Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

He took a long time to die. Then the recording began again:

“Calling the Interstellar Expeditionary Project. Don’t try to reply, III

never hear you…”

And all the Stars a Stage 91

Somebody, surely, should have turned it off. Many left the ward-room at

their second hearing of the woman’s voice; many more after the man died a

second time. But there was still a little knot of listeners around the

public-address speaker when, eight repetitions later, the Javelin crossed

smoothly over the light barrier and the broadcast slid downward sickeningly

into eternal silence.

And with this, Jorn realized in a gray mist of horror, their flight had

actually begun.

If Ertak bad thought that the reaction might include some form of violence,

he did not get it. The shock was too great for that. The response was more

than just the old depression come back full force; for not only did the

broadcast bring home to the Javelin’s people the full horror of what was

happening back home, but it was known to be the last message the Javelin

could receive from there … until the Ultimate Message of the explosion

itself. Thus with the gloom there came back guilt, tearing at the liver

like a bird of prey.

Not that anyone could sensibly believe himself responsibIe for the heat and

the smoke and the war and the insanity. Nevertheless, the fact that those

on the Javelin’were no longer there to share these things brought with it

a sense of responsibility which reason could not shake off. It was the

feeling of having gotten away with something, and hence accompanied, as