lines 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 out
slowly, 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 hair
braided about her head, looking up, while Loren had shot into the depths
of sky and space. He thought of a little boy called Dickie, standing
there, too, watching a fast-disappearing blackness in the sky. He
thought about eighteen years, and the fading of youth. A boy becoming a
man. 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 at
the 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 moving
up the ladder to the air lock. Kirk waited until Leo had disappeared
into the rocket, then he repeated, "We're going to leave now, Harry. Are
you ready?"

Loren remained motionless, his hand touching the animal's head. Suddenly
he turned then and began moving slowly away through the brush, the brown
and 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 moved
his 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 then
all he has to do is walk a dozen yards and get into the rocket and he's
going home. That's all he would have to do."

"Why?" Kirk said.

"Why?" said Leo, frowning.

Kir