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He nodded

“Yours Mine All of us who advised that we come to this darkness It was hubris, and the innocent have suffered because of it Died for listening to our bad advice God has humbled me”

His voice still had the richness of a lifetih, childlike whine underneath the grandeur Sy up in her

“I don’t know that I see it that way,” she said “We didn’t colorify ourselves We did it to keep people fro To reether in this I can’t think that’s an evil impulse And I can’t see what happened to us as punishment Time and chance—”

“Befall all men,” Hector said “Yes”

Behind them, a shuttle’s attitude rocket roared for a ray jumpsuits sauntered toward it, toolboxes in their hands Cortez was scowling

“But even given what grew from that seed? You still don’t think ere punished? The decision was not ance?”

“History isfrom the last disaster,” Anna said “What happened was terrible Is terrible But I still can’t see God’s punishment in it”

“I do,” Cortez said “I believe we have fallen into a realm of evil And more, Doctor Volovodov, I fear we have been tainted by it”

“I don’t see—”

“The devil is here,” Cortez said He shook his head at Anna’s protesting frown “Not some cartoon demon I’m not a fool But the devil has always lived in men when they reach too far, when they fail to ask if they should do so just because they can do it We have— I have fallen into his trap And worse, we have blazed the trail to him History will not remember us kindly for e have done”