Adric was crouched behind a bush, remaining as still as possible. He tried not to move to avoid causing any rustling of the leaves. Overhead he could see clouds building, and he knew that the rain would come soon. But for the moment he had to stay immobile, quiet, and hidden.

It was a silly game, really, and at first he had resisted the child's attempts to engage him in hide-and-seek. But Rannal had listened attentively to the math lessons and had shown some aptitude for the subject before succumbing to his natural seven-year-old wriggliness and energy. When his happy expression became somber at Adric's initial refusal to play the game, the Alzarian relented. He even pretended that he couldn't find the boy when it was his turn to seek.

Now he had stayed well concealed for several minutes. He crouched lower when he heard Rannal's footsteps crunching over the stony ground and suppressed a smile at the growing giggles bubbling up from the child's throat.

When he saw the small feet directly in front of him he began to lift his head.

"I found you!" Rannal's joyous voice proclaimed loudly. He pressed his hand to Adric's forehead. "You're it!"

Adric smiled then blinked as the passing clouds seemed to darken the sky.

------

As Nyssa and Gerran stepped into the healer's house, Tegan took the Doctor's arm and pulled him aside. For the moment most of their audience had returned to their homes, though nearly every window seemed to have at least one spectator in it.

"Tegan, I'd like to hear what the healer has to say," the Doctor protested. "This could be very interesting—"

"You can join them in a minute. But first I want you to tell me why you're being so secretive."

"Secretive? I'm not sure what you mean. You're the one who is being disinenguous."

"Me? Why do you say that?"

"You told Gerran that the TARDIS could only carry four people."

"And as I recall you said that it was simple inside—and you stopped yourself from explaining how they might recycle their equipment."

"So I did. But tell me first why you were dishonest about the TARDIS."

Tegan sighed. "I just didn't want them knowing too much about it."

"And why is that?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure, really. It just seems better not to reveal too much until we know that we can trust them. Is that why you weren't completely honest either?"

"Not exactly."

Her inquisitive looked prompted a longer explanation. "Their ancestors were stranded here, but they've created a stable, productive society. I don't want them to consider the possibility of space travel. They aren't ready for it, technologically or psychologically."

"Because they've lived a primitive life for so long?"

"Something like that. For the moment I think it is best to answer their questions and share information that will enlighten them without changing their lives to any significant degree."

"But they know that space travel exists, and they're aware that there's technology that's far ahead of anything they have—they've seen the remains. Cripes, they've built a shrine to them."

"Yes, but there's a delicate balance here. This is a rare instance of a society moving backwards technologically. And yet it seems to have benefited them." He raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps other societies could learn something from these people."

Tegan frowned. "Are you saying that the Earth and other planets have become too advanced?"

"Too advanced? Your Earth in your time—no. But in the near future things will change. Space travel will become as common as airline travel is for you and your contemporaries. People will rely nearly exclusively on computers to communicate—"

"Computers to communicate? What do you mean?"

The Doctor shook his head with a brief smile. "You'll see. My point is that these people have a very stable society in which all their basic needs appear met. This is really quite extraordinary considering that their ancestors crashed here with nothing but the equipment and supplies they were carrying—" He stopped abruptly to shift his gaze to the small building housing the shrine.

"Humans are pretty resourceful, aren't we?"

The Time Lord was immersed in thought and did not respond to her. However, when thunder rumbled overhead he glanced at the sky. His gaze swept the area surrounding the village, and suddenly he lifted his hand. "Adric!" he called, waving.

Tegan looked out toward the hills to see Adric and Rannal nearing the village. The child still held Adric's hand, leading him back. Adric seemed preoccupied; he did not appear to notice his companions beckoning him.

The Doctor and Tegan walked a few meters to intercept them.

"We played hide-an-seek!" Rannal informed them happily.

"Did you?" the Doctor asked, smiling. "That was awfully nice of Adric."

"He showed me maths, too!"

Tegan gave a short laugh. "I'll bet he did!" She gave Adric a light tap on the shoulder. "You must have had a fun morning."

Adric dropped Rannal's hand. "Oh—yes, I suppose we did."

"Come on, Tegan," urged Rannal, now taking her hand. "Morra wants you to play with her! She told me this morning! But Momma said she had to rest until lunch." He touched Adric's arm again. "Can you show me some more maths later?"

Adric nodded absently. "All right."

Rannal led Tegan toward a nearby house as she looked back in mock helplessness at her friends.

"What did you teach him?" asked the Doctor, watching the exuberant child for a moment.

"Oh," Adric replied, "just a few small things—"

The Doctor had turned back to Adric and was staring at him with a frown. Adric felt the warm wetness tickling his upper lip just as the Time Lord lifted his hand to point at the young man's face. "Your nose," he said.

Adric swiped his palm over his nose then lowered it to stare in brief astonishment at the crimson smear across his fingers. "I'm bleeding?"

The Doctor reached into his pocket for a handkerchief, which he quickly folded then held over Adric's nose. "Tilt your head back," he instructed.

"What's happening?" asked Adric, his voice distinctly nasal due to the pressure on his nose.

"Just a nosebleed. It should stop in a minute."

Adric felt something cold on his shoulders and face and realized that rain had begun falling. The Doctor lifted Adric's hand, saying, "Hold the handkerchief in place for a little longer," as he shifted his arm to wrap it around the boy's shoulder.

He lead Adric back to Gerran's house and ushered him inside, gesturing to a chair. The Alzarian sat, still gripping the cloth over his nose.

"Keep your head back," the Doctor reminded him as he walked toward the kitchen. Adric stared at the ceiling as he waited for his friend to return. The construction materials were primarily wood, but he saw a few pieces of metal and even some small strips of plastic interspersed among the beams.

The Doctor appeared at his side a minute later with a wet cloth. He lowered Adric's hand and the kerchief slowly. "Ah, that's better. It's stopped." He wiped away the blood from Adric's face, asking, "Are you prone to nosebleeds?"

"No. I've never had one before."

"You weren't hit while playing with Rannal, were you?"

Adric frowned. "I wasn't playing with him! I'm not a child. I was just entertaining him—"

"And that was very kind of you. But during your entertainments did you hit your face or head?" The Doctor was scrutinizing his nose with a slight squint.

"No."

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, it was probably caused by something environmental—an allergy, perhaps."

"Alzarians don't have allergies." Adric lifted his head a bit.

A particularly bright flash of lightning accompanied by a sharp clap of thunder drew their attention to the window. The rain was pouring down now, and Ellea hurried toward the house. She carried a large basket brimming with tomatoes and squash. The Doctor opened the door for her.

She blinked in surprise for an instant then stammered, "Thank you."

The Doctor took the basket from her so that she could shake the water from her hair and clothes. She brushed droplets from her skirt, her hand moving carefully over her stomach several times. She was damp but not drenched. However, her face had paled considerably.

"I hope you don't mind that we returned here. I'm afraid that we had to cut our stroll short due to the weather," said the Doctor.

"Oh," she responded, moving toward the stone fireplace to stoke the embers, "no, we're happy to have you here. It's just… I'm sorry, seeing you here is still a bit of a shock to me."

"We didn't mean to frighten you," the Doctor said kindly. He lifted the basket. "I'll put this in the kitchen for you. Adric, add some more wood to the fire. It's getting cold in here, and we wouldn't want our gracious hostess to catch a chill."

Adric stood, but Ellea had already bent to grasp a log and place it on the embers.

"I can do that," Adric offered.

"It's all right," she said, straightening. She swayed slightly, and Adric saw her eyelids flutter. He grabbed her elbow to support her. She gripped his arm for a moment then took a breath.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm all right." She released his arm and took a step back.

"Do you want me to get you some water?" he asked. "You looked like you were going to faint." He glanced at the kitchen, considering calling for the Doctor.

She watched his eyes for a moment. "No, I'm fine. I'm going to begin lunch." She turned, but paused to rest her hand on his cheek. "You're very kind."

The Doctor returned from the kitchen, passing Ellea along the way. He found Adric standing by the fire, staring at the growing flames. The young man did not look up when his companion entered the room.

"Everything all right in here?"

Adric lifted his hands toward the heat. "Oh, yes. I was just about to add a log to the fire."

------

Nyssa sat at a wooden table, head bent over the faded pages before her. She was careful not to touch the brittle paper that Vuir, the healer, had permitted her to view. At first the woman had resisted Nyssa's request, but the young scientist's obvious interest and enthusiasm for the topic had persuaded her to share the precious texts, with the provision that Nyssa touch them only minimally.

There were, in fact, three texts, each wrapped carefully in leather. None were formally bound, which surprised Nyssa initially. Each page had three holes along the left side; they had been held in a binder of some sort at one time. Now, however, they were kept in a chest, each swathed meticulously in a wrapper. The one Nyssa studied at the moment was a basic anatomical text. Vuir had already shown her the pages that detailed medicinal uses of plants. A third book explained common diseases and their treatments, as well as first aid procedures for various injuries.

"Your ancestors were fortunate to have these books with them when they crashed," Nyssa commented.

"Yes. My great-great grandfather was able to rescue them from the ship and keep them safe. He was able to help the others with them over the years. He passed his knowledge on to his daughter, and she to her son."

"So you learned your skills from your father?"

Vuir shook her head. "No, my mother. Among the children in her family she had the most talent for healing."

Nyssa stood to inspect the various dried plants lining the shelves in the house. "Did you acquire all of your knowledge from your mother?"

"Most of it. I still search for new uses for the plants we have here."

"What is this one used for?" Nyssa took a small bowl of dried leaves from the shelf.

"That's for the elderly, when their hearts are irregular in rhythm."

"Oh, of course! It's digitalis purpurea—I believe it's called foxglove on Earth."

"Yes, that's what we call it, too."

"Oh, that's right, your ancestors came from an Earth colony."

Vuir returned the bowl to its place. "Yes. So you must have spent time on Earth?"

"A little."

"What's it like?"

Nyssa smiled. "Parts of it look very much like your planet."

"But the stories from our ancestors—they said that Earth and its colonies had huge buildings, reaching up into the sky, and tubes for travel, tubes that could take a person many miles through the sky in just a few minutes."

"That's true."

"And what do the healers do there?"

"Their work is very much like yours. Like you, they are skilled in knowing which medicines to use to cure diseases and heal injuries."

"Oh," Vuir sighed. "I would love to meet one, to learn from him or her, to have that knowledge."

Nyssa placed her hand upon the woman's arm. "You already have a wealth of knowledge. Everyone here seems quite well."

"Most of them are. But sometimes there are things that I can't heal or cure—"

"There are some diseases and injuries that even now are difficult to treat, even with all the knowledge modern scientists possess."

"Really? Stories from our ancestors indicated that everything could be cured in their colony."

"I think," Nyssa said gently, "that the stories may have changed a bit over time. It seems to me that you're doing a wonderful job, and I appreciate your sharing your books with me."

------

Morra and Tegan sat on a softly woven rug before the fireplace, a small cup and several smooth pebbles lying on the floor between them.

"You win," Morra said, pointing at the greenish rock that had landed closest to Tegan.

The Australian smiled. "I seem to be awfully lucky today."

The child leaned forward to grasp her hand. "Oh no, Tegan, I'm the luckiest person here."

"And why is that?"

"Because I get to play with you!"

Cira stood in the kitchen doorway, watching her daughter and the stranger. Rannal was hunched over the table, busily drawing with a charcoal stick on a flat, smooth piece of stone. His sister's pursuits appeared to interest him little.

Tegan glanced up at Cira. The children's mother still appeared slightly wary of her daughter's new friend. Indeed, she had scolded Rannal for taking Adric out into the hills as soon as he returned with Tegan, but when Morra's face lit up at seeing her recent acquaintance, Cira had relented and welcomed the guest into their home, albeit somewhat warily.

Now Tegan felt that she had overstayed her tenuous welcome. She took up the pebbles and the cup, saying, "One more turn each, then I need to go."

"Really?" the little girl asked. "But it's fun to play with you!"

"You have your brother to play with, and there must be other children, too—"

Rannal looked up from his drawing. "No, there aren't."

Tegan lifted her head in surprise, shifting her gaze to Cira. "Really? No other children here?"

Cira shook her head. "None their ages."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed—" began Tegan.

Cira bent to place her hands on Morra's shoulders, urging her to stand. "Come on, you need to rest now."

"But I'm not tired, Momma," the child protested.

In the flickering firelight, Tegan thought that Morra did, in fact, look a bit pinched and pale. She stood, too.

"Thank you for the game," she said. "Maybe we can play again another time."

"I can play now," Morra began, but Cira picked her up.

"Not until you've had a nap." She walked quickly from the room as Morra started to sniffle.

Suddenly uncomfortable, Tegan headed for the door. She paused for a moment as she passed Rannal. "Tell you mother I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."

The boy looked up with a shrug. "Morra had fun. You made her feel better."

"Is she sick?"

"Just today. She'll be better tomorrow."

"Well, tell her I said good bye." Tegan took a step toward the door, but something drew her eyes to Rannal's slate. She glanced down to see what appeared to her to be several Greek letters mixed with a few numbers and English letters

"What are you making?" she asked, curiosity piqued momentarily.

"Something Adric showed me."

"He showed you those?"

Rannal nodded proudly. "He said I'm good at maths."

With a small shake of her head, Tegan said, "I suppose he'd know. I'll see you later."

The boy returned to his project the moment she had left his side.

------

The rain had slackened somewhat, permitting Tegan to return to Gerran's house without getting too wet. The air was chilly, however, and she was quite happy to find a cheerful fire blazing in the living room when she entered the house.

The Doctor and Adric were sitting at the table talking, but they greeted her and beckoned her to join them.

"Did you have fun playing?" asked Adric.

"Morra's a sweet little girl," Tegan replied. "I think she was glad to have the company."

"Really? Why do you say that?" inquired the Doctor.

"Cira said that there aren't any other children her age in the village. Rannal's the closest one."

"That's surprising," the Doctor commented. "Gerran told me that there are one hundred fifty people here. I had assumed that at least a quarter of them were children."

"Did you see any other children today?" asked Tegan.

"Now that you mention it, no. I thought I heard a baby cry, and I do recall seeing a boy just a bit younger than you," he nodded toward Adric.

"That's strange," said Tegan. "There seem to be plenty of people young enough to have children."

The Doctor tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Possibly it's just a statistical anomaly."

Tegan was about to ask for clarification, but Adric said, "It's a coincidence that the population is clustered at certain ages. If we were to return in ten years we'd find an average number of children."

"Yes. It may be that a large number of children were born say twenty or twenty-five years ago, but few of those have had children of their own yet."

"But what about Cira?" asked Tegan.

"I said 'few of those', Tegan, not 'none.'"

"Well, there's one simple way to find out," Tegan said. She stood and headed toward the kitchen, where she could hear Ellea working. In a few seconds she returned with their hostess.

"Yes?" Ellea asked. "Tegan said you needed me to help you with something."

"I hope you'll excuse our curiosity," the Doctor said rather apologetically, "but we've noticed very few children here."

Ellea rested her hand on the back of a chair; her eyes flicked from Tegan's to the Doctor's to Adric's face.

"Neema just had a baby," she said finally, "and Lyrid is expecting one in a few months."

"But aside from Morra and Rannal, are there other children?" the Doctor asked.

"There' an older boy who's thirteen."

"But no others?"

Ellea shook her head.

"You and Gerran don't have any?" asked Adric.

Tegan shot him a reprimanding glance. "We'd know if they did," she said.

"No," Ellea replied softly, "we don't." She turned back to the kitchen. "Lunch is almost ready. Gerran will be home soon." She disappeared through the doorway.

"That was rude, Adric!" Tegan hissed.

"What?" he asked, truly perplexed.

"Asking if she and Gerran had children. You can see that they don't."

"Why is that rude?" he persisted.

"Because—" Tegan hesitated. "Well, it just is."

"Well, I didn't know that," the boy protested.

"Now you do," she said firmly.

Adric shook his head. "I'll never understand humans."

Tegan leaned forward. "And I'll never understand Alzarians! Why on earth would you show Rannal complicated equations?"

Adric appeared surprised by her question. "What?"

"Equations with Greek symbols—sigma and pi and stuff. He can't understand that. He's much too young."

"Why would you think I taught him complex equations? And anyway, maybe he isn't too young. When I was his age I was fully capable of understanding equations with three variables, which is something you can't do even now—"

The Doctor stood. "Tegan, why don't you see if you can help Ellea with lunch."

She rose, too. "I was just about to do that. Unlike some people, I have manners!" She stalked out of the room.

"Do you think the boy has superior mathematics capabilities?" the Doctor asked Adric with some interest.

"He seems bright enough, but he's not anywhere nearly as advanced as an Elite of his age." He glanced at the kitchen. "And I can't imagine why she thinks I taught him equations. He barely understood simple multiplication."