"I want to help, too!"

"Please, Alice--"

He moved back to the bedroom. Bonnie was carefully examining each item
of apparel she packed in the big trunk. She didn't look up as he came
in.

"Bonnie," he said in a low voice, "are you going to leave me?"

She put down the dress she was holding and looked up at him. "Yes I'm
leaving you," she said. "You've got what you wanted--all you've ever
wanted." She looked out towards the fields, shimmering in the heat of
the day.

"That's not true, Bonnie. You know it isn't. I've always loved you and
needed you, and it's grown greater every hour we've been together."

"Then you'll have to prove it! Give up this hell-world you want us to
call home, and give us back our Earth. If you love me, you can prove
it."

"It's no test of love to make a man give up the goal that means his life
to him. You'd despise me forever if I let you do that to me. I'd rather
you went away from me now with the feeling you have at this time,
because I'd know I had your love--"

Bonnie remained still and unmoving in his arms, her face averted from
his. He put his hand to her chin and turned her face to him. "You do
love me, Bonnie? That hasn't changed, has it?"

She put her head against his chest and rocked from side to side as if in
some agony. "Oh, no--Mark! That will never change. Damn you, Ashby, damn
you--"

* * * * *

In the control room Ashby and Miller groaned aloud to each other, and a
technician looked at them questioningly, his hand on a switch. Ashby
shook his head and stared at the scene before him.

Jorden shook Bonnie gently in his arms. "Ashby?" he said. "Who's Ashby?"

Bonnie looked up, the blank despair on her face again. "I don't
remember--" she said haltingly. "Someone I used to--know--"

"It makes no difference," Jorden said. "What matters is that you love me
and you're going to stay with me. Let's put these things away now,
darling. I know how you've felt the past week, but we've got to put it
behind us and look forward to the future. Roddy would want it that way."

"There's no future to look forward to," said Bonnie dully. "Nothing here
on Serrengia. There's no meaning to any of us being here. I'm going back
to Earth."

"It does have a meaning! If I could only make you see it. If you could
only understand why I had to come--"

"Then tell me if you know! You've never tried to tell me. You live as if
you know something so deep and s