“You are sick,” Romis said stiffly. “You need help.”
“I’ll loll you!”
“You cannot kill me. You are helpless.. ..”
Everything began to fade, shrink away, dim into darkness. There was nothing now but grayness, and Romis’ grave, uncompromising figure standing before him.
“You need Help. We will help you.”
Kanus could feel tears filling his eyes. “I am alone,” he whimpered. “Alone .. and afraid.”
His face a mixture of distaste and pity, Romis extended his hand. “We will help you. Come with me ”
Professor Leoh squinted at his wrist screen and saw hat it was four minutes before lift-off. The bright red sun of Acquatainia was near zenith. A warm breeze wafted across the spaceport.
“I hope he can get here before we leave,” Geri was saying to Hector. “We owe him … well, something.”
Hector started to nod, then noticed a trim little air car circling overhead. It banked smartly against the cloudpuffed sky and glided to a landing not far from the gleaming shuttle craft that stood before them. Down from its cockpit clambered the lithe figure of Odal.
Hector trotted out to meet him. The two men shook hands, both of them smiling.
“I never realized before,” Leoh said to the girl, “how much they resemble each other. They look almost like brothers.”
Odal was wearing his light-blue uniform again; Hector was in civilian tunic and shorts.
“I’m sorry to be so late,” Odal said to Geri as he came toward her. “I wanted to bring you a wedding present, and had to hunt all over Kerak for one of these….”
He handed Geri a small plastic box filled with earth. A single, thin bluish leaf had pushed up above the ground.