ing animal, Harry."

Loren's expression did not change.

Kirk paused. From the looks of the man, Loren had been here a long time,
a very long time. It had been a crash, probably. And all the years
afterward of loneliness, all the time for the quiet but sure warping of
the brain.

He raised a hand quickly, watching Loren's eyes. Loren did not change
expressions or move the pistol, but Kirk felt a comb-like claw touching
his hand, freezing it to motionless with its razor tips. Kirk looked at
the creature. The dark blue eyes were steady. Kirk lowered his hand
slowly and the claw was drawn away. The creature's head resumed it's
gentle swaying, and Loren's hand resumed its stroking.

Kirk licked his lips.

"Where have you been?" Loren said, his voice sudden and hoarse now.

"Where have I been?" Kirk said, tight and motionless.

"Why didn't you come before?"

Kirk considered it. The dancing lights in the man's eyes, the
high-strung sound of his voice were things to make you wary and careful.
Kirk closed his fingers the slightest bit. "I didn't know you were
here."

Loren's lips thinned. "Liar."

Kirk thought he might try a smile, to reassure Loren that he was telling
the truth. He decided against it. "How long have you been here, Harry?"

"How would I know?"

Kirk thought of the endless nights and days when time ran together and
there was no more separation of one time from another. Today would be
tomorrow and tomorrow would be today. No changes. Endless. "Did you
crash, Harry?"

"Did you crash, Harry?" Loren mimicked, and for a moment Kirk felt a
chill dancing through him as he watched the sarcastic leer of Loren's
mouth.

Kirk kept his tone polite, patronizing. "Was there anyone else?"

Loren laughed, a laugh that bounced over the rocks and through the
scrubs and bushes.

"Was there, Harry?"

"Oh, yes," Loren said, grinning and showing his yellow teeth. "Six. One,
two, three, four, five, six. Would you like to see their graves? I've
kept the graves pretty. I know where they are because I dug them."

Loren remained in a half crouch, the fingers of one hand holding the
pistol loosely, the other keeping up its monotonous stroking of the
animal. His eyes seemed to become vacant for a moment, as though lost in
the memory of the digging of six graves. Then they narrowed. "Where have
you been?"

Kirk tried to match his answer to the wants of the man. "I came as soon
as I could."

"You did?"

"Yes," Ki