toward Kirk.
"_Eddie_," Loren said.
The claw came away. Kirk caught his breath.
"Shall we go?" Loren said, his eyes shining.
"Yes," Kirk said. "We'll go, Harry." He turned slowly, so that his backwas to Loren and the animal. He thought about the comb-like claws andthe scar on Loren's back. He thought about Loren's knife and about thepistol.
He wanted to look back as he walked. He wanted to talk, to hear Loren'sanswer and so know just where he was. More than anything he wanted tobreak into a run and get into that rocket and get out of here.
He could see the gleam of the rocket finally, but he didn't look backyet. He kept moving. As he got closer he could see Leo, standing nearthe base of the ship, tall, leaning carelessly against the silversurface, smoking. He wanted to shout to Leo, to tell him for God's saketo wake up and protect him.
They reached the edge of the clearing and Leo, whose careless body hadstiffened, waited motionless, one hand on his pistol. Kirk stopped."There it is, Harry," he said, not turning around. "There's the ship."He waited, half-closing his eyes, breathing slowly.
There was no sound.
"That's Leo, my friend, Harry," Kirk said, putting his palms flatagainst his thighs. "Your friend, Harry."
Leo, Kirk could see, was still frozen, his eyes slitted to narrowbrightness. Kirk began to step into the clearing. "Hello, there, Leo,"he said, his voice a tense, grating sound. "I've brought some friends."
Leo was lifting his pistol out of its holster, inchingly.
"_Friends_," Kirk rasped.
Leo's thin eyes flickered and the pistol slid back into the holster.
Kirk turned around slowly, and he saw that Loren had stopped just insidethe clearing. The animal remained beside him, its head making its slowcircles. Loren was staring up at the rocket and the sun reflecting fromthe bright surface, came down and shown on Loren's face, deepening thelines there.
"Leo," Kirk said slowly, "this is Harry Loren and his friend, Eddie.Harry's been here quite a while, waiting for us."
"Oh, yes?" said Leo, still not moving.
"That's right, Leo," Kirk said. "Quite a while. What year was it,Harry?" he said across the clearing. "What year did you crash?"
Loren blinked and there were tears again in his eyes. He reached outslowly, and the animal shifted so that its head touched Loren's hand."Twenty-four-nineteen."
Kirk put his teeth together. "Twenty-four-nineteen," he said.
Loren nodded slowly, his eyes still upon the rocket.
"Eighteen years," Leo said softly.
"A long time, Leo," Kirk said. He thought of a girl with her hairbraided about her head, looking up, while Loren had shot into the depthsof sky and space. He thought of a little boy called Dickie, standingthere, too, watching a fast-disappearing blackness in the sky. Hethought about eighteen years, and the fading of youth. A boy becoming aman. Braided hair becoming gray. Memories fading and minds adjusting.New love, new dedication. A world shifting, a universe shifting.
Kirk looked at Eddie, the animal, real and alive, waiting patiently atthe tips of Loren's fingers. "Eddie's been with Harry for a long time,"he said.
"Oh?" said Leo quietly.
Loren's hand stroked the brown and yellow head.
"Harry," Kirk said. "We're going to leave now. Are you ready?"
Loren was silent.
"You go up first, will you, Leo?" Kirk said.
Leo looked at him, a faint frown touching his brow, then he began movingup the ladder to the air lock. Kirk waited until Leo had disappearedinto the rocket, then he repeated, "We're going to leave now, Harry. Areyou ready?"
Loren remained motionless, his hand touching the animal's head. Suddenlyhe turned then and began moving slowly away through the brush, the brownand yellow creature bobbing beside him with queer rocker-like jumps.
"Goodby, Harry," Kirk said. Finally he turned and climbed up the ladder.When he had gotten into his seat, he said, "Let's go, Leo," and he movedhis hands to the controls.
* * * * *
The rocket settled into the quiet motion of its course through space.
"But I don't get it," Leo said. "I really don't. All that time, and thenall he has to do is walk a dozen yards and get into the rocket and he'sgoing home. That's all he would have to do."
"Why?" Kirk said.
"Why?" said Leo, frowning.
Kirk nodded, looking at the man. "Why?"
... THE END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _If: Worlds of Science Fiction_ March 1954. 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.
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends