“Slow down! I don’t mean that. All I can afford is to have him shipped the way animals are always shipped in space ships…in sleep-freeze.”
Charlie’s mouth hung open. He managed to say, “But that’s — ”
“That’s dangerous. As near as I remember, it’s about fifty-fifty whether he wakes up at the other end. But if you want to risk it — well, perhaps it’s better than giving him away to strangers, and I’m sure you would prefer it to taking him down to the vet’s and having him put to sleep.”
Charlie did not answer. Nixie felt such a storm of conflicting emotions in Charlie that the dog violated dining room rules; he raised up and licked the boy’s hand.
Charlie grabbed the dog’s ear. “All right, Dad,” he said gruffly. “We’ll risk it — if that’s the only way Nixie and I can still be partners.”
Nixie did not enjoy the last few days before lcaving; they held too many changes. Any proper dog likes excitement, but home is for peace and quiet. Things should be orderly there — food and water always in the same place, newspapers to fetch at certain hours, milkmen to supervise at regular times, furniture all in its proper place. But during that week all was change — nothing on time, nothing in order. Strange men came into the house (always a matter for suspicion), and he, Nixie, was not even allowed to protest, much less give them the what-for they had coming.
He was assured by Charlie and Mrs. Vaughn that it was “all right” and he had to accept it, even though it obviously was not all right. His knowledge of English was accurate for a few dozen words but there was no way to explain to him that almost everything owned by the Vaughn family was being sold, or thrown away…nor would it have reassured him. Some things in life were permanent; he had never doubted that the Vaughn home was first among these certainties
By the night before they left, the rooms were bare except for beds. Nixie trotted around the house, sniffing places where familiar objects had been, asking his nose to tell him that his eyes deceived him, whining at the results. Even more upsetting than physical change was emotional change, a heady and not entirely happy excitement which he could feel in all three of his people.
There was a better time that evening, as Nixie was allowed to go to Scout meeting. Nixie always went on hikes and had formerly attended all meetings. But he now attended only outdoor meetings since an incident the previous winter — Nixie felt that too much fuss had been made about it…just some spilled cocoa and a few broken cups and anyhow it had been that cat’s fault.
But this meeting he was allowed to attend because it was Charlie’s last Scout meeting on Earth. Nixie was not aware of that but he greatly enjoyed the privilege, especially as the meeting was followed by a party at which Nixie became comfortably stuffed with hot dogs and pop. Scoutmaster McIntosh presented Charlie with a letter of withdrawal, certifying his status and merit badges and asking his admission into any troop on Venus. Nixie joined happily in the applause, trying to outbark the clapping.
Then the Scoutmaster said, ‘Okay, Rip.”
Rip was senior patrol leader. He got up and said, “Quiet, fellows. Hold it, you crazy savages! Charlie, I don’t have to tell #you that we’re all sorry to see you go…but we hope you have a swell time on Venus and now and then send a postcard to Troop Twenty-Eight and tell us about it — we’ll post ’em on the bulletin board. Anyhow, we wanted to get you a going-away present. But Mr. McIntosh pointed out that you were on a very strict weight allowance and practically anything would either cost you more to take with you than we had paid for it, or maybe you couldn’t take it at all, which wouldn’t be much of a present.
“But it finally occurred to us that we could do one thing. Nixie — ”
Nixie’s ears pricked. Charlie said softly, “Steady, boy.”