They thought about it andfinally smiled a little.

The bartender’s face,when they had come in, had been completely bored. He had hardly any business.But since they had arrived four or five more customers had come in. He wastalking to two of them, old customers it looked like, relaxed and used to theplace. Two others were holding pool cues, apparently from some tables in anadjoining room.

There isn’t any space,Rigel said. He still wanted to quarrel. If you were from here you’d knowthat.

What do you mean?

There’s no space here,Rigel repeated. It’s all crowded with history. It’s all dead now but if youknew this region you’d see there’s no space. It’s full of old secrets. Everyonecovers up around here.

He asked Rigel, Whatsecrets?

Nothing’s the way itseems, Rigel said. This little creek we’re on here, do you know where itleads? You wouldn’t think it goes back more than a few hundred yards after itcompletes that turn back there, would you? How far would you guess you couldgo, on this little tiny creek here, before it stops?

Phædrus guessed twentymiles.

Rigel smiled. In the olddays, you’d go forever, he said. It goes all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.People don’t know that any more. It goes behind the whole state of New Jersey.It used to connect to a canal that went over the mountains and down into theDelaware. They used to run coal through here on barges all the way fromPennsylvania. My great-grandfather was in that business. He had money investedin all sorts of enterprises around here. Did well at it, too.

So your family comesfrom around here, Phædrus said.