to get up, but couldn't make it. Quite agoing-over it must have been. Nothing seemed broken, but everything wasslightly bent.
"Satisfied now?" said a voice from somewhere. It was a pleasant sound tohear, a voice, and he let the mere noise of it soak into his mind. "Nowthat you've proved to everyone that you really are just an ape?"
He twisted his neck around--slowly, because his neck was stiff and sore.Laney was sitting on the edge of his bed with two suitcases next to her.
"It really wasn't necessary to run wild there," she said. "The Earthersall knew you were just an animal anyway. You didn't have to prove it soviolently."
"Okay, Laney. Quit it."
"If you want me to. I just wanted to make sure you knew what hadhappened. A gang of Earther cops brought you back a while ago and dumpedyou here. They told me the story."
"Leave me alone."
"You've been telling everyone that all along, Rolf. Look where it gotyou. A royal beating at the hands of a bunch of Earthers. Now thatthey've thrown you out for the last time, has it filtered into yourmind that this is where you belong?"
"In Spacertown?"
"Only between trips. You belong in space, Rolf. No surgeon can make youan Earther. The Earthers are dead, but they don't know it yet. All theirparties, their fancy clothes, their extra arms and missing ears--thatmeans they're decadent. They're finished. You're the one who's alive;the whole universe is waiting for you to go out and step on its neck.And instead you want to turn yourself into a green-skinned littlemonkey! Why?"
* * * * *
He pulled himself to a sitting position. "I don't know," he said. "I'vebeen all mixed up, I think." He felt his powerful arm. "I'm a Spacer."Suddenly he glanced at her. "What are the suitcases for?" he said.
"I'm moving in," Laney said. "I need a place to sleep."
"What's the matter with Kanaday? Did he get tired of listening to youpreaching? He's my friend, Laney; I'm not going to do him dirt."
"He's dead, Rolf. When the Earther cops came here to bring you back, andhe saw what they did to you, his hatred overflowed. He always hatedEarthers, and he hated them even more for the way you were beingtricked into thinking they were worth anything. He got hold of one ofthose cops and just about twisted him into two pieces. They blastedhim."
Rolf was silent. He let his head sink down on his knees.
"So I moved down here. It's lonely upstairs now. Come on; I'll help youget up."
She walked toward him, hooked her hand under his arm, and half-dragged,half-pushed him to his feet. Her touch was firm, and there was nodenying the strength behind her.
"I have to get fixed up," he said abruptly. "My leave's up in two days.I have to get out of here. We're shipping for Pluto."
* * * * *
He rocked unsteadily on his feet. "It'll really get lonely here then,"he said.
"Are you really going to go? Or are you going to find some jack-surgeonwho'll make your face pretty for a few dirty credits?"
"Stop it. I mean it. I'm going. I'll be gone a year on this signup. Bythen I'll have enough cash piled up on various planets to be a rich man.I'll get it all together and get a mansion on Venus, and have Greenieslaves."
It was getting toward noon. The sun, high in the sky, burst through theshutters and lit up the dingy room.
"I'll stay here," Laney said. "You're going to Pluto?"
He nodded.
"Kanaday was supposed to be going to Pluto. He was heading there whenthat explosion finished his foot. He never got there after that."
"Poor old Kanaday," Rolf said.
"I'll miss him too. I guess I'll have to run the boarding-house now. Fora while. Will you come back here when your year's up?"
"I suppose so," Rolf said without looking up. "This town is no worsethan any of the other Spacertowns. No better, but no worse." He slowlylifted his head and looked at her as she stood there facing him.
"I hope you come back," she said.
The sun was coming in from behind her, now, and lighting her up. She wasrugged, all right, and strong: a good hard worker. And she was wellbuilt. Suddenly his aches became less painful, as he looked at her andrealized that she was infinitely more beautiful than the slick,glossy-looking girl he had kissed on the veranda, who had bought herteeth at a store and had gotten her figure from a surgeon. Laney, atleast, was real.
"You know," he said at last, "I think I have an idea. You wait here andI'll come get you when my year's up. I'll have enough to pay passage toVenus for two. We can get a slightly smaller mansion than I planned ongetting. But we can get it. Some parts of Venus are beautiful. And theclosest those monkeys from Yawk can get to it is to look at it in thenight sky. You think it's a good idea?"
"I think it's a great idea," she said, moving toward him. Her head wasnearly as high as his own.
"I'll go back to space. I have to, to keep my rating. But you'll waitfor me, won't you?"
"I'll wait."
And as he drew her close, he knew she meant it.
THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _Amazing Stories_ December 1957. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
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