Even at that, I don't suppose I should have been surprised. * * * * *
Let me tell you about the Nest. Three of the sides are blankets, and the blankets roofing it
touch Pa's head. It's Pa who is the chief guardian of the fire, though. He shut
her up pretty fast. Sis let off a couple of silly squeals too. Even the flames cringed away from it as Pa
put it down close by the fire. Finally, at the
very top, there's a slick of liquid helium, which is funny stuff. * * * * *
I was busting to tell them all about what I'd seen, and so as soon as
I'd ducked out of my helmet and while I was still climbing out of my
suit, I cut loose. he asked when I
finished. Somehow that part embarrassed me. He wasn't just making up those ideas. Then, "I'll go out with you, and you
show it to me," he said. Pa made them. It's been watching us all this time, and now it's coming after
us. It'll get you and then come for me. Don't go, Harry!" "Sis," Pa said quietly, "come watch the fire. Keep an eye on the air,
too. But mind your hands. * * * * *
Pa led the way and I took hold of his belt. You see, it's this way. But there wasn't any light moving
around inside them now, or anywhere else. I could feel it, too. The old peace was gone. Nursed me and took care of the two
of you, too." * * * * *
"You know that game we sometimes play, sitting in a square in the Nest,
tossing a ball around? Courage is like a ball, son. * * * * *
It's hard to hide your feelings about such a thing. He didn't convince Ma and Sis any more than
he did me. He may be right. * * * * *
The dark star, as Pa went on telling it, rushed in pretty fast and
there wasn't much time to get ready. But then they found it wasn't going to hit either
side, but was going to come very close to the Earth. The Sun got a consolation prize, though. But it was
pretty terrible while it lasted. He says he was mostly
too busy to notice. I guess he's telling pretty much the truth when he says he didn't have
any time to keep an eye on how other folks behaved, either then or
in the Big Freeze that followed--followed very quick, you know, both
because the dark star was pulling us away very fast and because Earth's
rotation had been slowed in the tug-of-war, so that the nights were ten
old nights long. They're all still and stiff as statues, of course, but
just like life. * * * * *
Now, with Pa telling his story for the umpteenth time to take our minds
off another scare, I got to thinking of the frozen folk again. Or maybe, I thought, both ideas might be true. We were all sitting very still. Even the fire was burning silently. And then, from beyond the blankets, I thought I heard a tiny noise. The Earth is done. Why not give up, I asked myself--and all of a sudden
I got the answer." I couldn't breathe. I'd plan for the future, try to
enlarge and seal the Nest. But then the blanket actually did move and lift. * * * * *
In through the blanket stepped the beautiful young lady. These three
people had survived, and quite a few others with them. But if we were flabbergasted at them, they were double-flabbergasted at
us. One of the men kept saying, "But it's impossible, I tell you. It's simply
impossible." As for liquid oxygen, all you had to do was
go out and shovel the air blanket at the top _level_. * * * * *
By now, all five adults were talking like sixty. They weren't used to so much oxygen. I felt
pretty uncomfortable and disturbed myself, even about the young lady. * * * * *
Well, the strangers are gone, but they're coming back. I have a
hankering to see them for myself. You ask me, Pa wants to see them, too. He's been getting pretty
thoughtful, watching Ma and Sis perk up. "It's different, now that we know others are alive," he explains to me. "It's not going to be easy to leave the Nest," I said, wanting to cry,
kind of. "It's so small and there's just the four of us. "You'll quickly get over that feeling son," he said. I guess he's right.