The Once-ler was silent for another moment as he continued wheeling the chair forward. No one else knew the seed existed; even he could hardly believe it when he had found it. Not that he even had anyone to tell about his discovery back home.

But Soma had seen it, or at least glimpsed it. There wasn't a way to avoid the question without being harsh, and if this young woman thought of him as a friend, it didn't seem right to hold back.

[to here]