappy hiding places!\" Callahan yelped, in surprise of\n course." ], [ "Trillium—with her shape—passing as a boy hustling bags through this\n ship. O'Rielly chortled as he tucked her under his bunk. \"Now don't you\n worry about another thing!\"", "\"I threw them in there before you came on duty before blast-off,\"\n Trillium explained. \"I knew the burner room would be warm.\"", "\"Well, Grandmamma,\" Trillium said with a highly self-satisfied air, \"it\n works. And just like you said, Earthmen meant nothing once I knew we\n Venus women had our own men in our power.\"", "\"Impossible!\" Grandpapa President's ear beards stood near straight up\n as he roared, \"You couldn't have stolen away by yourself! Trillium,\n tell the truth!\"", "Old Woman sighed through her teeth. \"Venus woman aboard this ship.\n Stowaway. Rattle that around your belfries.\"", "Wasn't too bad a fib. The more O'Rielly thought of Trillium, the more\n ideas he got of doing things he'd never dreamt of before in his life.\n Yes, ma'am!", "\"No. One of us stowing away was the only way we Venus women could bring\n our cause to the attention of Earth's President. If Earth will only", "\"Oh, no, Grandpapa,\" Trillium said swiftly; \"I stole away all by\n myself, and Mr. O'Rielly and Callahan have been very helpful.\"", "\"Trillium?\" His Excellency bellowed as if stung by one of the\n sabre-tailed hornets of his native planet. \"Trillium!\"", "\"Oh, I'm Trillium,\" she assured Callahan sweetly. \"But Grandmamma's\n name is Berta and people say I'm just like she was a hundred and", "\"Very well. Grandmamma told me how.\"\n\"Obviously Trillium's poor little brain has been drugged,\" His\n Excellency Dimdooly declared. \"Grandmamma Berta wouldn't know the first\n thing about such things!\"", "\"She learned,\" Trillium stated emphatically, \"a hundred and twenty-five\n years ago.\"", "\"Yes! War in which people will actually die!\" As His Excellency paled\n at that grisly remark, the Old Woman spoke through her teeth at\n O'Rielly, Callahan and Trillium. \"All right, come along!\"", "on tour the ship. Old Woman catches you like you been rassling skunks\n she'll peel both our hides off. Not to mention what she'll do anyway\n about your fusion control!\"", "communications mixup, we managed to have the scenes on these panels\n broadcast throughout all Venus. When the rug went out from under the\n top man, the tide really turned in our favor. Now, Trillium, you take", "\"Were.\" Features more beautifully mature than Trillium's crowded onto\n the panel too. \"From now on I'm doing the deciding.\"\n\n\n \"Nonsense! You're only my wife!\"", "\"Dimmy,\" Trillium was saying firmly to His Excellency, \"you have beat\n around the bush with me long enough. Now say it!\"", "Earth out of the universe. \"My grandchild was kidnapped by men under\n your official command! Weren't you, Trillium dear?\"", "O'Rielly still had memories of the way he had felt about Trillium\n before her revolution. \"All right, Callahan, why did 'our boy' leave\n Grandmamma?\"", "Was all O'Rielly could do to keep from rolling on the deck with glee.\n Old Callahan had been flimflammed for fair! The dear little stowaway" ], [ "\"I should like,\" Grandmamma President Berta said charmingly, \"that\n Mr. O'Rielly and Mr. Callahan be suitably rewarded for assisting our\n revolution better than they knew.\"", "\"Oh, well,\" O'Rielly muttered, once he and Callahan were safely beyond\n earshot, \"could have been rewarded worse, I suppose.\"", "O'Rielly's shower opened and Callahan, glowing like a young bucko,\n bounced onto the bunk. \"Well, did you hide her good this time? No,", "don't flimflam the Old Woman!\" With which ominous remark, rendered in\n a zesty devil-may-care manner, however, Callahan threw himself into\n O'Rielly's shower.", "\"Believe you did, ma'am,\" Callahan responded cheerfully. \"And the\n answer is, ma'am, that Apprentice Burnerman O'Rielly and me was", "O'Rielly still had memories of the way he had felt about Trillium\n before her revolution. \"All right, Callahan, why did 'our boy' leave\n Grandmamma?\"", "\"Burner Chief Callahan, sir,\" O'Rielly responded courteously, \"I have\n been thinking.\"", "Was all O'Rielly could do to keep from rolling on the deck with glee.\n Old Callahan had been flimflammed for fair! The dear little stowaway", "O'Rielly joined the death march gladly. He felt the way Callahan\n looked: ready to wrap his arms around Trillium's brave loveliness and\n protect it to his last breath of life.", "\"Oh, no, Grandpapa,\" Trillium said swiftly; \"I stole away all by\n myself, and Mr. O'Rielly and Callahan have been very helpful.\"", "With suddenly enlivened interest O'Rielly looked at Callahan. \"Hey, how\n come you know so much?\"", "twenty-five years ago.\"\n\"Hah? What?\" Callahan blinked like his brain had been taken apart and\n was being slapped together again. \"O'Rielly! Awp, you angel-faced", "Especially she eyed Callahan, like running chilled drills through his\n old conniving brain. \"I award the pair of you five minutes leisure\n before returning to your stations.\"", "looked at O'Rielly and Callahan still lolling on the bunk.", "\"Charmed to, Burner Chief Callahan, sir,\" O'Rielly said while bowing\n gracefully.", "\"Wasting your time talking nonsense!\" Old Woman's look was fit to\n freeze O'Rielly's brain, then she gave Callahan the look. \"I sent you\n down here to find the answer to that fusion control slippage!\"", "\"With what? Never mind, just keep on trying whilst I have a shower for\n myself here.\" Wherewith Callahan reached hand for O'Rielly's shower\n door.", "Old Woman had been flimflammed for fair! Dear Trillium was saved! And\n betwixt O'Rielly's grand brain and Callahan's great experience she'd be\n happy forever.", "Callahan said something through his teeth, then studied O'Rielly\n sharply. \"Hey, you been wetting your whistle on that Venus vino again?", "\"Now, now, Burner Chief Callahan, sir,\" O'Rielly responded with an airy\n laugh. \"No Earth guy for a hundred twenty-five years been near one and\n lived to tell it, has he?\"" ] ]

[ "What can be determined as a similarity between Harvey, Joe, and Johnson?", "Why did Harvey and Joe have such a large tab and the bar that was ran by Johnson?", "Despite the menu prices for the restaurant food being remarkably low, how were Harvey and Joe met with an outrageous bill of 328 buckos?", "Why did Harvey agree to pay the absurd price for the water that he and Joe consumed at the bar?", "How was Johnson convinced to buy the case astroid fever medication?", "What was so unique about Genius that made Joe and Harvey want to purchase him?", "Despite what they told Johnson, what can be determined as Harvey and Joe's true occupation?" ]

[ [ "They all have a tendency to want the best for one another to a personal fault. ", "They all have a tendency to think they are more advanced than one another", "They all have a tendency to spend too much time at the bar where Johnson works", "They all have a tendency to be greedy at any opportunity" ], [ "They were unaware of the cost of the water served by the bartender. ", "They had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages and lost track of how much they had ordered. ", "Their funds were unlimited and they ordered rounds of drinks for everyone in the bar, including Genius, who had more hands to hold more drinks. ", "Johnson had over-priced the alcoholic drinks they ordered once he knew they were drunk. " ], [ "They were charged for an insane amount of overhead. ", "They were charged for services and entertainment. ", "They didn't notice the additional zeros added on to the prices of the menu items", "They were not informed of the tax charged onto the meal." ], [ "The sheriff had threated them with his holstered weapon. ", "He knew they would be able to con Johnson right back.", "They were thirsty and too delirious to argue", "He didn't want to risk being arrested and trapped on Planetoid 42" ], [ "Proven statistics showing that it was the best antidote", "Joe's acting skills ", "He felt feverish and thought he may have contracted the illness", "A price too good that could not be turned down" ], [ "His impressive cooking", "His ability to haggle", "His useful mechanical skills", "His 6 arms" ], [ "Sales men", "space-side mechanics", "Traveling gamblers", "Con artists" ] ]

[ 4, 1, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4 ]

[ 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0 ]

[ [ "Johnson, the \"sheriff,\" collected the money, and Johnson, the\n \"restaurateur,\" pocketed it. Meanwhile, Harvey tipped Joe the sign to\n remain calm.", "\"Now do you see, my hot-tempered colleague?\" said Harvey as he and Joe\n picked up buckets that hung on the tank. \"Johnson, as I saw instantly,\n is the victim of a difficult environment, and must charge accordingly.\"", "Harvey and Joe studied the menu critically. The prices were\n phenomenally low. When they glanced up at Johnson in perplexity, he\n grinned, bowed and asked: \"Everything satisfactory, gents?\"", "Harvey's eyes bulged. Joe gulped. \"That—that's robbery!\" the lanky man\n managed to get out in a thin quaver.", "Harvey helped Joe to the counter and lifted him up on it. The mayor and\n his gigantic offspring were cowering across the room, trying to breathe\n in tiny, uncontaminating gasps.", "Harvey and Joe were breathing hard from having gulped the water so\n fast, but they were beginning to revive. They noticed the bartender's\n impersonal eyes studying them shrewdly.", "Harvey and Joe looked at each other. They hadn't been thinking about\n food at all, but suddenly they realized that they were hungry.", "Harvey looked reprovingly at his gangling partner. \"Did Johnson ask to\n taste it, or did he not? One must look ahead, Joseph. I had to produce", "Joe reeled aside, and Harvey saw what had upset his partner. He stared,\n speechless for once.", "Joe's face grew as glum as Johnson's had been. \"Aw, Harv,\" he\n protested, \"do we have to sell it? And right when I thought we were\n getting the key!\"", "Astonished, Johnson and his son drew closer. They searched Joe's face,\n and then the mayor timidly felt his pulse.\n\n\n \"Well, I'll be hanged!\" Johnson ejaculated.", "\"To make a long story, Mr. Johnson,\" he said, \"Joseph and I were among\n the chosen few who knew the famous Doctor Dean intimately. Just before", "\"We must not be selfish, my boy,\" Harvey said nobly. \"We have had our\n chance; now we must relinquish Fate to the hands of a man who might\n have more success than we. Go, Joseph. Bring it here.\"", "\"Medicine,\" Harvey propounded, \"should taste like medicine.\" To Joe he\n said: \"Come, my esteemed colleague. We must perform the sacred task to\n which we have dedicated ourselves.\"", "As if on cue, Genius came out and put the check down between Joe and\n Harvey. Harvey picked it up negligently, but his casual air vanished in\n a yelp of horror.", "the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]\nCharacteristically, Harvey Ellsworth tried to maintain his dignity,\n though his parched tongue was almost hanging out. But Joe Mallon, with", "\"You dirty crook!\" Joe roared. \"Robbing honest spacemen!\"\nHarvey nudged him warningly. \"Easy, my boy, easy.\" He turned to the", "\"Are—are you all right?\" asked the mayor anxiously.\n\n\n \"Much better,\" said Joe in a weak voice.\n\n\n \"Maybe you need another dose,\" Harvey suggested.", "a faint suspicion alive in him. So he called Harvey and they went to\n investigate.", "Swiftly, Harvey conned the possibilities of being bilked again. He saw\n none.\n\n\n \"Let's take a look at the menu, anyhow, Joe,\" he said guardedly." ], [ "Johnson, the \"sheriff,\" collected the money, and Johnson, the\n \"restaurateur,\" pocketed it. Meanwhile, Harvey tipped Joe the sign to\n remain calm.", "Harvey and Joe studied the menu critically. The prices were\n phenomenally low. When they glanced up at Johnson in perplexity, he\n grinned, bowed and asked: \"Everything satisfactory, gents?\"", "Harvey and Joe were breathing hard from having gulped the water so\n fast, but they were beginning to revive. They noticed the bartender's\n impersonal eyes studying them shrewdly.", "\"Now do you see, my hot-tempered colleague?\" said Harvey as he and Joe\n picked up buckets that hung on the tank. \"Johnson, as I saw instantly,\n is the victim of a difficult environment, and must charge accordingly.\"", "Harvey helped Joe to the counter and lifted him up on it. The mayor and\n his gigantic offspring were cowering across the room, trying to breathe\n in tiny, uncontaminating gasps.", "Harvey's eyes bulged. Joe gulped. \"That—that's robbery!\" the lanky man\n managed to get out in a thin quaver.", "Harvey looked reprovingly at his gangling partner. \"Did Johnson ask to\n taste it, or did he not? One must look ahead, Joseph. I had to produce", "Joe returned and set the instrument down on the bar. His face\n sorrowful, Harvey fondly stroked the scarred plasticoid cabinet.", "few minutes, carrying a bottle.\nJoe was still stretched out on the bar, panting, his eyes slowly\n crossing and uncrossing. Harvey lifted the patient's head tenderly,", "Joe's face grew as glum as Johnson's had been. \"Aw, Harv,\" he\n protested, \"do we have to sell it? And right when I thought we were\n getting the key!\"", "Joe reeled aside, and Harvey saw what had upset his partner. He stared,\n speechless for once.", "As if on cue, Genius came out and put the check down between Joe and\n Harvey. Harvey picked it up negligently, but his casual air vanished in\n a yelp of horror.", "Swiftly, Harvey conned the possibilities of being bilked again. He saw\n none.\n\n\n \"Let's take a look at the menu, anyhow, Joe,\" he said guardedly.", "Harvey focused on the microscopic print, and his face went pasty with\n rage. The minute note read: \"Services and entertainment, 327 buckos 80\n redsents.\"", "\"That's the stuff, all right,\" he said, swallowing hard. He counted\n out the money into Harvey's hand, at a moderate rate that precariously", "\"You dirty crook!\" Joe roared. \"Robbing honest spacemen!\"\nHarvey nudged him warningly. \"Easy, my boy, easy.\" He turned to the", "Harvey nodded in relief. \"We have attempted to repay our host, Joseph.\n He has spurned our generosity. We have now the chance to continue our\n study, which I am positive will soon reward us with the key to an\n enormous fortune.\"", "remaining pair. The bartender, a big man resembling the plumpish\n Harvey in build, was leaning negligently on the counter, ordering this\n impossible being to fill the partly-emptied bottles, squeeze fruit", "\"Not a red cent less than four seventy-five,\" Harvey said flatly.\n\n\n \"Make it four fifty,\" quavered Johnson.\n\n\n \"I dislike haggling,\" said Harvey.", "the case of medicine to the saloon. The mayor had already cleared a\n place of honor in the cluttered back room, where he told them to put it\n down carefully. Then he took the elaborate bottle-opener Harvey gave" ], [ "Harvey and Joe studied the menu critically. The prices were\n phenomenally low. When they glanced up at Johnson in perplexity, he\n grinned, bowed and asked: \"Everything satisfactory, gents?\"", "Harvey focused on the microscopic print, and his face went pasty with\n rage. The minute note read: \"Services and entertainment, 327 buckos 80\n redsents.\"", "Swiftly, Harvey conned the possibilities of being bilked again. He saw\n none.\n\n\n \"Let's take a look at the menu, anyhow, Joe,\" he said guardedly.", "The final price, however, was four hundred and sixty-nine buckos and\n fifty redsents. Magnanimously, Harvey added: \"And we will include,", "merchant. This dinner is worth as least twenty buckos, yet I estimate\n our check at a mere bucko twenty redsents.\"", "\"That's the stuff, all right,\" he said, swallowing hard. He counted\n out the money into Harvey's hand, at a moderate rate that precariously", "Harvey's eyes bulged. Joe gulped. \"That—that's robbery!\" the lanky man\n managed to get out in a thin quaver.", "As if on cue, Genius came out and put the check down between Joe and\n Harvey. Harvey picked it up negligently, but his casual air vanished in\n a yelp of horror.", "Harvey and Joe were breathing hard from having gulped the water so\n fast, but they were beginning to revive. They noticed the bartender's\n impersonal eyes studying them shrewdly.", "\"For you, since you have taken us in so hospitably, a mere five hundred\n buckos.\"\n\n\n Johnson did not actually stagger back, but he gave the impression of\n doing so. \"F-four hundred,\" he offered.", "\"Friend,\" said Harvey, taking out a wallet and counting off eight\n five-bucko bills, \"here is your money. What's fair is fair, and you", "\"What the devil is this?\" he shouted.—\"How do you arrive at this\n fantastic, idiotic figure—\nthree hundred and twenty-eight buckos", "Johnson, the \"sheriff,\" collected the money, and Johnson, the\n \"restaurateur,\" pocketed it. Meanwhile, Harvey tipped Joe the sign to\n remain calm.", "Harvey and Joe looked at each other. They hadn't been thinking about\n food at all, but suddenly they realized that they were hungry.", "Harvey grinned puzzledly. \"We didn't take any whiskey.\"\n\n\n \"Might as well. Water's five buckos a glass. Liquor's free with every\n chaser.\"", "\"This and that,\" concluded Joe. \"We'll give you five hundred buckos.\"\n\n\n \"Now, gents!\" Johnson remonstrated. \"Why, six hundred would hardly—\"", "\"Now do you see, my hot-tempered colleague?\" said Harvey as he and Joe\n picked up buckets that hung on the tank. \"Johnson, as I saw instantly,\n is the victim of a difficult environment, and must charge accordingly.\"", "\"Not a red cent less than four seventy-five,\" Harvey said flatly.\n\n\n \"Make it four fifty,\" quavered Johnson.\n\n\n \"I dislike haggling,\" said Harvey.", "\"You dirty crook!\" Joe roared. \"Robbing honest spacemen!\"\nHarvey nudged him warningly. \"Easy, my boy, easy.\" He turned to the", "Harvey helped Joe to the counter and lifted him up on it. The mayor and\n his gigantic offspring were cowering across the room, trying to breathe\n in tiny, uncontaminating gasps." ], [ "Harvey and Joe were breathing hard from having gulped the water so\n fast, but they were beginning to revive. They noticed the bartender's\n impersonal eyes studying them shrewdly.", "\"That's the stuff, all right,\" he said, swallowing hard. He counted\n out the money into Harvey's hand, at a moderate rate that precariously", "Harvey and Joe studied the menu critically. The prices were\n phenomenally low. When they glanced up at Johnson in perplexity, he\n grinned, bowed and asked: \"Everything satisfactory, gents?\"", "Harvey grinned puzzledly. \"We didn't take any whiskey.\"\n\n\n \"Might as well. Water's five buckos a glass. Liquor's free with every\n chaser.\"", "The final price, however, was four hundred and sixty-nine buckos and\n fifty redsents. Magnanimously, Harvey added: \"And we will include,", "\"Now do you see, my hot-tempered colleague?\" said Harvey as he and Joe\n picked up buckets that hung on the tank. \"Johnson, as I saw instantly,\n is the victim of a difficult environment, and must charge accordingly.\"", "Harvey focused on the microscopic print, and his face went pasty with\n rage. The minute note read: \"Services and entertainment, 327 buckos 80\n redsents.\"", "Harvey's eyes bulged. Joe gulped. \"That—that's robbery!\" the lanky man\n managed to get out in a thin quaver.", "Harvey helped Joe to the counter and lifted him up on it. The mayor and\n his gigantic offspring were cowering across the room, trying to breathe\n in tiny, uncontaminating gasps.", "\"Not a red cent less than four seventy-five,\" Harvey said flatly.\n\n\n \"Make it four fifty,\" quavered Johnson.\n\n\n \"I dislike haggling,\" said Harvey.", "\"Nonsense,\" Harvey croaked uncertainly. \"We have seen enough queer\n things to know there are always more.\"\n\n\n He led the way inside. Through thirst-cracked lips he rasped:\n \"Water—quick!\"", "Harvey bravely counted off the bills. He asked: \"But what are we to\n do about replenishing our battery fluid? Ten buckos a liter would be\n preposterous. We simply can't afford it.\"", "The barkeeper shrugged. \"When there ain't many customers, you gotta\n make more on each one. Besides—\"", "Harvey was quick to pay out, for this was a genuine windfall. Then he\n stood up and admired the astonishing possession he had so inexpensively\n acquired.", "put the bottle to his lips and tilted it until he was forced to drink.\n When Joe tried to pull away, Harvey was inexorable. He made his partner\n drink until most of the liquid was gone. Then he stepped back and", "Swiftly, Harvey conned the possibilities of being bilked again. He saw\n none.\n\n\n \"Let's take a look at the menu, anyhow, Joe,\" he said guardedly.", "\"Friend,\" said Harvey, taking out a wallet and counting off eight\n five-bucko bills, \"here is your money. What's fair is fair, and you", "Harvey nodded in relief. \"We have attempted to repay our host, Joseph.\n He has spurned our generosity. We have now the chance to continue our\n study, which I am positive will soon reward us with the key to an\n enormous fortune.\"", "\"We do not sell this unbelievable remedy,\" Harvey replied with dignity.\n \"It sells itself.\"\n\n\n \"'Course, I'd expect a considerable reduction if I bought a whole\n case,\" said Johnson.", "As if on cue, Genius came out and put the check down between Joe and\n Harvey. Harvey picked it up negligently, but his casual air vanished in\n a yelp of horror." ], [ "\"Bring him in here!\" Johnson cried. \"I mean, get him away! He's coming\n down with asteroid fever!\"", "\"We do not sell this unbelievable remedy,\" Harvey replied with dignity.\n \"It sells itself.\"\n\n\n \"'Course, I'd expect a considerable reduction if I bought a whole\n case,\" said Johnson.", "balanced between his pleasure at getting the fever remedy and his pain\n at paying for it. Then he glanced out to see the position of Jupiter,\n and asked: \"You gents eaten yet? The restaurant's open now.\"", "\"Relics of the past,\" Harvey stated. \"One medication is all modern man\n requires to combat the dread menace, asteroid fever.\"\n\n\n \"What's that?\" asked the mayor without conviction.", "\"You'll find everything you want in the back room,\" Johnson said\n frantically, \"sulfopyridine, mustard plasters, rubs, inhalers, suction\n cups—\"", "Astonished, Johnson and his son drew closer. They searched Joe's face,\n and then the mayor timidly felt his pulse.\n\n\n \"Well, I'll be hanged!\" Johnson ejaculated.", "\"We absolutely must purchase this incredible specimen,\" Harvey\n whispered excitedly when Johnson and the native were both in the", "\"It does, Mr. Johnson! Only charlatans like those who envied Doctor\n Dean's magnificent accomplishments could deny that fact.\"", "\"To make a long story, Mr. Johnson,\" he said, \"Joseph and I were among\n the chosen few who knew the famous Doctor Dean intimately. Just before", "Johnson stabbed out a warning finger. \"No tricks now. I want a taste of\n that stuff. You're not switching some worthless junk on me.\"", "\"For you, since you have taken us in so hospitably, a mere five hundred\n buckos.\"\n\n\n Johnson did not actually stagger back, but he gave the impression of\n doing so. \"F-four hundred,\" he offered.", "yonder asteroidal tin-horn a bill of medical goods—an entire case,\n mind you. Was I to mix the extract with the water for which we had been", "\"Now do you see, my hot-tempered colleague?\" said Harvey as he and Joe\n picked up buckets that hung on the tank. \"Johnson, as I saw instantly,\n is the victim of a difficult environment, and must charge accordingly.\"", "actual test, it conquers asteroid fever in from four to twenty-three\n minutes, depending on the severity of the attack. Luckily, we caught\n this one before it grew formidable.\"", "Harvey and Joe studied the menu critically. The prices were\n phenomenally low. When they glanced up at Johnson in perplexity, he\n grinned, bowed and asked: \"Everything satisfactory, gents?\"", "Johnson sighed ponderously. \"I was afraid you'd act like that,\" he said\n with regret. He pulled a tin badge out of his rear pocket, pinned it on", "\"Solar salesmen, my colonial friend,\" Harvey answered in his usual\n lush manner. \"We purvey that renowned Martian remedy,\nLa-anago", "Johnson, the \"sheriff,\" collected the money, and Johnson, the\n \"restaurateur,\" pocketed it. Meanwhile, Harvey tipped Joe the sign to\n remain calm.", "\"That's the stuff, all right,\" he said, swallowing hard. He counted\n out the money into Harvey's hand, at a moderate rate that precariously", "\"This and that,\" concluded Joe. \"We'll give you five hundred buckos.\"\n\n\n \"Now, gents!\" Johnson remonstrated. \"Why, six hundred would hardly—\"" ], [ "As if on cue, Genius came out and put the check down between Joe and\n Harvey. Harvey picked it up negligently, but his casual air vanished in\n a yelp of horror.", "\"Either one. It don't make no difference. Genius is too valuable to\n sell.\"\n\n\n \"Oh, come now, Mr. Johnson. Don't tell me no amount of money would\n tempt you!\"", "deal. My partner and I were prepared to make you a sizable offer for\n the peculiar creature you call Genius. But by reducing our funds the\n way you have—\"", "\"We absolutely must purchase this incredible specimen,\" Harvey\n whispered excitedly when Johnson and the native were both in the", "Harvey was quick to pay out, for this was a genuine windfall. Then he\n stood up and admired the astonishing possession he had so inexpensively\n acquired.", "\"I sure will,\" Johnson confessed glumly. \"I got pretty attached to\n Genius, and I'm going to miss him something awful.\"", "\"Well, we're starting all right,\" admitted Joe. \"How about that thing\n with six arms? He looks like a valuable. Can't we grab him off?\"\n\n\n Harvey stopped filling bottles and looked up pensively.", "audio-visiphone. Then our triumph—we shall sell him at a stupendous\n figure to the zoo!\"\nJoe was still dazed by that monetary vista when he and Harvey carried", "Harvey's eyes bulged. Joe gulped. \"That—that's robbery!\" the lanky man\n managed to get out in a thin quaver.", "Harvey and Joe studied the menu critically. The prices were\n phenomenally low. When they glanced up at Johnson in perplexity, he\n grinned, bowed and asked: \"Everything satisfactory, gents?\"", "Harvey nodded in relief. \"We have attempted to repay our host, Joseph.\n He has spurned our generosity. We have now the chance to continue our\n study, which I am positive will soon reward us with the key to an\n enormous fortune.\"", "\"We must not be selfish, my boy,\" Harvey said nobly. \"We have had our\n chance; now we must relinquish Fate to the hands of a man who might\n have more success than we. Go, Joseph. Bring it here.\"", "!\"\nJohnson didn't answer. Neither did Genius; he simply put on the table,\n not a fingerbowl, but a magnifying glass. With one of his thirty", "\"Now do you see, my hot-tempered colleague?\" said Harvey as he and Joe\n picked up buckets that hung on the tank. \"Johnson, as I saw instantly,\n is the victim of a difficult environment, and must charge accordingly.\"", "Harvey helped Joe to the counter and lifted him up on it. The mayor and\n his gigantic offspring were cowering across the room, trying to breathe\n in tiny, uncontaminating gasps.", "Harvey and Joe looked at each other. They hadn't been thinking about\n food at all, but suddenly they realized that they were hungry.", "Joe reeled aside, and Harvey saw what had upset his partner. He stared,\n speechless for once.", "\"We do not sell this unbelievable remedy,\" Harvey replied with dignity.\n \"It sells itself.\"\n\n\n \"'Course, I'd expect a considerable reduction if I bought a whole\n case,\" said Johnson.", "was as extraordinary as the meal itself. With four hands, Genius played\n deftly upon a pair of mellow Venusian\nviotars\n, using his other two", "Swiftly, Harvey conned the possibilities of being bilked again. He saw\n none.\n\n\n \"Let's take a look at the menu, anyhow, Joe,\" he said guardedly." ], [ "Johnson, the \"sheriff,\" collected the money, and Johnson, the\n \"restaurateur,\" pocketed it. Meanwhile, Harvey tipped Joe the sign to\n remain calm.", "Harvey and Joe studied the menu critically. The prices were\n phenomenally low. When they glanced up at Johnson in perplexity, he\n grinned, bowed and asked: \"Everything satisfactory, gents?\"", "Harvey's eyes bulged. Joe gulped. \"That—that's robbery!\" the lanky man\n managed to get out in a thin quaver.", "Harvey helped Joe to the counter and lifted him up on it. The mayor and\n his gigantic offspring were cowering across the room, trying to breathe\n in tiny, uncontaminating gasps.", "Harvey and Joe were breathing hard from having gulped the water so\n fast, but they were beginning to revive. They noticed the bartender's\n impersonal eyes studying them shrewdly.", "Joe reeled aside, and Harvey saw what had upset his partner. He stared,\n speechless for once.", "Harvey looked reprovingly at his gangling partner. \"Did Johnson ask to\n taste it, or did he not? One must look ahead, Joseph. I had to produce", "Harvey and Joe looked at each other. They hadn't been thinking about\n food at all, but suddenly they realized that they were hungry.", "Joe's face grew as glum as Johnson's had been. \"Aw, Harv,\" he\n protested, \"do we have to sell it? And right when I thought we were\n getting the key!\"", "\"Now do you see, my hot-tempered colleague?\" said Harvey as he and Joe\n picked up buckets that hung on the tank. \"Johnson, as I saw instantly,\n is the victim of a difficult environment, and must charge accordingly.\"", "Astonished, Johnson and his son drew closer. They searched Joe's face,\n and then the mayor timidly felt his pulse.\n\n\n \"Well, I'll be hanged!\" Johnson ejaculated.", "\"Medicine,\" Harvey propounded, \"should taste like medicine.\" To Joe he\n said: \"Come, my esteemed colleague. We must perform the sacred task to\n which we have dedicated ourselves.\"", "\"We must not be selfish, my boy,\" Harvey said nobly. \"We have had our\n chance; now we must relinquish Fate to the hands of a man who might\n have more success than we. Go, Joseph. Bring it here.\"", "\"You dirty crook!\" Joe roared. \"Robbing honest spacemen!\"\nHarvey nudged him warningly. \"Easy, my boy, easy.\" He turned to the", "\"To make a long story, Mr. Johnson,\" he said, \"Joseph and I were among\n the chosen few who knew the famous Doctor Dean intimately. Just before", "a faint suspicion alive in him. So he called Harvey and they went to\n investigate.", "Swiftly, Harvey conned the possibilities of being bilked again. He saw\n none.\n\n\n \"Let's take a look at the menu, anyhow, Joe,\" he said guardedly.", "As if on cue, Genius came out and put the check down between Joe and\n Harvey. Harvey picked it up negligently, but his casual air vanished in\n a yelp of horror.", "Harvey nodded in relief. \"We have attempted to repay our host, Joseph.\n He has spurned our generosity. We have now the chance to continue our\n study, which I am positive will soon reward us with the key to an\n enormous fortune.\"", "\"What's this doing here?\" Harvey asked, puzzled. \"I thought Johnson had\n to transport water in pails.\"\n\n\n \"Wonder where it leads to,\" Joe said uneasily." ] ]

[ "What were the two main goals of the Quest III ship in this story?", "How would you describe Captain Llud's character transformation across the entire Quest III journey?", "What characteristics best describe Captain Llud in the present part of the story?", "At what moment in the story did the characters seem to have the most hope?", "At what moment in the story did the characters seem to have the least hope?", "What is the overall shift in tone from the start of the passage to the end of the passage?", "What would've happened if Captain Llud tried to turn around and change course from Earth?", "Of the following, which is the best plausible explanation for the behavior of the Earthen ships?", "If you had to recommend this reading to someone else, of the following options who do you think would most enjoy it?", "From the information the story provides, do you think you have a good sense of the personalities of Captain Llud's crew?" ]

[ [ "To survey galaxies for non-human life forms and return to Earth safely.", "To scout for new worlds to live in and return to Earth safely.", "To stay away from Earth for 900 years during a major world war and to return back safely.", "To return safely to Earth and return with new raw materials for technological research." ], [ "He was excited at first and became jaded over time.", "He was consistently excited throughout because they found a new habitable planet early on in their mission.", "His only priority was taking care of his family, so the mission's success/failure didn't really impact him much.", "He was never really excited about his job, but he became excited at the thought of returning home." ], [ "Jubilant, humorous, and jaded", "Scared, quiet, and humorous", "Jolly, excited, and tired", "Tired, defeated, and confused" ], [ "When Captain Llud was looking at old photographs of his crewmates and reflecting on his long journey with people he cares for.", "When the group started to return to Earth and things looked like smooth sailing.", "When the group found a potentially human-friendly planet to inhabit.", "When the group landed on Earth and walked around on grass for the first time in 10 years." ], [ "When they realized the oxygen supply was extremely low.", "When they realized it was impossible to contact the other Quest ships.", "When they were about to crash into a comet.", "When they were mid-communication with the violent ships." ], [ "From calm to frantic", "From happy to calm", "From frenzied to calm", "From depressed to hopeful" ], [ "They probably would've been shot at and the passengers would've died eventually with low resources.", "They would've tricked one of the ships into housing all of the passengers and flying home on that ship instead of the Quest III ship.", "They would've been left alone by the Earthen ships and accepted once they discussed matters some more.", "The Earthen ships would've trapped and invaded the Quest III ship and held the passengers hostage." ], [ "Since the Quest III trip promised to locate more planets, the current Earthens didn't trust them when they learned of their success because of how unlikely it was.", "Since the Quest III trip promised to locate more planets, the current Earthens didn't trust them when they learned of their failure.", "Since the Quest III trip promised to locate more natural resources, the current Earthens didn't trust them when they learned of their failure.", "900 years passed on Earth. The populations were different enough that the Quest III Earthens scared the current Earthen population." ], [ "A sci-fi nerd who loves discovery of alien species and new planets as major tropes", "A sci-fi nerd who loves intense and tragic stories", "A commercial airplane pilot who wishes they were an astronaut", "A sci-fi nerd who loves stories about family and happy endings" ], [ "Probably. There were good descriptions for all of the side characters, including Captain Llud's son.", "No. Llud barely spoke to anyone on the ship at all, he was even ignoring his son so we really didn't get to see a good glimpse of anyone's personalities.", "No. Llud was well-described, and some of the side characters had detail, but none of them really stand out too much.", "Yes. All of the characters felt incredibly real, and they all care deeply about Llud." ] ]

[ 2, 1, 4, 2, 4, 1, 1, 4, 2, 3 ]

[ 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1 ]

[ [ "Quest III\nshuddered, again and again, under blows that must have had millions\n of horsepower behind them; but it plunged on toward Earth, its mighty", "The\nQuest III\nbored steadily on through space, decelerating. Even if", "Quest\n III's\nponderous and unswerving progress toward Earth had somehow\n frightened it. So it was trying to frighten them.", "Quest III's\nframework. The\n navigator said, obviously striving for calm, \"They're light craft, not\n fifty feet long, but they move fast. The detectors hardly had time to", "He studied the data so far gathered. A few blurred pictures had been\n got, which showed cylindrical space ships much like the\nQuest III\n,", "Quest\n III\ndrove on its way once more, lashed by despair toward the speed of\n light, leaving behind the mockery of yet another solitary and lifeless", "\"Even so—by expending its remaining fuel freely, the\nQuest III\ncould\n achieve a velocity that would take us there without dying of senility", "Quest III\ntoo. Once more Knof Llud had the insidious sense of his own\n nerves and muscles and will weakening along with the power-sinews of\n his ship.", "\"Who are you? What do you want? We are the interstellar expedition\nQuest III\n....\" And so on, identifying themselves and protesting that", "But now unwonted excitement possessed the hundred-odd members of the\nQuest III's\ncrew. It was a subdued excitement; men and women, they", "than when the voyage had begun. That was the foreshortening along the\n time axis of a space ship approaching the speed of light. Weeks and\n months had passed for the\nQuest III", "the Sun, though in interstellar space and around planetless stars\n such collisions were rare to the vanishing point. No harm could have\n been done. The\nQuest III's", "He felt empty, drained—like his ship. As the\nQuest III's\nfuel stores", "Quest III\n, as for forty hours\n the ship had decelerated.", "\"According to plan, the\nQuest III\nhas reached its furthest point from", "voices, in tones of mingled eagerness and apprehension, of what might\n lie at the long journey's end. For the\nQuest III\nwas coming home; the", "Knof Jr. whooped ecstatically and then subsided warily, but no one was\n paying attention to him. The men on the\nQuest III's", "Quest III\nin interstellar flight while\n years and decades had raced by on the home world.", "amounts of energy in the effort to batter down its defenses, but\n converting that energy into harmless gravitic impulses was costing the\nQuest III", "There were people running in the corridors, heading for their posts.\n Their faces were set, scared, uncomprehending. The\nQuest III" ], [ "bridge looked\n questions at each other, as the thought of help from outside flashed\n into many minds at once. But Captain Llud said soberly, \"It must have", "\"Yes,\" said Llud with icy control. \"You haven't answered one question.\n Why do you want to kill us? You can see we're as human as you are.\"", "Quest III\ntoo. Once more Knof Llud had the insidious sense of his own\n nerves and muscles and will weakening along with the power-sinews of\n his ship.", "of Llud's, nine hundred years ago.... He growled, \"What happened to\n him?\"", "Llud hesitated, said, \"All right. Come along and keep out of the way.\"\n He headed for the bridge with strides that the boy could not match.", "Presently Knof Llud switched off that younger voice of his and leaned\n back, an ironic smile touching his lips. That fervent idealism seemed", "Llud shook his head slowly. \"Who knows? We don't know whether any\n of the other\nQuests", "Captain Llud found Navigator Gwar Den looking as smug as the cat\n that ate the canary. Gwar Den was finding that the actual observed", "voices, in tones of mingled eagerness and apprehension, of what might\n lie at the long journey's end. For the\nQuest III\nwas coming home; the", "and the hope of success in man's mightiest venture had dwindled, so the\n strength had gone out of him. Now the last fuel compartment was almost\n empty and Captain Knof Llud felt tired and old.", "Smiles splintered the ice of tension. Captain Llud said, \"Maybe you've\n got something there. They seem to be mad, all right. But we're not in", "sun ahead was\nthe\nSun, whose rays had warmed their lives' beginning.\nKnof Llud, the\nQuest III's", "Llud sighed. He still couldn't say just why he had given the order to\n turn back. The stars had claimed his heart—but he was still a part of", "III\n, but he had an elusive look of deformity. Most obviously, his head\n seemed too big for his body, and his eyes in turn too big for his head.", "He reached the phone at the moment when another, heavier jolt shook\n the vessel. Llud snatched up the receiver with the speed of a scalded\n cat.", "Knof Llud switched on the screen at the named wavelength, and a\n picture formed there. The face and figure that appeared were ugly,", "changes that nine hundred years had wrought. \"Perhaps, if you realize\n your position, you will follow the intelligent example of the\nQuest\n I's\ncommander.\"", "Knof Llud stiffened. The\nQuest I\n, launched toward Arcturus and the", "To a man, the ship's responsible officers were already on the bridge,\n most of them breathless. To a man they looked appeal at Captain Knof\n Llud.\n\n\n \"Well?\" he snapped. \"What are they doing?\"", "Knof Jr. whooped ecstatically and then subsided warily, but no one was\n paying attention to him. The men on the\nQuest III's" ], [ "bridge looked\n questions at each other, as the thought of help from outside flashed\n into many minds at once. But Captain Llud said soberly, \"It must have", "Presently Knof Llud switched off that younger voice of his and leaned\n back, an ironic smile touching his lips. That fervent idealism seemed", "Captain Llud found Navigator Gwar Den looking as smug as the cat\n that ate the canary. Gwar Den was finding that the actual observed", "\"Yes,\" said Llud with icy control. \"You haven't answered one question.\n Why do you want to kill us? You can see we're as human as you are.\"", "Smiles splintered the ice of tension. Captain Llud said, \"Maybe you've\n got something there. They seem to be mad, all right. But we're not in", "of Llud's, nine hundred years ago.... He growled, \"What happened to\n him?\"", "Llud hesitated, said, \"All right. Come along and keep out of the way.\"\n He headed for the bridge with strides that the boy could not match.", "Llud sighed. He still couldn't say just why he had given the order to\n turn back. The stars had claimed his heart—but he was still a part of", "and the hope of success in man's mightiest venture had dwindled, so the\n strength had gone out of him. Now the last fuel compartment was almost\n empty and Captain Knof Llud felt tired and old.", "To a man, the ship's responsible officers were already on the bridge,\n most of them breathless. To a man they looked appeal at Captain Knof\n Llud.\n\n\n \"Well?\" he snapped. \"What are they doing?\"", "Llud shook his head slowly. \"Who knows? We don't know whether any\n of the other\nQuests", "Knof Llud smiled wryly. The rest of the little speech he had been about\n to make didn't matter anyway, and it might have spoiled this moment.", "He reached the phone at the moment when another, heavier jolt shook\n the vessel. Llud snatched up the receiver with the speed of a scalded\n cat.", "Llud nodded curt approval, remarking, \"Probably we'll be intercepted\n before we get that far.\"", "Knof Llud switched on the screen at the named wavelength, and a\n picture formed there. The face and figure that appeared were ugly,", "and pleading will do you no good.\n\"\nKnof Llud whirled to the radio apparatus, his weariness dropping from", "Quest III\ntoo. Once more Knof Llud had the insidious sense of his own\n nerves and muscles and will weakening along with the power-sinews of\n his ship.", "The captain sighed wearily. \"Good work,\" he said. \"Keep it up; perhaps\n you can answer some of these riddles before—\"", "\"Is that all?\" demanded Llud.", "Llud selected a spool from among the earliest. It was one he had made\n shortly after leaving Procyon, end of the first leg of the trip. He\n slid it onto the reproducer." ], [ "and the hope of success in man's mightiest venture had dwindled, so the\n strength had gone out of him. Now the last fuel compartment was almost\n empty and Captain Knof Llud felt tired and old.", "pick out the atom of reflected light that was Earth, home. They wrung\n each other's hands, kissed, shouted, wept. For the present their fears\n were forgotten and exaltation prevailed.", "\"Our hopes were dashed—and I think all of us, even remembering the\n Centaurus Expedition's failure, hoped more than we cared to admit. If", "\"He fought off our interceptors, which are around you now, for some\n time,\" said the voice lightly. \"When he saw that it was hopeless, he", "\"Sound the alarm. Emergency stations.\" He had said it automatically,\n then felt a curious detached relief at the knowledge that after all", "The captain put an arm round her with comforting pressure. \"Don't\n worry. Things may have changed—but we'll manage.\" But his face had", "He left her and began to climb the stairway again. Someone switched\n off the lights, and a charmed whisper ran through the big room as the", "voices, in tones of mingled eagerness and apprehension, of what might\n lie at the long journey's end. For the\nQuest III\nwas coming home; the", "one were no fatalist, there seemed no reason to stop decelerating or\n change course. There was nowhere else to go and too little fuel left\n if there had been; come what might, this was journey's end—perhaps", "Suddenly a faint cushioned jar went through the great ship; it seemed\n to falter one moment in flight.\nThe captain was on his feet instantly, but then his movements became", "\"It is cheering to note that the crew seems only more resolute. We go\n on to Capella; its spectrum, so like our own Sun's, beckons. If success", "Knof Jr. flattened himself against the metal wall and watched silently.\n His young face was less anxious than his elders'; he had confidence in\n his father.", "these years he could still respond quickly and smoothly to a crisis.\n There was a moment's silence, and he heard the alarm start—three\n short buzzes and repeat, ringing through all the great length of the", "Knof Jr. whooped ecstatically and then subsided warily, but no one was\n paying attention to him. The men on the\nQuest III's", "ships\n will be long since dead. Nevertheless we go on. Our generation's dream,\n humanity's dream, lives in us and in the ship forever....\"", "But now unwonted excitement possessed the hundred-odd members of the\nQuest III's\ncrew. It was a subdued excitement; men and women, they", "The captain sighed wearily. \"Good work,\" he said. \"Keep it up; perhaps\n you can answer some of these riddles before—\"", "responsibility, could rest and dream no more.... Those things went\n on, if men didn't change them. And a pine forest where he and young\n Knof could go camping, and lie on their backs at night and gaze at the", "bridge looked\n questions at each other, as the thought of help from outside flashed\n into many minds at once. But Captain Llud said soberly, \"It must have", "\"Hopeless, unless we find planets!\"\nKnof Llud shook his head sorrowfully and took off the spool. That\n was from the time when he had grown philosophical after the first\n disappointments." ], [ "and the hope of success in man's mightiest venture had dwindled, so the\n strength had gone out of him. Now the last fuel compartment was almost\n empty and Captain Knof Llud felt tired and old.", "one were no fatalist, there seemed no reason to stop decelerating or\n change course. There was nowhere else to go and too little fuel left\n if there had been; come what might, this was journey's end—perhaps", "\"Hopeless, unless we find planets!\"\nKnof Llud shook his head sorrowfully and took off the spool. That\n was from the time when he had grown philosophical after the first\n disappointments.", "\"Our hopes were dashed—and I think all of us, even remembering the\n Centaurus Expedition's failure, hoped more than we cared to admit. If", "\"He fought off our interceptors, which are around you now, for some\n time,\" said the voice lightly. \"When he saw that it was hopeless, he", "\"Sound the alarm. Emergency stations.\" He had said it automatically,\n then felt a curious detached relief at the knowledge that after all", "There was no answer. The ship drove on, its fuel trickling away under\n multiplied demands. Those outside were squandering vastly greater", "Quest\n III\ndrove on its way once more, lashed by despair toward the speed of\n light, leaving behind the mockery of yet another solitary and lifeless", "He felt empty, drained—like his ship. As the\nQuest III's\nfuel stores", "\"That's just it,\" said Lesra shakily. \"Nine hundred years have gone\n by—\nthere\n—and nothing will be the same. It won't be the same world\n we left, the world we knew and fitted in....\"", "Elsuz Llug, the gravitic engineer, calculated dismally, \"At the rate\n we're having to shed energy, the fuel will be gone in six or eight\n hours.\"", "pick out the atom of reflected light that was Earth, home. They wrung\n each other's hands, kissed, shouted, wept. For the present their fears\n were forgotten and exaltation prevailed.", "The people in the\nQuest III\nwould have felt nothing at all of\n the vicious onslaught being hurled against them, save that their", "bridge looked\n questions at each other, as the thought of help from outside flashed\n into many minds at once. But Captain Llud said soberly, \"It must have", "Knof Jr. flattened himself against the metal wall and watched silently.\n His young face was less anxious than his elders'; he had confidence in\n his father.", "a position to throw any punches.\" He turned back to the others. \"As I\n was going to say—I think we'd better try to parley with the enemy. At", "Suddenly a faint cushioned jar went through the great ship; it seemed\n to falter one moment in flight.\nThe captain was on his feet instantly, but then his movements became", "The captain was momentarily silent, groping for an adequate reply.\n Behind him somebody made a choked noise, the only sound in the stunned\n hush, and the ship jarred slightly as a thunderbolt slammed vengefully\n into its field.", "The captain put an arm round her with comforting pressure. \"Don't\n worry. Things may have changed—but we'll manage.\" But his face had", "\"It makes no difference, of course; we cannot betray the plan....\n This may be man's last chance of escaping his pitiful limitation to" ], [ "\"Sound the alarm. Emergency stations.\" He had said it automatically,\n then felt a curious detached relief at the knowledge that after all", "Presently Knof Llud switched off that younger voice of his and leaned\n back, an ironic smile touching his lips. That fervent idealism seemed", "He left her and began to climb the stairway again. Someone switched\n off the lights, and a charmed whisper ran through the big room as the", "The memory of that fierce impulse to go on still had power to shake\n him. A couple of lines of poetry came into his head, as he read them", "The captain put an arm round her with comforting pressure. \"Don't\n worry. Things may have changed—but we'll manage.\" But his face had", "Suddenly a faint cushioned jar went through the great ship; it seemed\n to falter one moment in flight.\nThe captain was on his feet instantly, but then his movements became", "voices, in tones of mingled eagerness and apprehension, of what might\n lie at the long journey's end. For the\nQuest III\nwas coming home; the", "\"He fought off our interceptors, which are around you now, for some\n time,\" said the voice lightly. \"When he saw that it was hopeless, he", "had already involuntarily told him a couple of things—that it was not\n as sure of itself as it sounded he deduced from the fact it had deigned\n to speak at all, and from its last remark he gathered that the", "\"They're mad and we aren't, yet,\" said the boy. Then, seeing that he\n hadn't made himself clear, \"In a fight, if a guy gets mad he starts\n swinging wild and then you nail him.\"", "\"Very well.\" The tone was like a shrug. The voice went on in its\n language that was quite intelligible, but alien-sounding with the", "responsibility, could rest and dream no more.... Those things went\n on, if men didn't change them. And a pine forest where he and young\n Knof could go camping, and lie on their backs at night and gaze at the", "these years he could still respond quickly and smoothly to a crisis.\n There was a moment's silence, and he heard the alarm start—three\n short buzzes and repeat, ringing through all the great length of the", "hardened against registering the gnawing of that same doubtful fear\n within him. He let his arm fall. \"I'd better get up to the bridge.", "ships\n will be long since dead. Nevertheless we go on. Our generation's dream,\n humanity's dream, lives in us and in the ship forever....\"", "He wondered if there would still be a quiet stream and a green\n shady place beside it where a death-weary man, relieved at last of", "Smiles splintered the ice of tension. Captain Llud said, \"Maybe you've\n got something there. They seem to be mad, all right. But we're not in", "and the hope of success in man's mightiest venture had dwindled, so the\n strength had gone out of him. Now the last fuel compartment was almost\n empty and Captain Knof Llud felt tired and old.", "\"If they had anything heavier,\" surmised the captain, \"they'd have\n unlimbered it by now. They're out to get us. But at this rate, they", "\"It makes no difference, of course; we cannot betray the plan....\n This may be man's last chance of escaping his pitiful limitation to" ], [ "Eyes lifted from the vision screens to interrogate Knof Llud; he met\n them with an impassive countenance, and announced quietly, \"We've\n sighted Earth.\"", "Llud sighed. He still couldn't say just why he had given the order to\n turn back. The stars had claimed his heart—but he was still a part of", "bridge looked\n questions at each other, as the thought of help from outside flashed\n into many minds at once. But Captain Llud said soberly, \"It must have", "\"Yes,\" said Llud with icy control. \"You haven't answered one question.\n Why do you want to kill us? You can see we're as human as you are.\"", "\"That,\" said the captain grimly, \"is what we have to find out. Why—on\n Earth. At least, I suspect the answer's there.\"", "\"Hopeless, unless we find planets!\"\nKnof Llud shook his head sorrowfully and took off the spool. That\n was from the time when he had grown philosophical after the first\n disappointments.", "Knof Llud's mind was clicking again. The voice—which must be coming\n from Earth, relayed by one of the midget ships—was not very smart; it", "and the hope of success in man's mightiest venture had dwindled, so the\n strength had gone out of him. Now the last fuel compartment was almost\n empty and Captain Knof Llud felt tired and old.", "last. The two other interstellar expeditions that went out have already\n returned and been destroyed, as you will soon be—the sooner, if you\n continue toward Earth.\"", "Llud nodded curt approval, remarking, \"Probably we'll be intercepted\n before we get that far.\"", "Captain Llud found Navigator Gwar Den looking as smug as the cat\n that ate the canary. Gwar Den was finding that the actual observed", "Quest\n III's\nponderous and unswerving progress toward Earth had somehow\n frightened it. So it was trying to frighten them.", "Llud hesitated, said, \"All right. Come along and keep out of the way.\"\n He headed for the bridge with strides that the boy could not match.", "\"If they're that small,\" said Knof Llud deliberately, \"they can't carry\n anything heavy enough to hurt us. Hold to course. I'll be right up.\"", "\"We'll have reached Earth before then,\" Gwar Den said hopefully.\n\n\n \"If they don't bring out the heavy artillery first.\"", "Smiles splintered the ice of tension. Captain Llud said, \"Maybe you've\n got something there. They seem to be mad, all right. But we're not in", "Llud selected a spool from among the earliest. It was one he had made\n shortly after leaving Procyon, end of the first leg of the trip. He\n slid it onto the reproducer.", "\"Why go back, then with the news of our failure? Why not forget about\n Earth and go on to Omega Centauri? What use is quixotic loyalty to a", "Llud shook his head slowly. \"Who knows? We don't know whether any\n of the other\nQuests", "one were no fatalist, there seemed no reason to stop decelerating or\n change course. There was nowhere else to go and too little fuel left\n if there had been; come what might, this was journey's end—perhaps" ], [ "\"That,\" said the captain grimly, \"is what we have to find out. Why—on\n Earth. At least, I suspect the answer's there.\"", "\"Ships,\" said Gwar Den helplessly. \"Five of them so far. No, there's a\n sixth now.\" Repeated blows quivered the", "\"We'll have reached Earth before then,\" Gwar Den said hopefully.\n\n\n \"If they don't bring out the heavy artillery first.\"", "Quest\n III's\nponderous and unswerving progress toward Earth had somehow\n frightened it. So it was trying to frighten them.", "one world in all the Universe. Certainly the building of this ship\n and its two sisters, the immense expenditure of time and labor and\n energy stores that went into them, left Earth's economy drained and", "Knof Llud's mind was clicking again. The voice—which must be coming\n from Earth, relayed by one of the midget ships—was not very smart; it", "Quest III's\nframework. The\n navigator said, obviously striving for calm, \"They're light craft, not\n fifty feet long, but they move fast. The detectors hardly had time to", "He studied the data so far gathered. A few blurred pictures had been\n got, which showed cylindrical space ships much like the\nQuest III\n,", "There was no answer. The ship drove on, its fuel trickling away under\n multiplied demands. Those outside were squandering vastly greater", "Eyes lifted from the vision screens to interrogate Knof Llud; he met\n them with an impassive countenance, and announced quietly, \"We've\n sighted Earth.\"", "last. The two other interstellar expeditions that went out have already\n returned and been destroyed, as you will soon be—the sooner, if you\n continue toward Earth.\"", "ships\n will be long since dead. Nevertheless we go on. Our generation's dream,\n humanity's dream, lives in us and in the ship forever....\"", "\"That was why the planners limited our voyage, and those of the other\nQuests\n, to less than a thousand years Earth time. Even now, according", "The captain was momentarily silent, groping for an adequate reply.\n Behind him somebody made a choked noise, the only sound in the stunned\n hush, and the ship jarred slightly as a thunderbolt slammed vengefully\n into its field.", ",\n except that they were rocket-propelled and of far lesser size. Their\n size was hard to ascertain, because you needed to know their distance", "\"Robot craft, no doubt,\" said Knof Llud, but a chill ran down his spine\n as it occurred to him that perhaps the attackers weren't of human", "and been traced home by some unhuman race that was greedy and able to\n conquer.\nIt became evident, too, that the bombardment was being kept up by a", "Quest III\nshuddered, again and again, under blows that must have had millions\n of horsepower behind them; but it plunged on toward Earth, its mighty", "inertialess drive, at its normal thrust of two hundred gravities,\n was intentionally operated at one half of one per cent efficiency to\n provide the illusion of Earthly gravitation.", "But that shell was tough. It was an extension of the gravitic drive\n field which transmitted the engines' power equally to every atom of" ], [ "The memory of that fierce impulse to go on still had power to shake\n him. A couple of lines of poetry came into his head, as he read them", "responsibility, could rest and dream no more.... Those things went\n on, if men didn't change them. And a pine forest where he and young\n Knof could go camping, and lie on their backs at night and gaze at the", "\"He fought off our interceptors, which are around you now, for some\n time,\" said the voice lightly. \"When he saw that it was hopeless, he", "The captain sighed wearily. \"Good work,\" he said. \"Keep it up; perhaps\n you can answer some of these riddles before—\"", "He wondered if there would still be a quiet stream and a green\n shady place beside it where a death-weary man, relieved at last of", "changes that nine hundred years had wrought. \"Perhaps, if you realize\n your position, you will follow the intelligent example of the\nQuest\n I's\ncommander.\"", "III\n, but he had an elusive look of deformity. Most obviously, his head\n seemed too big for his body, and his eyes in turn too big for his head.", "\"It is enough for you to know that you must die.\"", "\"It makes no difference, of course; we cannot betray the plan....\n This may be man's last chance of escaping his pitiful limitation to", "\"They're mad and we aren't, yet,\" said the boy. Then, seeing that he\n hadn't made himself clear, \"In a fight, if a guy gets mad he starts\n swinging wild and then you nail him.\"", "He frowned thoughtfully, choosing one more spool that was only four\n years old. The recorded voice sounded weary, yet alive with a strange\n longing....", "He snapped off the record; as he did so the speaker, still crackling\n with space static, said, \"It may interest you to know that you are the", "Perhaps, he thought, he was feeling the weight of his nine hundred\n Earth years—though physically he was only forty now, ten years older", "\"Sound the alarm. Emergency stations.\" He had said it automatically,\n then felt a curious detached relief at the knowledge that after all", "\"It is cheering to note that the crew seems only more resolute. We go\n on to Capella; its spectrum, so like our own Sun's, beckons. If success", "Presently Knof Llud switched off that younger voice of his and leaned\n back, an ironic smile touching his lips. That fervent idealism seemed", "ships\n will be long since dead. Nevertheless we go on. Our generation's dream,\n humanity's dream, lives in us and in the ship forever....\"", "He shoved those facts back for future use. Just now he had to know\n something, so vitally that he asked it as a bald question, \"\nAre you\n human?\n\"", "Smiles splintered the ice of tension. Captain Llud said, \"Maybe you've\n got something there. They seem to be mad, all right. But we're not in", "The people in the\nQuest III\nwould have felt nothing at all of\n the vicious onslaught being hurled against them, save that their" ], [ "bridge looked\n questions at each other, as the thought of help from outside flashed\n into many minds at once. But Captain Llud said soberly, \"It must have", "To a man, the ship's responsible officers were already on the bridge,\n most of them breathless. To a man they looked appeal at Captain Knof\n Llud.\n\n\n \"Well?\" he snapped. \"What are they doing?\"", "Smiles splintered the ice of tension. Captain Llud said, \"Maybe you've\n got something there. They seem to be mad, all right. But we're not in", "\"Yes,\" said Llud with icy control. \"You haven't answered one question.\n Why do you want to kill us? You can see we're as human as you are.\"", "Captain Llud found Navigator Gwar Den looking as smug as the cat\n that ate the canary. Gwar Den was finding that the actual observed", "The captain sighed wearily. \"Good work,\" he said. \"Keep it up; perhaps\n you can answer some of these riddles before—\"", "Llud hesitated, said, \"All right. Come along and keep out of the way.\"\n He headed for the bridge with strides that the boy could not match.", "and the hope of success in man's mightiest venture had dwindled, so the\n strength had gone out of him. Now the last fuel compartment was almost\n empty and Captain Knof Llud felt tired and old.", "of Llud's, nine hundred years ago.... He growled, \"What happened to\n him?\"", "Llud shook his head slowly. \"Who knows? We don't know whether any\n of the other\nQuests", "He reached the phone at the moment when another, heavier jolt shook\n the vessel. Llud snatched up the receiver with the speed of a scalded\n cat.", "Llud sighed. He still couldn't say just why he had given the order to\n turn back. The stars had claimed his heart—but he was still a part of", "Llud nodded curt approval, remarking, \"Probably we'll be intercepted\n before we get that far.\"", "\"If they're that small,\" said Knof Llud deliberately, \"they can't carry\n anything heavy enough to hurt us. Hold to course. I'll be right up.\"", "\"Captain?\" It was Gwar Den's voice, stammering a little. \"Captain,\n we're being attacked!\"", "Presently Knof Llud switched off that younger voice of his and leaned\n back, an ironic smile touching his lips. That fervent idealism seemed", "Knof Llud smiled wryly. The rest of the little speech he had been about\n to make didn't matter anyway, and it might have spoiled this moment.", "The ship's automatic mechanisms had scant need of tending; Knof Llud\n found himself wishing that he could find some back-breaking task for\n everyone on board, himself included, to fill up the hours that remained.", "Suddenly a faint cushioned jar went through the great ship; it seemed\n to falter one moment in flight.\nThe captain was on his feet instantly, but then his movements became", "\"Robot craft, no doubt,\" said Knof Llud, but a chill ran down his spine\n as it occurred to him that perhaps the attackers weren't of human" ] ]

[ "Why did the Lane family move to Wisconsin?", "Why doesn’t Jean want to join Peggy in New York?", "Why did Mrs. Lane give up her dream of singing?", "Why did Mr. & Mrs. Lane agree so quickly to Peggy’s bargain?", "How did Mr. Lane know May Berriman?", "What will Peggy mostly likely do tomorrow morning?" ]

[ [ "For Mr. Lane’s work", "To be near family and friends", "For Mrs. Lane’s singing career", "For Peggy’s school" ], [ "She’s not interested in acting as a career.", "She wants to be a singer.", "She will take care of Socks.", "She doesn’t want to leave her family." ], [ "She didn’t have time to study and practice.", "She didn’t believe she could be good at it and gave up.", "Her parents didn’t allow her to continue.", "She got married and had a child." ], [ "They didn’t want to argue about it anymore.", "They didn’t want her to pursue a different career.", "They understood that she was determined and realistic in her plans.", "They remembered that she wanted to move to New York since she was young." ], [ "She was his former teacher.", "She was an old friend of Mrs. Lane.", "She was his childhood friend.", "She was a friend from when he worked in New York." ], [ "Rehearse for her audition.", "Catch a plane to New York.", "Take Socks out for a ride.", "Pack her suitcase." ] ]

[ 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 ]

[ 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1 ]

[ [ "Mrs. Lane nodded. “Of course, dear. I know just\n how you feel about it,” she said. “I would have answered\n just the same way when I was your age, except", "Mrs. Lane smiled gently and placed her soft white\n hand on her daughter’s lean brown one. “Of course\n I understand, Margaret, and so does your father. We", "It was not any dissatisfaction with her life, her\n friends, or her home that made Peggy want to leave\n Rockport. She was not running away from anything,\n she reminded herself; she was running\nto\nsomething.", "“We were luckier than I would have thought possible,”\n Mrs. Lane put in. “It seems that May bought a", "As Peggy entered the room, her father put down\n the phone and turned to Mrs. Lane. “Well, Betty,”\n he said, “it’s all set.”", "“It seems to me, Tom, that Margaret has a pretty\n good idea of what she’s doing,” Mrs. Lane said. “She\n sounds sensible and practical. If she were all starry-eyed", "“Don’t get too excited, Peg,” Mr. Lane interrupted.\n “You’re not accepted anywhere yet, but May\n Berriman told me that the Academy is the best place", "“Oh, no,” her mother answered calmly. “We’re going\n to New York tomorrow on the first plane that we\n can get seats on. Your father doesn’t believe in wasting\n time, once his mind is made up.”", "Rockport, Wisconsin, was a fine place, as pretty a\n small town as any girl could ask to grow up in. And", "“One thing at a time,” her father said. “To begin\n with, we decided almost as soon as you left that we\n were going to let you go to New York to try a year’s", "Mrs. Lane patted Peggy’s arm and said, “We won’t\n keep you in suspense long, dear. Why don’t you go", "out. Leaving the Wilson house, she walked slowly\n despite her eagerness, trying in all fairness to give her\n mother and father every minute she could. Reaching", "Mr. Lane, seeing Peggy’s hurt look, was quick to\n step in with reassurance. “We don’t think you’re going", "Peggy nodded silently and walked to the kitchen\n door, where she paused to say, “I’m just going out to\n the barn to see if Socks is all right for the night. Then\n maybe I’ll go down to Jean’s for a while.”", "After the kisses, the hugs, and the first excitement,\n Peggy and her parents adjourned to the kitchen, the\n favorite household conference room, for cookies and\n milk and more talk.", "see how they were coming along, Peggy continued\n down the driveway and turned left on the slate sidewalk\n past the front porch of her family’s old farmhouse", "Peggy stared at the faded linoleum on the floor for\n a few moments before answering. Then, looking first\n at her mother and then at her father, she replied", "Reluctantly, Peggy agreed, recognizing the sense\n of what her father said. She finished her milk and\n cookies, kissed her parents good night and went upstairs\n to bed.", "with you all the way, even with bad lines. That’s\n why you’re going to go to New York and be an actress.\n And that’s why I’m not.”", "“Whoa!” Mr. Lane said, catching Peggy’s arm to\n prevent her from rushing out of the kitchen. “Not" ], [ "After a moment’s thoughtful silence, Jean answered\n slowly, “No, Peg. I’ve thought this all out before,\n and I know it would be as wrong for me as it is", "“But, Jean—” Peggy began.\n\n13", "Peggy nodded silently and walked to the kitchen\n door, where she paused to say, “I’m just going out to\n the barn to see if Socks is all right for the night. Then\n maybe I’ll go down to Jean’s for a while.”", "“But, Jean,” Peggy protested, “you can handle\n comedy and character lines as well as anyone I\n know!”", "Peggy nodded silently, not trusting herself to\n speak for fear of saying something foolishly sentimental,\n or even of crying. Her friend’s earnestness about", "It was not any dissatisfaction with her life, her\n friends, or her home that made Peggy want to leave\n Rockport. She was not running away from anything,\n she reminded herself; she was running\nto\nsomething.", "9\nII\nDramatic Decision\nUpstairs at the Wilsons’, Peggy found Jean swathed", "“Peg, I don’t want to hold up your career. I don’t\n have any objections to your wanting to act. I think—judging", "“No buts!” Jean cut in. “We’ve talked about this\n enough before, and I’m not going to change my", "“Whoa!” Mr. Lane said, catching Peggy’s arm to\n prevent her from rushing out of the kitchen. “Not", "said to his daughter Peggy, who perched tensely on\n the edge of a kitchen stool. “We could hardly have\n helped knowing that you’ve wanted to be an actress", "with you all the way, even with bad lines. That’s\n why you’re going to go to New York and be an actress.\n And that’s why I’m not.”", "“Oh, no,” her mother answered calmly. “We’re going\n to New York tomorrow on the first plane that we\n can get seats on. Your father doesn’t believe in wasting\n time, once his mind is made up.”", "“Tomorrow?” Peggy repeated, almost unable to believe\n what she had heard. “What are we sitting here", "“I know,” Peggy answered. “We had a long talk\n about it this evening after dinner.” Then she told her\n friend about the conversation and her proposed “bargain”\n with her parents.", "Peggy’s father put down his coffee cup and leaned\n back in the kitchen chair until it tilted on two legs\n against the wall behind him. He took his time before\n answering. When he finally spoke, his voice was\n warm and slow.", "“One thing at a time,” her father said. “To begin\n with, we decided almost as soon as you left that we\n were going to let you go to New York to try a year’s", "A short, breathless pillow fight followed, leaving\n the girls limp with laughter and with Jean having to\n retie her towel turban. From her new position, flat on\n the floor, Peggy looked up at her friend with a rueful\n smile.", "“But not acting knowledge!” Peggy cried.", "Mrs. Lane patted Peggy’s arm and said, “We won’t\n keep you in suspense long, dear. Why don’t you go" ], [ "Mrs. Lane nodded. “Of course, dear. I know just\n how you feel about it,” she said. “I would have answered\n just the same way when I was your age, except", "“It seems to me, Tom, that Margaret has a pretty\n good idea of what she’s doing,” Mrs. Lane said. “She\n sounds sensible and practical. If she were all starry-eyed", "that for me it was singing instead of acting. But—” and\n here her pleasant face betrayed a trace of\n sadness—“but I was never able to be a singer. I guess", "“We were luckier than I would have thought possible,”\n Mrs. Lane put in. “It seems that May bought a", "Mrs. Lane smiled gently and placed her soft white\n hand on her daughter’s lean brown one. “Of course\n I understand, Margaret, and so does your father. We", "Mrs. Lane patted Peggy’s arm and said, “We won’t\n keep you in suspense long, dear. Why don’t you go", "she’s spent all her life in the theater. In fact, she was\n a very successful actress. Now she’s been retired for\n some years, but I thought she might give us some\n good advice.”", "“What you must realize, Margaret, is that you may\n not quite make the grade. We think you’re wonderful,\n but the theater is full of young girls whose parents", "As Peggy entered the room, her father put down\n the phone and turned to Mrs. Lane. “Well, Betty,”\n he said, “it’s all set.”", "“Don’t get too excited, Peg,” Mr. Lane interrupted.\n “You’re not accepted anywhere yet, but May\n Berriman told me that the Academy is the best place", "Mr. Lane, seeing Peggy’s hurt look, was quick to\n step in with reassurance. “We don’t think you’re going", "Seeing the image of herself hungry and tired, going\n from office to office looking for a part in a play,\n Peggy suddenly laughed aloud and brought herself", "with you all the way, even with bad lines. That’s\n why you’re going to go to New York and be an actress.\n And that’s why I’m not.”", "Peggy nodded silently, not trusting herself to\n speak for fear of saying something foolishly sentimental,\n or even of crying. Her friend’s earnestness about", "“Whoa!” Mr. Lane said, catching Peggy’s arm to\n prevent her from rushing out of the kitchen. “Not", "It was not any dissatisfaction with her life, her\n friends, or her home that made Peggy want to leave\n Rockport. She was not running away from anything,\n she reminded herself; she was running\nto\nsomething.", "“It sounds fair enough,” Tom Lane admitted, “but\n are you so confident that you’ll see results in one\n year? After all, some of our top stars worked many\n times that long before getting any recognition.”", "“Oh, Mother! It sounds wonderful!” Peggy exulted.\n “I’ll be with other girls my own age who are actresses,\n and living with an experienced actress! I’ll bet she\n can teach me loads!”", "“One thing at a time,” her father said. “To begin\n with, we decided almost as soon as you left that we\n were going to let you go to New York to try a year’s", "I wasn’t quite good enough or else I didn’t really\n want it hard enough—to go on with all the study and\n practice it needed.”" ], [ "As Peggy entered the room, her father put down\n the phone and turned to Mrs. Lane. “Well, Betty,”\n he said, “it’s all set.”", "Mr. Lane, seeing Peggy’s hurt look, was quick to\n step in with reassurance. “We don’t think you’re going", "Mrs. Lane patted Peggy’s arm and said, “We won’t\n keep you in suspense long, dear. Why don’t you go", "“I know,” Peggy answered. “We had a long talk\n about it this evening after dinner.” Then she told her\n friend about the conversation and her proposed “bargain”\n with her parents.", "Mrs. Lane nodded. “Of course, dear. I know just\n how you feel about it,” she said. “I would have answered\n just the same way when I was your age, except", "Mrs. Lane smiled gently and placed her soft white\n hand on her daughter’s lean brown one. “Of course\n I understand, Margaret, and so does your father. We", "“Oh, Mother!” Peggy shouted, jumping down from\n the stool and throwing her arms about her mother’s\n neck. “I knew you’d understand! And you understand\n too, don’t you, Dad?” she appealed.", "“It seems to me, Tom, that Margaret has a pretty\n good idea of what she’s doing,” Mrs. Lane said. “She\n sounds sensible and practical. If she were all starry-eyed", "“We were luckier than I would have thought possible,”\n Mrs. Lane put in. “It seems that May bought a", "“Whoa!” Mr. Lane said, catching Peggy’s arm to\n prevent her from rushing out of the kitchen. “Not", "Peggy nodded silently, not trusting herself to\n speak for fear of saying something foolishly sentimental,\n or even of crying. Her friend’s earnestness about", "“They both seemed to think it was fair,” she concluded,\n “and when I went out, they were talking it\n over. They promised me an answer by bedtime, and", "“Don’t get too excited, Peg,” Mr. Lane interrupted.\n “You’re not accepted anywhere yet, but May\n Berriman told me that the Academy is the best place", "Peggy stared at the faded linoleum on the floor for\n a few moments before answering. Then, looking first\n at her mother and then at her father, she replied", "Peggy nodded silently and walked to the kitchen\n door, where she paused to say, “I’m just going out to\n the barn to see if Socks is all right for the night. Then\n maybe I’ll go down to Jean’s for a while.”", "Peggy swallowed hard before answering. When\n her voice came, it sounded strange, about two tones", "Reluctantly, Peggy agreed, recognizing the sense\n of what her father said. She finished her milk and\n cookies, kissed her parents good night and went upstairs\n to bed.", "said to his daughter Peggy, who perched tensely on\n the edge of a kitchen stool. “We could hardly have\n helped knowing that you’ve wanted to be an actress", "“What sort of bargain, Peg?” her father asked curiously.", "Peggy’s father put down his coffee cup and leaned\n back in the kitchen chair until it tilted on two legs\n against the wall behind him. He took his time before\n answering. When he finally spoke, his voice was\n warm and slow." ], [ "whole lot of other things. So I called New York to talk\n to an old friend of mine who I felt would be able to\n give us some help. Her name is May Berriman, and", "“We were luckier than I would have thought possible,”\n Mrs. Lane put in. “It seems that May bought a", "“Don’t get too excited, Peg,” Mr. Lane interrupted.\n “You’re not accepted anywhere yet, but May\n Berriman told me that the Academy is the best place", "Mrs. Lane nodded. “Of course, dear. I know just\n how you feel about it,” she said. “I would have answered\n just the same way when I was your age, except", "As Peggy entered the room, her father put down\n the phone and turned to Mrs. Lane. “Well, Betty,”\n he said, “it’s all set.”", "Mrs. Lane smiled gently and placed her soft white\n hand on her daughter’s lean brown one. “Of course\n I understand, Margaret, and so does your father. We", "“It seems to me, Tom, that Margaret has a pretty\n good idea of what she’s doing,” Mrs. Lane said. “She\n sounds sensible and practical. If she were all starry-eyed", "Mr. Lane, seeing Peggy’s hurt look, was quick to\n step in with reassurance. “We don’t think you’re going", "Mrs. Lane patted Peggy’s arm and said, “We won’t\n keep you in suspense long, dear. Why don’t you go", "three of us. And, May—it’ll be good to see you again,\n after all these years! Good-by.”", "“Whoa!” Mr. Lane said, catching Peggy’s arm to\n prevent her from rushing out of the kitchen. “Not", "“I know,” Peggy answered. “We had a long talk\n about it this evening after dinner.” Then she told her\n friend about the conversation and her proposed “bargain”\n with her parents.", "“It sounds fair enough,” Tom Lane admitted, “but\n are you so confident that you’ll see results in one\n year? After all, some of our top stars worked many\n times that long before getting any recognition.”", "Peggy nodded silently, not trusting herself to\n speak for fear of saying something foolishly sentimental,\n or even of crying. Her friend’s earnestness about", "“They both seemed to think it was fair,” she concluded,\n “and when I went out, they were talking it\n over. They promised me an answer by bedtime, and", "PEGGY FINDS THE THEATER\nI\nDramatic Dialogue\n“Of course, this is no surprise to us,” Thomas Lane", "Crossing the porch, she caught sight of him\n through the window. He was speaking on the telephone,\n and now she caught his words.", "Peggy had lived all her life here, knew every tree-shaded\n street, every country road, field, lake, and", "“Oh, Mother!” Peggy shouted, jumping down from\n the stool and throwing her arms about her mother’s\n neck. “I knew you’d understand! And you understand\n too, don’t you, Dad?” she appealed.", "Peggy stared at the faded linoleum on the floor for\n a few moments before answering. Then, looking first\n at her mother and then at her father, she replied" ], [ "“Tomorrow?” Peggy repeated, almost unable to believe\n what she had heard. “What are we sitting here", "Peggy nodded silently and walked to the kitchen\n door, where she paused to say, “I’m just going out to\n the barn to see if Socks is all right for the night. Then\n maybe I’ll go down to Jean’s for a while.”", "Peggy swallowed hard before answering. When\n her voice came, it sounded strange, about two tones", "Mrs. Lane patted Peggy’s arm and said, “We won’t\n keep you in suspense long, dear. Why don’t you go", "Peggy stared at the faded linoleum on the floor for\n a few moments before answering. Then, looking first\n at her mother and then at her father, she replied", "“I know,” Peggy answered. “We had a long talk\n about it this evening after dinner.” Then she told her\n friend about the conversation and her proposed “bargain”\n with her parents.", "Peggy nodded silently, not trusting herself to\n speak for fear of saying something foolishly sentimental,\n or even of crying. Her friend’s earnestness about", "said to his daughter Peggy, who perched tensely on\n the edge of a kitchen stool. “We could hardly have\n helped knowing that you’ve wanted to be an actress", "“And did she?” Peggy asked.", "“Oh, Mother!” Peggy shouted, jumping down from\n the stool and throwing her arms about her mother’s\n neck. “I knew you’d understand! And you understand\n too, don’t you, Dad?” she appealed.", "As Peggy mixed some oats and barley for her pet\n and checked to see that there was enough straw in\n the stall, she thought about her life in Rockport and\n the new life that she might soon be going to.\n\n7", "“What’s all set, Dad?” Peggy said, breaking into a\n run to her father’s side.\n\n15", "As Peggy entered the room, her father put down\n the phone and turned to Mrs. Lane. “Well, Betty,”\n he said, “it’s all set.”", "Seeing the image of herself hungry and tired, going\n from office to office looking for a part in a play,\n Peggy suddenly laughed aloud and brought herself", "Reluctantly, Peggy agreed, recognizing the sense\n of what her father said. She finished her milk and\n cookies, kissed her parents good night and went upstairs\n to bed.", "Peggy lay on her back, staring at the ceiling and\n the patterns of light and shade cast by the street\n lamp outside as it shone through the leaves of the big", "Feeling much better, Peggy shut the screen door behind\n her and started for the barn.", "“How do you know they haven’t decided anything\n yet?” Peggy said, in a puzzled tone.", "After a moment’s thoughtful silence, Jean answered\n slowly, “No, Peg. I’ve thought this all out before,\n and I know it would be as wrong for me as it is", "“You just washed it yesterday!” Peggy said. “Are\n you doing it again—or still?”" ] ]

[ "Why did Jimmy Tremaine visit his hometown?", "What kind of area is Elsby?", "What is the significance of May 19th, 1901?", "Who was in the black sedan that rushed off past Tremaine a block from the hotel?", "Who is Soup Gaskin?", "Why is Tremaine considered the best person to conduct this investigation?" ]

[ [ "To catch a criminal.", "To have a tour and visit the sites.", "To locate a device.", "To visit family and old friends." ], [ "Rural and old-fashioned", "Urban and busy", "Flashy and rich", "Run-down and dirty" ], [ "There was a thunderstorm in the area.", "Bram bought a damaged farm from Mr. Spivey.", "Bram’s house burned down.", "The Pan-American Exposition was in Buffalo." ], [ "Jess", "Mr. Bram", "The men who stole the transmitter", "Grammond’s men" ], [ "Local librarian", "Local politician", "Local police officer", "Local troublemaker" ], [ "He knows the people and the area.", "He has special training.", "He has extra time.", "He has money to pay people bribes." ] ]

[ 3, 1, 2, 4, 4, 1 ]

[ 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1 ]

[ [ "The policeman got to his feet. \"Jimmy,\" he said, \"Jimmy Tremaine.\" He\n came to the counter and put out his hand. \"How are you, Jimmy? What\n brings you back to the boondocks?\"", "As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car\n pulled to a stop beside him. Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and\n asked:\n\n\n \"Any luck, Jimmy?\"", "\"Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess.\"\n\n\n In a back room Tremaine said, \"To everybody but you this is just a\n visit to the old home town. Between us, there's more.\"", "\"Still just the same, Jimmy. Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his\n groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river.\"\n\n\n \"Well, what about him?\"", "\"Don't I know you, mister?\" he said. His soft voice carried a note of\n authority.\n\n\n Tremaine took off his hat. \"Sure you do, Jess. It's been a while,\n though.\"", "Outside, the sky was sallow in the west: lights were coming on in\n windows along the side streets. Tremaine turned up his collar against a\n cold wind that had risen, started along the street toward the hotel.", "Tremaine got to his feet. \"I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears\n and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.\n Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights.\"", "Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town\n Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow", "The clerk looked sideways at Tremaine. \"Lots of funny stories about\n old Bram. Useta say his place was haunted. You know; funny noises and\n lights. And they used to say there was money buried out at his place.\"", "Tremaine went to the car, dropped the pistol in his coat pocket,\n rejoined Jess inside the house. It was silent, deserted. In the kitchen", "\"Come in.\" She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the\n furnishings of another era. She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a\n straight chair across the room from him.", "\"Why Bram?\" Tremaine persisted. \"As far as I know, he never had any\n dealings to speak of with anybody here in town.\"", "\"This place is empty,\" he said. \"Anybody'd think he'd been gone a week.\"\n\n\n \"Not a very cozy—\" Tremaine broke off. A thin yelp sounded in the\n distance.", "The boy darted another look at Tremaine. \"They said they figured the\n spies was out north of town. Well, Bram's a foreigner, and he's out\n that way, ain't he?\"", "\"Hull, this is Mr. Tremaine,\" said Jess. He took out a heavy key, swung\n the cell door open. \"He wants to talk to you.\"", "In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage\n and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom", "\"I remember Soup,\" Tremaine said. \"He and his bunch used to come in\n the drug store where I worked and perch on the stools and kid around", "\"I....\" Tremaine started. He looked at the old lady. \"I want some\n information. This is an important matter. May I rely on your\n discretion?\"\n\n\n \"Of course.\"", "open the door to his car, slid into the seat, made a U-turn, and headed\n north after the police car.\nTwo miles into the dark hills north of the Elsby city limits, Tremaine", "A wail sounded, a thin forlorn cry, trailing off into silence. Jess\n stared at Tremaine. \"I'm too damned old to start believing in spooks,\"" ], [ "\"How long's he lived here in Elsby?\"", "Back in the street, Tremaine headed south toward the Elsby Town\n Hall, a squat structure of brownish-red brick, crouched under yellow", "Elsby. Mr. Bram will occupy the home and will continue to graze a\n few head of stock. Mr. Bram, who is a newcomer to the county, has", "\"You were wise to leave Elsby. There is no future here for a young man.\"", "\"How long has Mr. Bram lived in Elsby?\"\nMiss Carroll looked at him for a long moment. \"Will what I tell you be\n used against him?\"", "been a resident of Mrs. Stoate's Guest Home in Elsby for the past\n months.", "\"Okay, can you read me all right? I'm set up in Elsby. Grammond's boys", "Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street\n and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY", "As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car\n pulled to a stop beside him. Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and\n asked:\n\n\n \"Any luck, Jimmy?\"", "shay. And the next day, she was home again—alone. That finished off\n her reputation, as far as the biddies in Elsby was concerned. It was", "In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage\n and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom", "\"It's nothing we can go to court with, Grammond. And the job you were\n doing might have been influenced if I'd told you about the Elsby angle.\"", "open the door to his car, slid into the seat, made a U-turn, and headed\n north after the police car.\nTwo miles into the dark hills north of the Elsby city limits, Tremaine", "Untrimmed sumacs threw late-afternoon shadows on the discolored stucco\n facade of the Elsby Public Library. Inside, Tremaine followed a", "The heavy voice of the State Police chief crackled. \"What's your beef,\n Tremaine?\"\n\n\n \"I thought you were going to keep your men away from Elsby until I gave\n the word, Grammond.\"", "A Severe Thunderstorm. Citizens of Elsby and the country were much\n alarmed by a violent cloudburst, accompanied by lightning and", "\"This place is empty,\" he said. \"Anybody'd think he'd been gone a week.\"\n\n\n \"Not a very cozy—\" Tremaine broke off. A thin yelp sounded in the\n distance.", "\"May 19. Acreage sold, One Dollar and other G&V consid. NW Quarter\n Section 24, Township Elsby. Bram. (see Vol. 9 & cet.)\"", "\"Soup's been in the pen since then. His boy Hull's the same kind. Him\n and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it\n on fire.\"", "\"They parked out east of town, on 302, back of the woodlot. They called\n me over and asked me a bunch of questions. Said I could help 'em get" ], [ "\"Nineteen-oh-one; the week of May nineteenth.\"", "The man was looking at the book with pursed lips. \"Nineteen-oh-one,\"\n he said. \"I never thought of it before, but you know, old Bram must be", "\"That's the ledger for 1901; means Bram bought a quarter section on the\n nineteenth of May. You want me to look up the deed?\"", "her desk. An hour later, in the issue for July 7, 1900, an item caught\n his eye:", "It was ten minutes before he beckoned Tremaine over to the table where\n a two-foot-square book lay open. An untrimmed fingernail indicated a\n line written in faded ink:", "\"You'll find back to nineteen-forty here,\" the librarian said. \"The\n older are there in the shelves.\"\n\n\n \"I want nineteen-oh-one, if they go back that far.\"", "frowning. \"This would ha' been about nineteen-oh-one. I was no more'n\n eight years old. Miss Linda was maybe in her twenties—and that made", "\"I....\" Tremaine started. He looked at the old lady. \"I want some\n information. This is an important matter. May I rely on your\n discretion?\"\n\n\n \"Of course.\"", "\"Many years ago I was courted by Bram. One day he asked me to go with\n him to his house. On the way he told me a terrible and pathetic tale.", "ten years 'fore she even landed the teaching job. By that time, she was\n already old. And nobody was ever fool enough to mention the name Bram\n in front of her.\"", "in a secret way ... and he would come. I told him that until he would\n consent to see a doctor, I did not wish him to call. He drove me home.\n He never called again.\"", "door. There was a black patch of charred flooring under the window, and\n the paint on the wall above it was bubbled. Somewhere a cricket set up", "A tear rolled down Miss Carroll's faded cheek. She wiped it away\n impatiently.\n\n\n \"I'm an unfulfilled old maid, James,\" she said. \"You must forgive me.\"", "\"I'll remember.\" The woman stood by as Tremaine looked over the front\n page. The lead article concerned the opening of the Pan-American", "\"I often wondered why you didn't leave, Miss Carroll. I thought, even\n as a boy, that you were a woman of great ability.\"\n\n\n \"Why did you come today, James?\" asked Miss Carroll.", "\"There is one other thing,\" she said, \"perhaps quite meaningless....\"\n\n\n \"I'd be grateful for any lead.\"\n\n\n \"Bram fears the thunder.\"\nIII", "\"I'll be extremely careful.\" The woman sniffed, opened a drawer, leafed\n through it, muttering.\n\n\n \"What date was it you wanted?\"", "twisted her fingers together, her eyes fixed on the long past. \"When\n we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen. He lit a lamp and threw", "\"Come in.\" She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the\n furnishings of another era. She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a\n straight chair across the room from him.", "Outside, the sky was sallow in the west: lights were coming on in\n windows along the side streets. Tremaine turned up his collar against a\n cold wind that had risen, started along the street toward the hotel." ], [ "A block away a black late-model sedan rounded a corner with a faint\n squeal of tires and gunned past him, a heavy antenna mounted forward", "\"Damn!\" he said aloud. An elderly man veered, eyeing him sharply.\n Tremaine set off at a run, covered the two blocks to the hotel, yanked", "Outside, the sky was sallow in the west: lights were coming on in\n windows along the side streets. Tremaine turned up his collar against a\n cold wind that had risen, started along the street toward the hotel.", "Tremaine left the hotel, walked two blocks west along Commerce Street\n and turned in at a yellow brick building with the words ELSBY", "open the door to his car, slid into the seat, made a U-turn, and headed\n north after the police car.\nTwo miles into the dark hills north of the Elsby city limits, Tremaine", "In his room at the Elsby Commercial Hotel, Tremaine opened his luggage\n and took out a small tool kit, used a screwdriver to remove the bottom", "As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car\n pulled to a stop beside him. Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and\n asked:\n\n\n \"Any luck, Jimmy?\"", "of the left rear tail fin whipping in the slipstream. Tremaine stopped\n short, stared after the car.", "autumn trees at the end of Sheridan Street. Tremaine went up the\n steps and past heavy double doors. Ten yards along the dim corridor,\n a hand-lettered cardboard sign over a black-varnished door said", "Tremaine went to the car, dropped the pistol in his coat pocket,\n rejoined Jess inside the house. It was silent, deserted. In the kitchen", "Tremaine got to his feet. \"I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears\n and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.\n Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights.\"", "\"Come in.\" She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the\n furnishings of another era. She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a\n straight chair across the room from him.", "\"Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess.\"\n\n\n In a back room Tremaine said, \"To everybody but you this is just a\n visit to the old home town. Between us, there's more.\"", "A thin man with garters above the elbow looked over his shoulder at\n Tremaine.\n\n\n \"We're closed,\" he said.", "\"I've got an oversized suitcase,\" Tremaine said. \"I'll be setting it up\n in my room over at the hotel.\"\n\n\n \"When's this bootleg station supposed to broadcast again?\"", "Untrimmed sumacs threw late-afternoon shadows on the discolored stucco\n facade of the Elsby Public Library. Inside, Tremaine followed a", "rounded a curve. The police car was parked on the shoulder beside the\n highway just ahead. He pulled off the road ahead of it and walked back.\n The door opened. A tall figure stepped out.", "It was ten minutes before he beckoned Tremaine over to the table where\n a two-foot-square book lay open. An untrimmed fingernail indicated a\n line written in faded ink:", "\"This place is empty,\" he said. \"Anybody'd think he'd been gone a week.\"\n\n\n \"Not a very cozy—\" Tremaine broke off. A thin yelp sounded in the\n distance.", "The boy darted another look at Tremaine. \"They said they figured the\n spies was out north of town. Well, Bram's a foreigner, and he's out\n that way, ain't he?\"" ], [ "\"You remember Soup Gaskin? He's got a boy, name of Hull. He's Soup all\n over again.\"", "always did know who busted Soup Gaskin's nose and took out his front\n teeth.\"\nII", "\"I remember Soup,\" Tremaine said. \"He and his bunch used to come in\n the drug store where I worked and perch on the stools and kid around", "\"Soup's been in the pen since then. His boy Hull's the same kind. Him\n and a bunch of his pals went out to Bram's place one night and set it\n on fire.\"", "\"I think.\" Tremaine said, \"that we'd better go ask Hull Gaskin a few\n questions.\"", "\"Don't I know you, mister?\" he said. His soft voice carried a note of\n authority.\n\n\n Tremaine took off his hat. \"Sure you do, Jess. It's been a while,\n though.\"", "\"Nothing. But he's the town's mystery man. You know that. A little\n touched in the head.\"", "\"Still just the same, Jimmy. Comes in town maybe once a week, buys his\n groceries and hikes back out to his place by the river.\"\n\n\n \"Well, what about him?\"", "The policeman got to his feet. \"Jimmy,\" he said, \"Jimmy Tremaine.\" He\n came to the counter and put out his hand. \"How are you, Jimmy? What\n brings you back to the boondocks?\"", "It was ten minutes before he beckoned Tremaine over to the table where\n a two-foot-square book lay open. An untrimmed fingernail indicated a\n line written in faded ink:", "A thin man with garters above the elbow looked over his shoulder at\n Tremaine.\n\n\n \"We're closed,\" he said.", "ordinary American. But up close, you feel it. He's foreign, all right.\n But we never did know where he came from.\"", "has blue eyes and blond hair—or did before it turned white—and he\n talks just like everybody else. From a distance he seems just like an", "\"He's a foreigner, ain't he?\" the youth shot back. \"Besides, we\n heard....\"\n\n\n \"What did you hear?\"", "\"There were a lot of funny stories about him, I remember,\" Tremaine\n said. \"I always liked him. One time he tried to teach me something", "\"Hold it, Jimmy. You're over my head.\" Jess got to his feet. \"Let me\n know if you want anything. And by the way—\" he winked broadly—\"I", "twisted her fingers together, her eyes fixed on the long past. \"When\n we reached the house, he ran to the kitchen. He lit a lamp and threw", "\"Are you boys in touch with Grammond on the car set?\"\n\n\n \"We could be.\"\n\n\n \"Mind if I have a word with him? My name's Tremaine.\"", "\"I....\" Tremaine started. He looked at the old lady. \"I want some\n information. This is an important matter. May I rely on your\n discretion?\"\n\n\n \"Of course.\"", "\"Maybe so.\" The clerk leaned on the counter, assumed a knowing look.\n \"There's one story that's not superstition....\"\n\n\n Tremaine waited." ], [ "\"I....\" Tremaine started. He looked at the old lady. \"I want some\n information. This is an important matter. May I rely on your\n discretion?\"\n\n\n \"Of course.\"", "\"Don't tell me my job, Tremaine!\" the voice snapped. \"And don't try out\n your famous temper on me. I'm still in charge of this investigation.\"", "Tremaine got to his feet. \"I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your ears\n and eyes open for anything that might build into a lead on this, Jess.\n Meantime, I'm just a tourist, seeing the sights.\"", "\"I think.\" Tremaine said, \"that we'd better go ask Hull Gaskin a few\n questions.\"", "\"Don't I know you, mister?\" he said. His soft voice carried a note of\n authority.\n\n\n Tremaine took off his hat. \"Sure you do, Jess. It's been a while,\n though.\"", "\"Why Bram?\" Tremaine persisted. \"As far as I know, he never had any\n dealings to speak of with anybody here in town.\"", "The woman darted a suspicious look at Tremaine. \"You have to handle\n these old papers carefully.\"", "Grammond snorted. \"Okay, Tremaine,\" he said. \"You're the boy with all", "The policeman got to his feet. \"Jimmy,\" he said, \"Jimmy Tremaine.\" He\n came to the counter and put out his hand. \"How are you, Jimmy? What\n brings you back to the boondocks?\"", "The clerk looked sideways at Tremaine. \"Lots of funny stories about\n old Bram. Useta say his place was haunted. You know; funny noises and\n lights. And they used to say there was money buried out at his place.\"", "\"I felt a technical man might succeed where a trained investigator\n could be misled. And since it seems to be pinpointed in your home\n area—\"", "\"Hull, this is Mr. Tremaine,\" said Jess. He took out a heavy key, swung\n the cell door open. \"He wants to talk to you.\"", "\"I always liked Mr. Bram,\" said Tremaine. \"I'm not out to hurt him.\"\n\n\n \"Mr. Bram came here when I was a young woman. I'm not certain of the\n year.\"", "\"You—uh—paying anything for information?\"\n\n\n \"Now why would I do that?\" Tremaine reached for the door knob.", "\"Come in.\" She led the way to a pleasant parlor set out with the\n furnishings of another era. She motioned Tremaine to a seat and took a\n straight chair across the room from him.", "the answers. But if you get in trouble, don't call me; call Washington.\"\nBack in his room, Tremaine put through a call.", "\"Are you boys in touch with Grammond on the car set?\"\n\n\n \"We could be.\"\n\n\n \"Mind if I have a word with him? My name's Tremaine.\"", "\"Let's go somewhere and sit down, Jess.\"\n\n\n In a back room Tremaine said, \"To everybody but you this is just a\n visit to the old home town. Between us, there's more.\"", "\"Bram's a Commie, is he?\" Tremaine said softly. \"How'd you find that\n out, Hull?\"", "As Tremaine walked slowly toward the lighted main street of Elsby a car\n pulled to a stop beside him. Jess leaned out, peered at Tremaine and\n asked:\n\n\n \"Any luck, Jimmy?\"" ] ]

[ "Why was Charles in the actress's apartment?", "What did Charles decide to do when he realized he was alone?", "Why did Charles think he was the last person alive?", "What was the only thing that mattered to Charles near the end?", "What did Charles probably realize at the end?", "Why did the beings come to Earth?", "What did the beings use to ensure they killed every human?" ]

[ [ "She wanted to be with someone one last time.", "They were working on curing the plague.", "He thought he could find answers there.", "They had been living together." ], [ "Live his best life as long as possible", "Give up and wait for death", "Create a shrine to mark the end of humanity", "Enjoy the things he never had before" ], [ "His sickness was taking longer", "He had some sort of immunity", "He was the reason for the plague", "He was meant for greater things" ], [ "Leaving one last note", "Making it to his cave", "Fighting the disease", "Getting a final meal" ], [ "He could have stopped the plague", "There were more people alive that he hadn't found", "There was an alien on the Empire State Building", "He was the last person because of his last name" ], [ "it was the next planet for them to destroy", "they wanted all of Earth's resources", "they wanted to take over Earth", "they were curious about Earth's creatures" ], [ "Charles's brain-waves", "The Bureau's Index", "A machine they brought from their home planet", "Spies throughout the world" ] ]

[ 1, 3, 2, 2, 4, 1, 2 ]

[ 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 ]

[ [ "It had been very pleasant that afternoon. She had given of herself\n freely, warmly, and Charles had accepted. But then he had known", "A thought teased at him. Charles looked at the woman again and decided\n that she still looked beautiful in spite of the harshness of the", "Charles smiled wanly and got up. He stood by the bed looking at her.", "the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]\nCharles turned over on his side to look at her. She lay quietly in the", "all, there were at least twenty of us just a couple of days ago.\" And\n one of them, a beautiful woman, had invited him up to her apartment,\n not because she liked him, but because....", "gently on the forehead. As he straightened up, his leg caught against\n her arm, pushing it slightly. The woman's arm slipped from its position\n and dangled from the edge of the bed like a crazy pendulum. Charles", "Charles got up slowly, noticing for the first time that his fingers\n were badly cut. He wrapped a handkerchief around them and forgot them.", "And now he was lying in the bed next to hers in her swank Manhattan\n apartment in the most exclusive hotel in town. The unrealness of the", "\"I've got to find out,\" Charles told himself. He meant it, of course,\n but in a sense he was afraid—afraid that his trip to the Bureau might", "A gust of wind from the outside breezed through the shattered opening,\n attacking his olfactory patch with the retching smell of decaying\n flesh. Charles ignored it. Even smells had lost their customary\n meanings.", "\"No,\" Charles said, standing up in the quiet of the spring evening.\n \"No, chance won't do it. No man can reckon with chance. The mind\n rejects such things. There must be something beyond mere accident.\n There must be!\"", "Reaching the gigantic building, Charles pushed aside the body of a\n young man and walked into the main foyer. Passing behind once-guarded", "The lobby was littered with debris, human and otherwise. Charles\n ignored it. The street that led towards the Bureau of Vital Statistics", "Charles activated the switches that would flash a schematic map of New\n York on the screen. \"There's bound to be somebody else left here. After", "Charles refused to think. Machines, especially half-broken machines, do\n not think; they only work. Sweating, straining, bleeding, retching, he", "Charles was hungry. He got up and started for one of the restaurants\n near the park. Later on, when there was more time, he'd find a piece", "that she would. It was not him, it was the circumstances. Under the\n circumstances, she would have given herself to any man—", "Charles stopped talking and forced his eyes upwards. Peripheral vision\n caught first the vague outlines of the lower part of the map. His eyes", "of his mind, and he didn't like the expression on its face. Better to\n forget.\nCharles reached the broad boulevard. There was a large cafe just across", "Somehow, though, since things were ready and it didn't make too much\n difference, it seemed to Charles that he'd probably have a long time" ], [ "One.\n\n\n Alone.\n\n\n Alone!\n\n\n Charles screamed.\n\n\n The bottom dropped out from under him!\nWhy?", "Charles got up slowly, noticing for the first time that his fingers\n were badly cut. He wrapped a handkerchief around them and forgot them.", "Charles stopped walking suddenly. No cave, he thought. No place to\n sleep out the long one, no place to rest while time came to change\n things around and make them for the better. No place to hide.", "Charles was by himself, the last person alive in all of New York City.\n\n\n He began to tremble violently. The silence of the room began to press\n quickly in on him. His frantic fingers searched for the computer\n controls.", "\"No,\" Charles said, standing up in the quiet of the spring evening.\n \"No, chance won't do it. No man can reckon with chance. The mind\n rejects such things. There must be something beyond mere accident.\n There must be!\"", "He smiled. Strange, but now he wanted very much to go on living,\n alone or not. There were things he could do, ways to keep occupied.", "A gust of wind from the outside breezed through the shattered opening,\n attacking his olfactory patch with the retching smell of decaying\n flesh. Charles ignored it. Even smells had lost their customary\n meanings.", "Charles struggled to end his body's disorganized responses, to\n channelize all his energy into one direction. His mind came back into", "\"I've got to find out,\" Charles told himself. He meant it, of course,\n but in a sense he was afraid—afraid that his trip to the Bureau might", "Charles refused to think. Machines, especially half-broken machines, do\n not think; they only work. Sweating, straining, bleeding, retching, he", "Charles smiled wanly and got up. He stood by the bed looking at her.", "Somehow, though, since things were ready and it didn't make too much\n difference, it seemed to Charles that he'd probably have a long time", "Charles stopped talking and forced his eyes upwards. Peripheral vision\n caught first the vague outlines of the lower part of the map. His eyes", "A thought teased at him. Charles looked at the woman again and decided\n that she still looked beautiful in spite of the harshness of the", "But thinking about \"why\" didn't answer the question itself, Charles\n thought. He looked around him. He was sitting on a bench in Central\n Park, alone except for a few stray corpses. But the park was fairly\n free of bodies.", "Lies—His mind snapped back to reality. He half smiled. Saint? Christ?\n The Second Coming?\n\n\n He was no saint.\n\n\n Charles sighed.", "Charles walked to the master control panel. With newly acquired\n dexterity he switched the computer screens on and watched them glow", "\"So different now,\" he thought, surveying the room. \"Now it's empty, so\n empty.\" The machine seemed to reflect the stillness, the very deadness\n of the world. The silence became unbearable.", "of his mind, and he didn't like the expression on its face. Better to\n forget.\nCharles reached the broad boulevard. There was a large cafe just across", "He concentrated on the grave; he forced his body to become an unwilling\n machine. While he could, he walked, forcing himself on. When his legs" ], [ "Charles was by himself, the last person alive in all of New York City.\n\n\n He began to tremble violently. The silence of the room began to press\n quickly in on him. His frantic fingers searched for the computer\n controls.", "One.\n\n\n Alone.\n\n\n Alone!\n\n\n Charles screamed.\n\n\n The bottom dropped out from under him!\nWhy?", "But thinking about \"why\" didn't answer the question itself, Charles\n thought. He looked around him. He was sitting on a bench in Central\n Park, alone except for a few stray corpses. But the park was fairly\n free of bodies.", "A gust of wind from the outside breezed through the shattered opening,\n attacking his olfactory patch with the retching smell of decaying\n flesh. Charles ignored it. Even smells had lost their customary\n meanings.", "\"But I don't want to be the last man alive!\" he shouted. \"I don't know\n what to do! I don't know where to go, how to act! I just don't know—\"", "Charles refused to think. Machines, especially half-broken machines, do\n not think; they only work. Sweating, straining, bleeding, retching, he", "To any man, WHO HAPPENED TO BE THE LAST MAN ON EARTH!\n\n\n Charles picked up a heavy book end off the table and crashed it through\n the thick pane of window glass.", "Charles stopped walking suddenly. No cave, he thought. No place to\n sleep out the long one, no place to rest while time came to change\n things around and make them for the better. No place to hide.", "\"No,\" Charles said, standing up in the quiet of the spring evening.\n \"No, chance won't do it. No man can reckon with chance. The mind\n rejects such things. There must be something beyond mere accident.\n There must be!\"", "\"So different now,\" he thought, surveying the room. \"Now it's empty, so\n empty.\" The machine seemed to reflect the stillness, the very deadness\n of the world. The silence became unbearable.", "Why. His mind kept returning to the question. Of all the people on\n earth, me. The last. Why me?", "THE LAST MAN ON EARTH—\n\n CHARLES J. ZZYZST\n\n GO TO HELL!", "Charles got up slowly, noticing for the first time that his fingers\n were badly cut. He wrapped a handkerchief around them and forgot them.", "THE LAST MAN ON EARTH\n\n\n Yes. That was it. Simple. Let whoever came afterwards figure out the\n rest. Let them decide. He smiled and finished the painting.", "\"You've got about ten minutes warning,\" he said to himself. \"I guess\n that most people wanted to die inside of something—inside of anything.\n Not out in the unprotected open.\"", "Charles activated the switches that would flash a schematic map of New\n York on the screen. \"There's bound to be somebody else left here. After", "\"I've got to find out,\" Charles told himself. He meant it, of course,\n but in a sense he was afraid—afraid that his trip to the Bureau might", "Somehow, though, since things were ready and it didn't make too much\n difference, it seemed to Charles that he'd probably have a long time", "England!\n\n\n There was a light in England! Someone else still lived! The counter\n clicked forward.\n\n\n Two!\n\n\n His trembling stopped. He breathed again.", "\"I could have fallen in love with you once. A year ago, perhaps, or\n longer. But not now. Not now.\" He turned away and walked to the window.\n \"Now the world is dead. The whole world is dead.\"" ], [ "Charles got up slowly, noticing for the first time that his fingers\n were badly cut. He wrapped a handkerchief around them and forgot them.", "Charles refused to think. Machines, especially half-broken machines, do\n not think; they only work. Sweating, straining, bleeding, retching, he", "\"No,\" Charles said, standing up in the quiet of the spring evening.\n \"No, chance won't do it. No man can reckon with chance. The mind\n rejects such things. There must be something beyond mere accident.\n There must be!\"", "A gust of wind from the outside breezed through the shattered opening,\n attacking his olfactory patch with the retching smell of decaying\n flesh. Charles ignored it. Even smells had lost their customary\n meanings.", "A thought teased at him. Charles looked at the woman again and decided\n that she still looked beautiful in spite of the harshness of the", "Charles struggled to end his body's disorganized responses, to\n channelize all his energy into one direction. His mind came back into", "It had been very pleasant that afternoon. She had given of herself\n freely, warmly, and Charles had accepted. But then he had known", "One.\n\n\n Alone.\n\n\n Alone!\n\n\n Charles screamed.\n\n\n The bottom dropped out from under him!\nWhy?", "\"I've got to find out,\" Charles told himself. He meant it, of course,\n but in a sense he was afraid—afraid that his trip to the Bureau might", "Somehow, though, since things were ready and it didn't make too much\n difference, it seemed to Charles that he'd probably have a long time", "Charles was by himself, the last person alive in all of New York City.\n\n\n He began to tremble violently. The silence of the room began to press\n quickly in on him. His frantic fingers searched for the computer\n controls.", "Charles stopped walking suddenly. No cave, he thought. No place to\n sleep out the long one, no place to rest while time came to change\n things around and make them for the better. No place to hide.", "action. He set up his goal; everything else seemed irrelevant: he had\n to get back to the park, to his hermit's cave, to his long, narrow\n home. He couldn't die until then.", "Charles smiled wanly and got up. He stood by the bed looking at her.", "Lies—His mind snapped back to reality. He half smiled. Saint? Christ?\n The Second Coming?\n\n\n He was no saint.\n\n\n Charles sighed.", "Charles stopped talking and forced his eyes upwards. Peripheral vision\n caught first the vague outlines of the lower part of the map. His eyes", "sapped the last bit of his energy, corroding his nerves and dying\n muscles. Now he knew, and the knowing was the end of it.", "But thinking about \"why\" didn't answer the question itself, Charles\n thought. He looked around him. He was sitting on a bench in Central\n Park, alone except for a few stray corpses. But the park was fairly\n free of bodies.", "He smiled. Strange, but now he wanted very much to go on living,\n alone or not. There were things he could do, ways to keep occupied.", "To any man, WHO HAPPENED TO BE THE LAST MAN ON EARTH!\n\n\n Charles picked up a heavy book end off the table and crashed it through\n the thick pane of window glass." ], [ "Charles got up slowly, noticing for the first time that his fingers\n were badly cut. He wrapped a handkerchief around them and forgot them.", "\"No,\" Charles said, standing up in the quiet of the spring evening.\n \"No, chance won't do it. No man can reckon with chance. The mind\n rejects such things. There must be something beyond mere accident.\n There must be!\"", "A thought teased at him. Charles looked at the woman again and decided\n that she still looked beautiful in spite of the harshness of the", "Somehow, though, since things were ready and it didn't make too much\n difference, it seemed to Charles that he'd probably have a long time", "\"I've got to find out,\" Charles told himself. He meant it, of course,\n but in a sense he was afraid—afraid that his trip to the Bureau might", "Charles refused to think. Machines, especially half-broken machines, do\n not think; they only work. Sweating, straining, bleeding, retching, he", "It had been very pleasant that afternoon. She had given of herself\n freely, warmly, and Charles had accepted. But then he had known", "A gust of wind from the outside breezed through the shattered opening,\n attacking his olfactory patch with the retching smell of decaying\n flesh. Charles ignored it. Even smells had lost their customary\n meanings.", "Lies—His mind snapped back to reality. He half smiled. Saint? Christ?\n The Second Coming?\n\n\n He was no saint.\n\n\n Charles sighed.", "Charles struggled to end his body's disorganized responses, to\n channelize all his energy into one direction. His mind came back into", "Charles stopped talking and forced his eyes upwards. Peripheral vision\n caught first the vague outlines of the lower part of the map. His eyes", "Charles stopped walking suddenly. No cave, he thought. No place to\n sleep out the long one, no place to rest while time came to change\n things around and make them for the better. No place to hide.", "sapped the last bit of his energy, corroding his nerves and dying\n muscles. Now he knew, and the knowing was the end of it.", "One.\n\n\n Alone.\n\n\n Alone!\n\n\n Charles screamed.\n\n\n The bottom dropped out from under him!\nWhy?", "Charles smiled wanly and got up. He stood by the bed looking at her.", "Charles was by himself, the last person alive in all of New York City.\n\n\n He began to tremble violently. The silence of the room began to press\n quickly in on him. His frantic fingers searched for the computer\n controls.", "But thinking about \"why\" didn't answer the question itself, Charles\n thought. He looked around him. He was sitting on a bench in Central\n Park, alone except for a few stray corpses. But the park was fairly\n free of bodies.", "of his mind, and he didn't like the expression on its face. Better to\n forget.\nCharles reached the broad boulevard. There was a large cafe just across", "To any man, WHO HAPPENED TO BE THE LAST MAN ON EARTH!\n\n\n Charles picked up a heavy book end off the table and crashed it through\n the thick pane of window glass.", "the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]\nCharles turned over on his side to look at her. She lay quietly in the" ], [ "Charles screamed.\nThe large, invisible, ovular being that hung suspended over the Empire\n State Building rested from its exertion. Soon it was approached by\n another of its kind.\n\n\n \"It is finished?\" asked the second.", "Why. His mind kept returning to the question. Of all the people on\n earth, me. The last. Why me?", "THE LAST MAN ON EARTH\n\n\n Yes. That was it. Simple. Let whoever came afterwards figure out the\n rest. Let them decide. He smiled and finished the painting.", "Such a simple question, but in those three letters lay the essence of\n human nature. Why. The drive of curiosity. Stronger, in a way, than", "to life. All around the world sensitive receiving stations pulsed to\n activity, sending out searching fingers, hunting for elusive patterns\n of neutral energy, mapping and tabulating the results.", "So simple to explain by the laws of chance. No need for any underlying\n assumptions about good and evil, no need for teleological arguments\n concerning cause and effect. Simply explain it by chance. Somebody had\n to be the last to go and that was—", "Then the lovers who hunted out and haunted the lonely lanes through the\n countryside began to remark that the locusts were late that year. The", "And then he was upon it. One arm reached out for grass, and clutched\n bare space instead.\n\n\n He was home.", "It was not until the dusty morning sun stirred up the breezes that they\n fluttered down into the shallow hole beneath, unnoticed. The writing on", "\"Well, where to now?\"\n\n\n \"There's another system about four thoughts away. We're due there soon.\"\n\n\n \"All right. Let's go.\"", "The first being moved imperceptably and the heavy plastoid binding of\n the book disappeared. The thousands of pages dropped softly, caught", "\"We were free. We seemed, almost, to have accomplished something. The\n world was running well. No wonder we called it the 'Proud Era.' Life\n was fun, just a bowl of cherries, until....\"", "Within a year it was obvious to everyone that man was the only animal\n left on earth.", "\"On the next planet out. No beauty to it at all; no system. How was\n yours?\"", "all, there were at least twenty of us just a couple of days ago.\" And\n one of them, a beautiful woman, had invited him up to her apartment,\n not because she liked him, but because....", "\"No,\" Charles said, standing up in the quiet of the spring evening.\n \"No, chance won't do it. No man can reckon with chance. The mind\n rejects such things. There must be something beyond mere accident.\n There must be!\"", "To any man, WHO HAPPENED TO BE THE LAST MAN ON EARTH!\n\n\n Charles picked up a heavy book end off the table and crashed it through\n the thick pane of window glass.", "\"Beautiful,\" said the first. \"It went according to the strictest\n semantic relationship following the purest mathematical principles.\n They made it easy for me.\"\n\n\n \"Good.\"", "\"What's that you have there?\"\n\n\n \"Oh, this?\" replied the first. \"It's a higher neural order compendium\n the Things here made up. It's what I used.\"", "the race. Man began to think, to differentiate himself from the other\n animals, when he first asked the question: \"Why?\"" ], [ "Before the plague the Bureau of Vital Statistics had been one of man's\n crowning achievements. Housed as it was in a huge metallic globe of\n a building, it contained computers which kept exact account of every\n human on earth.", "Compulsory registration and the classification of each individual by\n means of the discrete patterns of his brain waves had accomplished for\n man what no ordinary census could have. The machine knew who was alive,\n who was dead, and where everybody was.", "The panic which had begun with the death of the animals was quieted\n somewhat by the fact that humans seemed immune to the pandemic. But the", "\"You've got about ten minutes warning,\" he said to himself. \"I guess\n that most people wanted to die inside of something—inside of anything.\n Not out in the unprotected open.\"", "Within a year it was obvious to everyone that man was the only animal\n left on earth.", "Two years ago the animals had started dying. Strangely enough the\n rats had gone first, to anybody's notice. Sales of poison dropped,\n scientific laboratories chained to a perpetual rodent-cycle began to\n complain bitterly.", "Charles screamed.\nThe large, invisible, ovular being that hung suspended over the Empire\n State Building rested from its exertion. Soon it was approached by\n another of its kind.\n\n\n \"It is finished?\" asked the second.", "THE LAST MAN ON EARTH\n\n\n Yes. That was it. Simple. Let whoever came afterwards figure out the\n rest. Let them decide. He smiled and finished the painting.", "So simple to explain by the laws of chance. No need for any underlying\n assumptions about good and evil, no need for teleological arguments\n concerning cause and effect. Simply explain it by chance. Somebody had\n to be the last to go and that was—", "Once a year the Bureau issued The Index, an exact accounting of Earth's\n four billion inhabitants. Four billion names and addresses, compressed", "\"So different now,\" he thought, surveying the room. \"Now it's empty, so\n empty.\" The machine seemed to reflect the stillness, the very deadness\n of the world. The silence became unbearable.", "to life. All around the world sensitive receiving stations pulsed to\n activity, sending out searching fingers, hunting for elusive patterns\n of neutral energy, mapping and tabulating the results.", "Then just one year ago, the first human became infected with the\n strange malady. Within six months, half of the world's population was\n gone. Less than a month ago no more than a few thousand people remained\n in New York. And now....", "Charles was by himself, the last person alive in all of New York City.\n\n\n He began to tremble violently. The silence of the room began to press\n quickly in on him. His frantic fingers searched for the computer\n controls.", "The first being moved imperceptably and the heavy plastoid binding of\n the book disappeared. The thousands of pages dropped softly, caught", "Charles refused to think. Machines, especially half-broken machines, do\n not think; they only work. Sweating, straining, bleeding, retching, he", "It was not until the dusty morning sun stirred up the breezes that they\n fluttered down into the shallow hole beneath, unnoticed. The writing on", "\"Why, it was just yesterday (or was it the day before?) that ten of\n us, at least, met here to check the figures. There were lots of us\n alive then.\" Including the blond young woman who had died just this\n afternoon....", "He gathered energy from his final reservoirs of strength for one final\n movement that would throw him headlong into the shallow grave. He\n tensed his muscles, pulled his limbs up under him and started to roll\n into the hole.", "Why. His mind kept returning to the question. Of all the people on\n earth, me. The last. Why me?" ] ]

["What are two kinds of goods Casey Ritter deals with throughout the story? \n\n","What is the signi(...TRUNCATED)

[["Strychnine and Space suits","Jupiter crystals and Mars emeralds \n\n","Kooleen Crystals and Koole(...TRUNCATED)

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[["Well, Casey Ritter may be a lot of things we won't mention, but he\n doesn't rat on his clients. (...TRUNCATED)

["What is one way the story’s setting, Venus, affects the characters and and sets up the plot? \n\(...TRUNCATED)

[["The story takes place on Mars, not Venus. Over the last four or five generations, Mars’ conditi(...TRUNCATED)

[ 2, 2, 2, 4, 2, 4, 4, 2, 1, 2 ]

[ 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1 ]

[["\"Acclimation,\" Lowry said scientifically. \"They had to acclimate\n themselves to Venus's clima(...TRUNCATED)

["Why did the bank robbers end up crashing? ","Why does The Scorpion go mostly unnoticed, despite re(...TRUNCATED)

[["The cops used incendiary bullets to melt the tires. ","The Scorpion somehow melted their tires. "(...TRUNCATED)

[ 2, 2, 2, 3, 1, 1, 3 ]

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[["There was so much confusion that it looked as though the bank robbers\n were going to get away af(...TRUNCATED)