diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/65032-0.txt | 1579 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/65032-0.zip | bin | 23353 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/65032-h.zip | bin | 1091709 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/65032-h/65032-h.htm | 1781 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/65032-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 905735 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/65032-h/images/illus.jpg | bin | 161459 -> 0 bytes |
9 files changed, 17 insertions, 3360 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0cda29e --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65032 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65032) diff --git a/old/65032-0.txt b/old/65032-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7802c45..0000000 --- a/old/65032-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1579 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wind in Her Hair, by Kris Neville - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Wind in Her Hair - -Author: Kris Neville - -Release Date: April 08, 2021 [eBook #65032] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WIND IN HER HAIR *** - - - - - WIND IN HER HAIR - - By Kris Neville - - To Marte and Johnny Nine the space ship was - their world. And yet they dreamed of returning - home to Earth ... a planet they had never seen. - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy - October 1950 - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -"Marte!" - -His voice echoed hollowly, dying away to an eerie whisper, fainter and -fainter. - -"Marte!" - -It was very silent here on the last level below the giant atomic motors. - -The feeble light showered down from a single overhead bulb; it was -their special bulb. Marte always lit it when she came below. - -"Marte!" His voice was almost pleading. - -"Here I am, Johnny. Over here." - -"Little imp," he said, not unkindly. "What do you mean, hiding?" - -"Hiding, Johnny? I wasn't hiding.... And besides, you looked so funny -and lost, standing there, calling me." - -He saw her, now, sitting half in shadow, leaning against the far -bulkhead. - -His feet ping-pinged on the uncarpeted deck plates as he crossed to her. - -"Hello," she said brightly. She threw back her head, and her eyes -caught the dim light and sparkled it. "I hoped you'd come today." -Smiling, she held out her hand. - -He took it. "I really shouldn't have," he said. - -"Oh?" She puckered her lips in mock anger and drew him down beside -her. "Didn't you _want_ to come?" - -"You know I did." - -"Then why?" - -"They might need me in Control," he said, half seriously. - -Marte's eyes opened an involuntary fraction. "Nothing's wrong, is -there?" Her lips had lost their sudden, native smile, and the smile in -her eyes half fled. - -"No. Everything's fine.... I just meant in case...." - -"Oh, Johnny, don't say it; please." Her eyes spoke with her voice, -emotions bubbled in them. Her face had something of a woman's -seriousness in it, the product more of native understanding than -experience, and much of a girl's naivete. "Don't even _think_ about -anything like that." She looked up at him, studied his face intently, -and then said, "Tell me that: Say nothing's going to go wrong." - -"I was just talking, Marte. Nothing can go wrong; not now." - -"Say it again!" - -"Nothing is going to go wrong," he said slowly, giving each word its -full meaning. - -"Do you really--really and _truly_--believe that?" she asked. - -"Of course I do, Marte." - -The girl smiled. "I do too--only--" The smile faded. Her eyes focused -on some distant place, beyond the last level, beyond the Ship itself. -"Only sometimes I'm afraid it's too good to happen.... That I'm -dreaming, and that all at once I'll wake up, and--" She shook her head. -"But that's silly, isn't it, Johnny?" - -"Yes," he said. He settled back and rested against the bulkhead. - - * * * * * - -There was silence for a while, two young people, hand in hand, sitting -in silence. - -Finally, Marte spoke. - -"Here," she said, "feel." She pressed his hand against the bulkhead. -"See how cool it is?" - -"Of course. It's the outside plate." - -"Yes," she said, "I know. There's nothing but space out there." She -squeezed his hand. "But just a little while ago, before you came, I was -sitting here thinking. And I thought that wind must feel like that. I -mean, not how it _feels_, exactly, but how it makes _you_ feel. Wild -and free. Without any bulkheads to keep you from walking and walking." - -He shook his head. "Little dreamer," he whispered. - -She frowned prettily. "Don't you feel it, too?" - -Johnny Nine pressed his hand to the bulkhead again. "Yes, I guess maybe -I do. In a way." - -"Of course you do! You've just got to. You can't _help_ it! Put your -cheek close against the bulkhead and you can almost feel the wind -blowing on your face. I can. And if I try hard enough, I can almost -smell the fields of flowers all in bloom and hear birds singing, like -they were singing from far away.... And I can--" - -"You've been reading again," he interrupted with a smile. - -"Uh-huh," she said dreamily. "I have.... And when I finished, I came -down here, and I thought about it, and I hoped you'd come so we could -talk. It was poetry; it was--beautiful.... - -"You know, Johnny, I'd like to write poetry. If I had the sky and the -birds and the rivers and the mountains all to write about." - -After a moment, Johnny Nine said, "Go ahead, tell me what the poems -were about." - -[Illustration: They envisioned themselves running hand in hand, with -the wind whispering gently....] - -"Well...." She drew out the word slowly. "It's not what they were -about, exactly. It's what they said, not out loud, but down deep. It's -like getting a present that means an awful lot to you; it's not the -present, but the way it makes your nose tickle and your stomach feel." -She smiled wistfully. - -"They were all written a long time ago, even before the First -Generation, by men back on Earth, but they seemed to be written just -for us.... One was about a bird, and how it made the poet feel to watch -it fly and hear it sing; it made him feel all warm inside.... And one -was about a young girl who worked in the fields, reaping grain...." -That image seemed to reverberate in her mind, for she was quiet a -moment, as if to listen for the fading echoes. - -"I think that would be the most wonderful thing. To help things grow, -with your own two hands, and to harvest them when they're ripe and -waiting, not 'ponics, like Sam, but really growing out of the Earth." - -"Someday," he said softly, "you're going to write the kind of poetry -they wrote." - -Marte looked down at her hands. - -"I want to do so many things.... Maybe help things grow, most of -all.... I think there must be a sort of poetry in that, too. - -"Johnny?" - -"Yes?" - -"Do you think we could get a farm? It wouldn't have to be a very big -one; just a little farm, where we could raise things?" - -"If you want it, Marte." - -"Oh, I do. I _do_!" Her voice carried the lilt of youth in it. - - * * * * * - -The silences that frequently spiced their conversation had no -embarrassed elements in them; they said as much as words, and they came -mutually. - -"Some of it was sad. The poetry. I mean, the deep kind of sadness, -the real sadness, the kind that has--hopelessness, and lostness, and -aloneness in it. - - "_Here he lies where he longed to be._ - _Home is the sailor, home from the sea,_ - _And the hunter home from the hill._" - -She caught her breath, sharply. "That kind of sadness. The kind that -says something about us. How we've dreamed and planned of going Home--" - -She let her voice drift. - -"I sometimes think Earth is such a beautiful place that you have to be -dead to go there." - -Johnny Nine said nothing. - -"Think of the wide sky, Johnny. Where we can see the sunrise. I've -always dreamed about seeing a sunrise. - -"A sun. That's a funny word to say; it just _sounds_ warm. Sun. A sun -that is like those little points of light, way beyond the bulkheads. -When we see them from Observation, they look all cold. Imagine how it -would be to be so close to one of them that it's big and warm.... - -"Johnny, do you think anything could be as pretty as those pictures, -in Compartment Seven, of a blue and gold sunrise?" - -"Even prettier." - -"Say it again!" - -"Even prettier." - -"I'll stay up, then, all the first night. I know I will. Just to see -the sun come up." - -She drew in her legs and clasped her arms around them. - -"Tell me again what They said." - -Johnny Nine did not answer immediately. He sat motionless, trying to -make out the bulkhead that marked the other side of the Ship. But their -feeble light could not penetrate so much darkness. It almost seemed as -if there were no other bulkhead and no Ship, only darkness, there, that -spread out to the ends of the Universe. - -Finally he spoke. "It was awful hard to hear them; we're too far away. -As near as we could understand, they're having a celebration for us. -Hundreds and hundreds of people will be there. All to see us." - -"Hundreds ... and ... hundreds. Hundreds and hundreds!" She turned her -face to his. "It seems hard to believe, doesn't it? All those people!" - -"Maybe even more than that, Marte." - -"Johnny?" She ducked her head and pulled her legs in tighter. "Johnny?" - -"Yes?" - -"We can have babies, can't we?" She asked it in a rush. - -"... Yes. We can have babies. As many as we want." - -She wrinkled her nose. "... It seems funny, to be able to have all the -babies you want. Not one every time somebody dies: but all you want!" - -She smiled at some secret communication with herself. "I think we'll -have a dozen.... - -"Imagine, Johnny. We can have babies that will have a real childhood. -Not like ours, in the Ship, but one on Earth. They can play in the wind -and in the sunshine. - -"And learn things. All kinds of things. They won't be born into one -particular job. They can do anything they want to--anything in the -whole wide world. And they can live in the air." She blinked her eyes. - -"It makes me so glad I want to cry." - - * * * * * - -The Big Ship, the balanced terrarium of fifty lives, swung downward in -her path, rushing toward her parent sun, the first interstellar voyager -coming home. - -Home. After twenty-one generations had peopled her vast bulk, after -four hundred long years in space. - -The radio in Control crackled and sputtered; the nearly seven hour wait -was over. The Captain, the Mate, and Johnny Nine, the pilot, listened -intently. - -The language had changed, and the voice that came out of the speaker -was reedy, and thin with vast distances. - -"Halloo.... Hallooo...." Like a cosmic sigh. Weird. "Yur message...." -They could make out the words; the vowels were shorter, the consonants -more sibilant, but they could make out the words. "... Repeat ... -pilot...." The voice rose and fell, rose and fell. Static hacked away -inside the speaker, split sentences, scattered words. - -"... World waiting eagerly for...." Hiss and sputter. "In answer.... -Repeat.... pilot inside Mar's orbit.... Repeat ... pilot...." - -Johnny Nine bent forward. "I guess he means we'll get a pilot ship -inside the orbit of Mars. They'll probably set us around Earth. We've -got too much bulk to land." - -"They'll probably ferry us down in one of their best ships," the -Mate said; there was a weariness and an undefined, non-directional -bitterness in his voice. A germ of thought lay buried beneath the -words, a half-formed memory concept: Ferry us down like they ferried -our ancestors up--four hundred years ago--to the Leviathan--built in -space--too big ever to land. - -The voice from Earth sighed out of the speaker; only the sputter of -static remained. Earth was awaiting, now, the reply. - -The Mate snapped off the speaker. The new silence was stark, as if -something other than sound had been withdrawn. - -The Captain rubbed the back of his left hand with the palm of his right. - -None of them could quite find words for their thoughts. - -It was the Captain, finally, who spoke. - -"I guess--there isn't much to tell them, is there?" - -The Captain turned his swivel chair until it faced the broad -Observation window; through it he could see out into the inconceivable -depths of star-clustered space. - -"I've been thinking," he mused, half to himself. "Thinking a lot, -lately." He rubbed his forehead. "About the Ship ... I've lived here a -long time--my whole life. That's a long time. I was wondering how it -would seem not to live here anymore." - -He put his elbows on his knees and twined his hands before his -face. "Not for you, Johnny. For you and Marte, and the rest of the -Twenty-first Generation, that's different. I mean for us old timers. -When you're twenty, there's a new world ahead; when you're fifty--it's -not ahead any more. How will it seem to us?" - -The Captain shook his head slowly. "It'll sure seem funny to give this -up. This room here, where I've worked all these years. This view--" - -He waved his hand toward the Observation window. - -"This view clear into Infinity." - -Johnny Nine crossed the room and stood before the window. He gazed into -space. Without turning, he began to talk. There was no excitement in -his voice, only calm certainty. - -"Think, Captain: think of other things. Think of trees and running -water and blue sky. Think of green grass, real green grass, acres and -acres of it, swaying in the wind. Think of that." - -The Captain smiled. "Ah, youth, Johnny.... If it had been forty years -ago--or thirty--or even ten.... But now...." He shrugged. "We're old -and set in our ways. We think of rest and of the familiar." - -Johnny Nine still did not turn. "Imagine sitting on a chair, on a -porch, facing out to the woods, across a field of corn. Imagine the -neighborhood kids gathering about you, and you telling them how you -were on the Interstellar Flight. How you came back from the stars." - -"Perhaps, Johnny, perhaps.... Perhaps...." - -The Mate jammed full power into the heavy transmitter. "I hope -these tubes hold," he said matter-of-factly. "I couldn't find the -replacements." - -The Captain came back from his thoughts. "Did you make a check of the -Parts Index?" he asked. - -"Sure. They're supposed to be in Compartment Four. Couldn't find them -there. Some crazy fool probably made baby rattles out of them a hundred -and fifty years ago." - -"I'll send someone to see if you overlooked them. You want to go, -Johnny?" - -"I'll look, sure. Compartment Four, Skippy?" - -"Supposed to be." - -The Mate turned back to the radio. "Hello, Earth.... Hello, Earth.... -Hello, Earth.... This is Interstellar Flight One.... Interstellar -Flight One, inside Pluto.... Hello, Earth, this is--" - -Johnny Nine closed the door behind him and left the cramped room. - - * * * * * - -In Compartment Four Johnny Nine switched on the lights; the large -center bulb flared blue and the filaments fused. That left the -compartment in gloom. - -Slowly the Ship was growing old. It no longer functioned as smoothly -as before; its spare parts stock was running low. Bulbs were rationed -and three whole levels were in continual darkness. The long night was -creeping in, as if the jet of space was slowly digesting the interloper. - -"Sit down, Johnny. Old Sam wants to talk to you." - -Johnny Nine dropped his hand from the switch and turned. "Oh? Oh, -Sam.... Where did you come from?" - -"I seen you coming down, so I followed you. I wanted to talk to you -alone. And when I seen you comin' down here, I said, 'Now, Sam, here's -your chance to talk to Johnny.'" - -"Yes, Sam?" - -"Go ahead, Johnny, sit down." - -Johnny Nine crossed to a crate that still contained parts for the -atomic motor and sat down. "All right, Sam. Go ahead." - -Sam shuffled his feet. "I don't know how to start, hardly. Look, -Johnny. Tell me something. True. You will, won't you?" - -"Yes, Sam, I will. You know that." - -"Sure, I know you will. Why, don't I remember when you was just a -little tyke, how you used to come down to the gardens and watch old -Sam? And I said, then, that if ever there's a boy that gives you a -straight answer, that's Johnny Nine. - -"I remember you sayin', once, 'Sam,' you said, 'you've to one blue eye -and one brown.'" Sam smiled. "Right out you said it. An' you know, -that's right. I have. Nobody else would have told me so, because they -were afraid of hurting my feelings. But why should I mind that I've got -one blue eye and one brown one? Funny, how other folks think you mind, -when really you don't.... - -"Look, Johnny. About the gardens. I'm getting old--uh-uh, don't say it: -I am and you know I am. Lately, folks have been comin' around helpin' -me out. They let on that they're just there lookin', but they help me, -and I know it. Is it because I'm gettin' old, Johnny?" - -"Sam, you're like the Captain. Good for another twenty years." - -"Now, Johnny, answer old Sam straight." - -Johnny Nine hesitated. "Well," he admitted, "you aren't as young as -some of us, Sam. But that doesn't mean you're old. I mean, really old." -Johnny Nine turned his head so Sam could not see his face. - -Sam cleared his throat. "Look, Johnny!" He held out a tiny bottle. - -Johnny Nine glanced around. "Where did you get that?" he demanded -angrily when he saw the bottle. - -"That's all right. Old Sam's got ways. An' he'll be takin' it any day -now. You just say the word, Johnny." - -"Did somebody give that to you?" Johnny Nine demanded sharply. - -"No. Nobody gave it to me. Old Sam's had this bottle for years. Just -waitin', Johnny. Just waitin'. For somebody to say the word." - -"Give it to me!" - -Sam snatched back the bottle. "No!" His weak old eyes showed traces of -fire. "No. Old Sam's--" - -"Sam," Johnny Nine said gently, "we're almost Home, Sam, almost _Home_." - -Sam laughed bitterly. He shook his head. "No, Johnny. Can't fool old -Sam. 'Course folks _say_ we are. But I _know_. Old Sam knows. I'll be -drinkin' this any day now." - -"Sam, listen. In four--" He bit his tongue before he could say -'months'. That superstition. "In a little while, we'll be Home. It's -true, Sam, I wouldn't lie." - -Sam's eyes brightened. "You ain't foolin' me?" - -"No, Sam." - - * * * * * - -Sam seemed to relax. "Home," he said. "You know, Johnny, lately I've -been dreamin' of Home. Now you say we're almost there.... You know, -I remember, when old John Turner--I guess you don't remember old -John--before your time--when old John, well, he told Molly Dawn (she -was his partner), he said, 'Molly, it sure looks like the only way _we_ -can get Home is live as long an' as useful a life as Sam. Because Sam -is just too stubborn to grow old like the rest of us.' Yes, sir, that's -just what he said: 'Old Sam is too downright stubborn to grow old like -the rest of us.'" - -Sam slapped his knee. "Now don't that beat all? 'Too stubborn,' he -says." - -Sam leaned back against a row of crates. His eyes glistened in the -light. Then the excitement died from them. - -"No, Johnny. It don't seem right for me to go on livin' when people -come down to 'ponics every day to do my work. It _ain't_ right, Johnny." - -"But Sam--" - -"Oh. I know. You tell me we're almost Home. But Johnny," Sam leaned -forward, "there ain't no Home. It's just a story they tell you when -you're little.... Or maybe when you're old, like me. There ain't -nothing but this here Ship and--" - -"Sam, listen--" - -"But me no buts, Johnny. Old Sam knows. Yes, sir, he's been around too -long. You're all trying to fool him, but you're not." He paused for -breath. "I _know_, Johnny. That's why I got this here bottle. You don't -need to hint around, trying to make it easy. You just speak up. Old Sam -can do what's got to be done." - -Johnny Nine stood up. - -"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take that bottle, Sam." - -"No, Johnny." - -"Give it to me!" - -Johnny Nine took the bottle and smashed it against the deck plates. - -"We'll never need one of those again. Where we're going there's no -tolerance factor. A man doesn't have to die just because he can't do -all the work he once could. Earth is such a big terrarium that a man -can just keep on living." - -"Johnny, old Sam's confused. He's all mixed up." One lone tear ran down -his cheek. - -"You go to your cabin and get some rest. You'll never need a bottle. -Understand that, Sam? You'll never need a bottle." - -"Then you weren't foolin' me? We're really goin' Home? Somebody said we -were, and I thought we were, and then I thought you were all foolin' me -and then-- - -"I guess I better had, Johnny. Old Sam's tired. Old Sam's awful tired." - -He limped out of the compartment. - -Johnny Nine watched his back until it disappeared down the companionway -ladder to the passenger quarters. The rest of the passengers had been -doing Sam's work for nearly three years now. But it didn't matter. -They were so near Home that it didn't matter. They no longer needed to -produce a balance for a new generation; it was journey's end. - -Johnny Nine began to rummage through the supplies, extra parts for all -sorts of fancied emergencies that never occurred, and no parts, of -course, for those that did, over the long, four hundred years of the -trip. - -Johnny Nine finally found the radio spares. Mislaid behind a mass of -junk that once had been air control gauges. One of the First Generation -had smashed the gauges when he went mad. But the Ship had been lucky. -It had survived without them. - - * * * * * - -"Hello, Johnny. The Captain said you were--oh! Johnny?" - -Johnny Nine looked up; he smiled. He slipped out of the headset. "'Lo, -Marte. They're broadcasting music to us. Want to listen?" He held out -the headset. "It sounds better over these than over the speaker." - -She crossed to him, in lithe, swaying youth movements, and took the -headset. She fitted it over her hair and began to listen. - -At first her face was expressionless. After a while, her mouth formed a -little "o" and her eyes widened; she stood for a long time listening, -making no sound. - -Finally, she removed the headset and laid it on the table. She seemed -vaguely puzzled. - -"It's awful funny music, isn't it, Johnny? Not at all like ours.... - -"But then I guess they'd think our songs--" - -She began to hum the tune of _Long Night_. Then she sang softly: - - "_It's a long night,_ - _A dark night,_ - _Before the day._ - _It's a long night before the long day,_ - _And we're going Home:_ - _Yes_ - _We're going Home!_" - -She stopped. - -"I guess they'll think that's funny, Johnny. Let's not sing it for -them, ever. If somebody would laugh at that, it would hurt me, down -inside. Let's never sing it again." - -"All right, Marte," Johnny Nine said. - -After a moment, he stood up. "You didn't come here with the rest." - -"No ... I wanted to wait. I hoped maybe I could look at it while you -were here. Just you and me." - -He crossed to the Observation window. "It's just the little 'scope.... -But here, I'll--" - -He peered into the eyepiece and adjusted the knobs. "There.... Ah.... -That does it. There, Marte." - -He stood aside. - -She bent over the telescope. The silence drew out and out, almost -breath-held. - -"It's.... It's.... Johnny, I feel like it was ours. Just yours and -mine. Isn't it beautiful, all hazy blue?" - -"Can you see the continents?" - -"Yes.... Yes, I think I can. Not very well. Just dark patches." - -She looked up. "It looks so little, Johnny, like a little ball. So -little that if I had a chain, I could put it on it and then wear the -chain around my neck." - -Johnny Nine laughed gently. "But it's really big, Marte. Bigger than -the Ship. A hundred times that big, a thousand--" - -"A million!" - -"Yes, maybe even that. It doesn't seem possible, does it?" - -"Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, I'm so happy!" She looked into the eyepiece -again. "I'll never forget this, not as long as I live. That little tiny -ball and the Sun. I think I feel something like God must have felt when -he _made_ it." - -"If you were to look hard enough, Marte, you could almost see our -little farm down there--" - -"Our farm.... Say it again, Johnny." - -"Our farm," he said. - - * * * * * - -The Ship drew nearer and nearer. The balanced terrarium pointed Home, -rushing faster than the wind, faster than sound, faster-- - -The Captain sat at his desk. For the past hour he had been drawing -strange designs, contorted in helical animation, on a pad of yellow -paper. Occasionally, he paused to stare out of the Observation window, -lost in thought. - -Absently, he let the pencil drop to the deck; the sound it made spun -away his reverie. He bent and retrieved the pencil. - -"Skippy?" - -The Mate looked up from a book. "Yes?" - -The Captain chuckled. "I've been thinking about what Johnny said a -while back." - -The Mate waited. - -"You see that star, out there, Skippy? The bright one, there on the -left of the field? I've been watching her for years. Even thought up a -name for her. Mary Anne. It almost seems that if I could say something, -in just the right way, she could understand and answer me." - -The Mate closed the book and placed it on the table. When the two of -them were alone, they sometimes talked of things that only friends can -talk of. He maintained an encouraging silence. - -"I've been thinking, too," the Captain continued, "that when I get to -Earth, I can still see Mary Anne. If I know where to look, she'll be -there, just the same as always.... - -"There was old Grandfather John Turner (you remember how he used to -cuss the filters?) Remember how he talked of going Home. 'I won't live -to see it,' he would say. 'I won't be here then,' he would say. But -when he talked about it, it didn't seem to matter.... - -"It was the dream that mattered. A dream of everything that's -wonderful. It meant peace and beauty and rest. It meant something too -wonderful ever to happen.... For him, it was just a dream. - -"Now that we can practically touch it, and see it, and feel it, I find -it a rather frightening thing. It makes me feel cold inside; it makes -my mouth get dry; it makes my hair prickle. - -"Funny, how it gets me." - -"I know what you mean," the Mate said. - -"Maybe I've been afraid all along to admit that I wanted to go Home; -afraid that somehow wanting something so much like a dream would keep -me from ever getting it. - -"But now that we're almost there, I've changed. Remember what Johnny -said, 'How would you like to sit on a porch and tell the kids how you -came back from the stars?'" - -The Mate nodded and smiled. "It kinda got me too." - -The Captain looked at the icy points of light again, set against the -ebon of eternal night. "It does get you.... - -"On Earth, Mary Anne will sparkle. I guess everything sparkles there. -Stars sparkle; water sparkles in the sunlight; the air sparkles; life -sparkles." - -He stood up and turned his back on the window. - -"You know, once I get my feet down there, I'm going to see that they -stay. I'm never going to take them off. Not even so much as a single -mile. I'm going to get me a bushel basket, and I'm going to fill it -with Earth, and when I go to bed, I'm going to have it right there -beside me, so I can reach out with my hands, anytime in the night, and -feel it." - -"For a long time, Ed, I was scared, like you were, that something would -happen. But now we're so near, I don't know.... I was afraid that maybe -things had changed; that there wouldn't be any people. That maybe--I -guess I always see the dark side, don't I?" - -The Captain said, "Maybe there's some good in that. But this time I'm -going to sound a little like Johnny. Things may have changed, Skippy. -From what we've read about. We've got to expect that. But it can't be -too different. We can adjust. Man can always adjust." - -He turned again to the window. - -"And there's always Earth herself. You can look through the 'scope and -see her out there, just like she's been for a billion years. Home. -That hasn't changed. The air of Home; the water of Home. That doesn't -change." - -"I guess you're right, Ed," the Mate agreed. "That can't change." - - * * * * * - -He found her down below the motors on the last level. Their light was -burning dimly. - -She had been crying. - -Johnny Nine stood watching her for a long time. Finally he said, "I'm -sorry, Marte." - -She looked up. Her face was tear-cast, and her eyes were red. "It's.... -It's...." Her voice caught in a sob. "Oh, Johnny, why? _Why_, Johnny?" - -Johnny Nine had no answer to that question. - -"Why did he have to do it--just when we were almost Home?" She began to -cry again. - -He sat down beside her, drew her head over on his shoulder. - -"We've all got to die sometime. You, me ... Sam." - -"But not now, Johnny. Not _now_!" - -He let out his breath in a long sigh. "I know. I--I liked Sam. He was -always good to me, always ready to stop work and explain things to me. -But he was old, Marte, so awful old." - -"But not to see Home, when you're almost there.... He looked through -the 'scope, but his eyes were bad and he couldn't see it. And he -thought we were all fooling him.... But Johnny, he'd _had_ to believe, -once he got his feet down on Earth, once the wind was all around him. -Even if he was old. He'd _had to_ believe, then." - -"I know, Marte." - -There was silence for a moment. - -"You know what they say. 'When you die, you go to Earth'. Maybe Sam's -already there. Ahead of us. Somehow." - -"He used to tell me--me--me--" She choked up; she let out her breath -unevenly. "When I was little and went down to look at the gardens, he -used to tell me how he--" - -"Don't, Marte. Try not to think of it." - -"All right, Johnny. I won't. I'll try not to think of it. But Johnny--" - -"Now, now, that's enough." - -For fully five minutes neither of them spoke. - -Then Marte asked, in a small voice, "Johnny?" - -"Yes." - -"I wonder how he got the bottle." - -"Please, Marte...." - -"I _know_, Johnny. But that way. It was so cruel. If he'd just waited." -She looked at Johnny Nine. - -"Johnny?" - -He was staring at his sandals. - -"Johnny?" - -"Yes?" - -"We aren't--aren't going to reconvert him, are we? Not now?" - -"No, Marte." Johnny Nine took a deep breath. "Not now. We're going to -take him with us, and bury him, really bury him. Put the Earth over -him. He'd like that, Marte. Not in the reconverter, but in the cool -Earth, the Earth of Home." - -"Yes," she said very softly, "he'd like that." - - * * * * * - -Closer and closer. The Ship was well inside Jupiter, skyrocketing to -her rendezvous with the pilot ship. The radio lapse was less than -thirty minutes now. - -The Captain turned from the speaker. "You heard it, Johnny. What can we -tell them?" - -Earth wanted press comments. _Tell us about the trip!_ - -The Mate stood up. - -Johnny Nine shuffled his feet. There was an awkward silence. - -The History of the Ship. Which of them would dare attempt that? - -The life of twenty-one generations; the death of nineteen; the dream of -Earth.... - -Their little, circumscribed hopes and fears. The little things out of -the night drench of a thousand lives. How well they lived together, the -mutual respect and the mutual affection.... - -The little things whose total is life. - -Or the big things. - -Like the Great Sickness, during the Second Generation. It had almost -finished the Ship. - -The little things and the big, all rolled into an emotion that meant -the Ship. That _was_ the Ship.... - -The History of the Ship. Who could tell that? Who? - -The Captain walked to the transmitter. He picked up the microphone and -switched the "send" lever over. - -"Hello, Earth.... Hello, Earth.... Interstellar Flight One.... -Interstellar Flight One.... For your press.... Repeat.... For your -press...." - -There was only one thing to say: "We're coming Home!" - -That single sentence crackled its way across the vastness of space. - - * * * * * - -The Ship sped on. Its forty-nine people worked and slept and played, as -their fathers before them, and _their_ fathers before that. But their -hearts were glad with a new gladness. - -"We're inside Mars!" - -Johnny Nine settled back in the pilot seat, aft in the Ship, above the -tubes. - -"We're inside Mars!" - -No one heard him. He was alone in the cramped pilot quarters. - -He threw in the forward jets, unused for almost two hundred years, cut -in the forward jets to break their fall. Prayed. - -The great Ship trembled. - -Johnny Nine's hands skipped, in carefully trained movement, over a -bewildering array of firing studs. His eyes seemed to dart everywhere, -checking the banks of dials. The tempo increased. For ten years he had -trained for this job; he knew it well. - -Then the Ship began to turn. Slowly, lazily, its nose spewing fire. - -It took two hours, and by then, Johnny Nine was exhausted. But it was -done. His job was done. He had set the Ship safely in an orbit around -the Sun, between Mars and Earth. - -He left the tiny pilot cabin. - -They would be waiting for him, forward. He wanted to run along the long -companionway. He forced himself to walk. His heart was hammering with -a mounting tempo. - - * * * * * - -They were all assembled in the play-area, the only large open space in -the whole Ship. Johnny Nine came out onto the platform above it. His -hands gripped the guard rail tightly. - -He looked down at the passengers below him, saw their white upturned -faces, strained, tense. Saw Marte, holding her breath. - -"You felt the jets," he said, and his voice carried clear. "That means -we're in an orbit around the Sun. Our own Sun. Just like a planet." - -There were no cheers. His announcement was greeted only by the low hum -of voices, breaking like wind in pines, a sigh of relief. - -Then there was a stunned silence, when, for a moment, no one knew quite -what to do with himself. - -After that, they began to mill around, each going to his neighbor and -repeating the news again. - -"Well, we're Home." - -"Yes, we're Home." - - * * * * * - -The Ship drifted in its orbit, now, like a planet, like a very small -planet, the balanced terrarium. - -"Listen," the Mate said. "I've got him!" - -He took off the headset and switched open the speaker. - -"Interstellar Flight One...." - -The voice sounded strong and clear and near. - -The Mate spoke into the microphone. - -And then they waited, their eyes on the huge sweep hand of the clock. - -One second, two, three-- - -Four-- - -Five.... - -"Flight One. Read you fine. Expect to make approach within an hour. Has -yur Ship a carrier magnet plate for coupling?" - -The Captain frowned. "Tell him no." - -"Hello, pilot ship. No magnet plate, repeat, no magnet plate." - -"... All right, Flight One. Has yur Ship serviceable suits?" - -The Captain said, "Better check them, Johnny." - -Johnny Nine left at a run to test the space suits. - -It took him almost half an hour. When he came back, he was breathless. - -"They tested, Captain!" - -The Mate threw the sending switch. - -"Pilot ship. Have suits. Repeat. Have suits." - -"Look!" Johnny Nine cried. He was pointing to the Observation window. -"See it, that little light. It's their ship!" - -The three men looked. - -They could see a moving finger of fire, like a tiny comet, except that -its tail thrust sunward. - -"Have located yur Ship, Flight One. We are making ready for the -approach." - -The radio was silent a moment. Then: - -"We have a request." - -"Yes?" the Mate said into the microphone. - -"... We have full transmission equipment on our ship for a world -program. Since you have no magnet plates to couple us, will you send -one of yur passengers over for formal welcome?" - -"Tell them yes." - -"Yes," the Mate echoed. - -The wait was infinitesimal now. - -"Fine. Brief ceremony planned. To be broadcast to the three planets. -At conclusion of it, we will send yur pilot to you. He will move yur -Ship into an orbit around Earth, and you can be taken down within three -days. That will be the fastest course, and we know all of you are -anxious to land at the first possible moment." - -Johnny Nine started for the door. - -"Wait!" the Captain ordered. "I'll tell the passengers. You get ready -to board their ship for the welcome." - -Johnny Nine felt a lump in his throat. "Yes, sir!" - -"Hello, Flight One. We can approach you to a thousand meters." - - * * * * * - -Marte helped him into his suit. Her fingers fluttered nervously. - -"Three days, Johnny. Three days! It's not bad luck to say it anymore. -Only three more days and we'll be Home!" - -Johnny Nine worked the hermetically sealed helmet swivel. His movements -were stiff. - -"Three days." - -"And then--" - -"Marte, I love you." - -"Of course you do, but say it again." - -"I love you, Marte." - -He kissed her lightly. - -"I love you too," she told him. - -The passengers all gathered around him at the air lock. He looked at -them, saw each of their faces, knew them as friends. - -Over to one side was a long, rude box. Newly made. Sam spoke to him -from the muted memory of the dead; the memory not of Sam alone, but of -nineteen generations. - -Marte, standing at Johnny Nine's side, clinging to his arm, looked up -at him, and smiled. She was beautiful with the innocence of youth, and -her smile was that of a girl who has never seen her dreams crushed. - -He tried to think of something to say. - -Finally, in desperation, he said: - -"I won't be gone long." - -He reached up and flipped his helmet forward. He buckled it in place -with stiff fingers and stepped into the airlock. The door clanged shut -behind him. - -The outer door opened into space and he popped away from the Ship, -borne outward by the air pressure. - -It was silent. - -He could tell by the way the Ship appeared and disappeared that he was -spinning end over end. There was no gravity, even this close to the -Ship's artificial fields. - -It was the first time any of his generation had been in free space. - -It was awkward. He floundered. - -He could see the pilot ship lying off there to his left. Above him. - -Below him. - -He tried to do something about that, fumbled for the blast studs, -found them, pushed one. - -It was like guiding a very small rocket that has very powerful trigger -jets. - -It seemed to take an eternity to bring himself under control. - -But he drew nearer the pilot ship. - -He pushed a stud. - -The ship loomed large; it hit him. He tried to twist as he had read it -should be done, to place his feet against the ship's plates. - -Got them there ... and drifted away. - -He realized that he had forgotten to switch on the magnetic shoe plates. - -He magnetized his plates, gritted his teeth, pushed a stud. - -He hit the ship. Hard. Rolled. - -There. He was all right now. - -He walked toward the open port. It was a peculiar process. First he cut -off the left magnet, lifted his left foot, then.... - - * * * * * - -He was inside. Inside the space port of the pilot ship. The outer door -swung closed. - -Darkness. Then they switched on a light. - -After what seemed a long time, there was enough air around him that he -could hear it hiss from the vent through his built in outer pick-up. - -The inner door opened. - -He stepped into the ship proper. - -There was a group of friendly Earth-faces waiting for him. They were -smiling. - -His muscles were knotted with tension. He fumbled with his helmet. He -couldn't hold his hands still. They slipped. He twisted at the helmet, -futilely. - -One of the Earthmen stepped forward to help. - -Then. It was off. - -And with that, he knew that he was Home. He felt the tension flow away -to be replaced by a singing excitement, an excitement so intense as to -be almost unbearable. - -Something had to give. - -... Suddenly he thought of how he must have looked, crossing to the -pilot ship--how awkward he must have seemed to the trained spacemen -around him. - -He started to laugh, explosively. At himself. Twisting awkwardly in -space. It was funny. - -He laughed, and he didn't care what the Earthmen thought, seeing him -laugh. Even if they thought he had gone crazy, he didn't care. - -That was the first thing he did. Laugh. - -After that.... - -At first he could not understand what was wrong. The laughter died; it -sputtered and died in a strangled gasp. - -Then he thought he had eaten fire, and his throat and lungs were raw. - -Johnny Nine swayed on his feet. The magnetized soles kept him erect. -The Earth-faces spun dizzily around him. He reached for his helmet, -instinctively, reached and missed, reached again. - -He clawed frantically at his helmet, and everything around him turned -black. - -The helmet fell in place with a loud clang of steel on steel. - - * * * * * - -He was unconscious only five minutes, but, as consciousness flowed -back, he felt his head hammer with sharp pains, and lights danced -before his eyes. He was afraid he was going to be sick inside the space -suit. - -It was fifteen minutes before he was recovered enough to listen to what -they had to tell him. - -An Earth doctor, the pilot ship's surgeon, made it very plain. - -"... Twenty-one generations is a long time," the doctor had told him, -"for an animal that can adapt itself as easily as man...." - -Johnny Nine could complete the rest of it: Sometime, long ago, perhaps -as early as the Second Generation, perhaps at the time of the Great -Sickness, the terrarium had been thrown out of balance. And, as the -balance continued to shift, man continued to adapt. - -Until-- - -He could hear them, around him, talking quietly. - -"We haven't told yur Ship, yet. We thought you'd better do that." - -"Yes," Johnny Nine choked. - -The Earthmen fell silent, ringing him in. - -"Yes," he said, "I'll tell them. I'll tell them Earth's air is poison, -and her water, and her land." His voice was hollow. "I'll tell them -that." - -He staggered toward the space port, blindly. - -"We're sorry." - -Johnny Nine looked at them, the ring of friendly, kindly, sad faces. - -"So--are--we," he said very slowly. - -He stepped into the lock, and, when the outer door opened, he popped -away from the pilot ship. - -He floated toward the Ship that was Home. - -How am I going to tell them? he asked himself. How am I going to tell -them? - -And Marte? Tell her that she will never feel the free wind on her face? - -Johnny Nine floated awkwardly away from the pilot ship. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WIND IN HER HAIR *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/65032-0.zip b/old/65032-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9aec17f..0000000 --- a/old/65032-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/65032-h.zip b/old/65032-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0362e6f..0000000 --- a/old/65032-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/65032-h/65032-h.htm b/old/65032-h/65032-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index f7a3ddc..0000000 --- a/old/65032-h/65032-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1781 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wind in Her Hair, by Kris Neville. - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.right {text-align: right;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.caption p -{ - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0; - margin: 0.25em 0; -} - -.poetry .stanza -{ - margin: 1em auto; -} - -.poetry .verse -{ - padding-left: 3em; -} - - -div.titlepage { - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; -} - -div.titlepage p { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; - font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; - margin-top: 3em; -} - - </style> - </head> -<body> - -<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wind in Her Hair, by Kris Neville</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Wind in Her Hair</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Kris Neville</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: April 08, 2021 [eBook #65032]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WIND IN HER HAIR ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>WIND IN HER HAIR</h1> - -<h2>By Kris Neville</h2> - -<p>To Marte and Johnny Nine the space ship was<br /> -their world. And yet they dreamed of returning<br /> -home to Earth ... a planet they had never seen.</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy<br /> -October 1950<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Marte!"</p> - -<p>His voice echoed hollowly, dying away to an eerie whisper, fainter and -fainter.</p> - -<p>"Marte!"</p> - -<p>It was very silent here on the last level below the giant atomic motors.</p> - -<p>The feeble light showered down from a single overhead bulb; it was -their special bulb. Marte always lit it when she came below.</p> - -<p>"Marte!" His voice was almost pleading.</p> - -<p>"Here I am, Johnny. Over here."</p> - -<p>"Little imp," he said, not unkindly. "What do you mean, hiding?"</p> - -<p>"Hiding, Johnny? I wasn't hiding.... And besides, you looked so funny -and lost, standing there, calling me."</p> - -<p>He saw her, now, sitting half in shadow, leaning against the far -bulkhead.</p> - -<p>His feet ping-pinged on the uncarpeted deck plates as he crossed to her.</p> - -<p>"Hello," she said brightly. She threw back her head, and her eyes -caught the dim light and sparkled it. "I hoped you'd come today." -Smiling, she held out her hand.</p> - -<p>He took it. "I really shouldn't have," he said.</p> - -<p>"Oh?" She puckered her lips in mock anger and drew him down beside -her. "Didn't you <i>want</i> to come?"</p> - -<p>"You know I did."</p> - -<p>"Then why?"</p> - -<p>"They might need me in Control," he said, half seriously.</p> - -<p>Marte's eyes opened an involuntary fraction. "Nothing's wrong, is -there?" Her lips had lost their sudden, native smile, and the smile in -her eyes half fled.</p> - -<p>"No. Everything's fine.... I just meant in case...."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Johnny, don't say it; please." Her eyes spoke with her voice, -emotions bubbled in them. Her face had something of a woman's -seriousness in it, the product more of native understanding than -experience, and much of a girl's naivete. "Don't even <i>think</i> about -anything like that." She looked up at him, studied his face intently, -and then said, "Tell me that: Say nothing's going to go wrong."</p> - -<p>"I was just talking, Marte. Nothing can go wrong; not now."</p> - -<p>"Say it again!"</p> - -<p>"Nothing is going to go wrong," he said slowly, giving each word its -full meaning.</p> - -<p>"Do you really—really and <i>truly</i>—believe that?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"Of course I do, Marte."</p> - -<p>The girl smiled. "I do too—only—" The smile faded. Her eyes focused -on some distant place, beyond the last level, beyond the Ship itself. -"Only sometimes I'm afraid it's too good to happen.... That I'm -dreaming, and that all at once I'll wake up, and—" She shook her head. -"But that's silly, isn't it, Johnny?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," he said. He settled back and rested against the bulkhead.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was silence for a while, two young people, hand in hand, sitting -in silence.</p> - -<p>Finally, Marte spoke.</p> - -<p>"Here," she said, "feel." She pressed his hand against the bulkhead. -"See how cool it is?"</p> - -<p>"Of course. It's the outside plate."</p> - -<p>"Yes," she said, "I know. There's nothing but space out there." She -squeezed his hand. "But just a little while ago, before you came, I was -sitting here thinking. And I thought that wind must feel like that. I -mean, not how it <i>feels</i>, exactly, but how it makes <i>you</i> feel. Wild -and free. Without any bulkheads to keep you from walking and walking."</p> - -<p>He shook his head. "Little dreamer," he whispered.</p> - -<p>She frowned prettily. "Don't you feel it, too?"</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine pressed his hand to the bulkhead again. "Yes, I guess maybe -I do. In a way."</p> - -<p>"Of course you do! You've just got to. You can't <i>help</i> it! Put your -cheek close against the bulkhead and you can almost feel the wind -blowing on your face. I can. And if I try hard enough, I can almost -smell the fields of flowers all in bloom and hear birds singing, like -they were singing from far away.... And I can—"</p> - -<p>"You've been reading again," he interrupted with a smile.</p> - -<p>"Uh-huh," she said dreamily. "I have.... And when I finished, I came -down here, and I thought about it, and I hoped you'd come so we could -talk. It was poetry; it was—beautiful....</p> - -<p>"You know, Johnny, I'd like to write poetry. If I had the sky and the -birds and the rivers and the mountains all to write about."</p> - -<p>After a moment, Johnny Nine said, "Go ahead, tell me what the poems -were about."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus.jpg" alt=""/> - <div class="caption"> - <p>They envisioned themselves running hand in hand, with the wind whispering gently....</p> - </div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Well...." She drew out the word slowly. "It's not what they were -about, exactly. It's what they said, not out loud, but down deep. It's -like getting a present that means an awful lot to you; it's not the -present, but the way it makes your nose tickle and your stomach feel." -She smiled wistfully.</p> - -<p>"They were all written a long time ago, even before the First -Generation, by men back on Earth, but they seemed to be written just -for us.... One was about a bird, and how it made the poet feel to watch -it fly and hear it sing; it made him feel all warm inside.... And one -was about a young girl who worked in the fields, reaping grain...." -That image seemed to reverberate in her mind, for she was quiet a -moment, as if to listen for the fading echoes.</p> - -<p>"I think that would be the most wonderful thing. To help things grow, -with your own two hands, and to harvest them when they're ripe and -waiting, not 'ponics, like Sam, but really growing out of the Earth."</p> - -<p>"Someday," he said softly, "you're going to write the kind of poetry -they wrote."</p> - -<p>Marte looked down at her hands.</p> - -<p>"I want to do so many things.... Maybe help things grow, most of -all.... I think there must be a sort of poetry in that, too.</p> - -<p>"Johnny?"</p> - -<p>"Yes?"</p> - -<p>"Do you think we could get a farm? It wouldn't have to be a very big -one; just a little farm, where we could raise things?"</p> - -<p>"If you want it, Marte."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I do. I <i>do</i>!" Her voice carried the lilt of youth in it.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The silences that frequently spiced their conversation had no -embarrassed elements in them; they said as much as words, and they came -mutually.</p> - -<p>"Some of it was sad. The poetry. I mean, the deep kind of sadness, -the real sadness, the kind that has—hopelessness, and lostness, and -aloneness in it.</p> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"<i>Here he lies where he longed to be.</i></div> - <div class="verse"><i>Home is the sailor, home from the sea,</i></div> - <div class="verse"><i>And the hunter home from the hill.</i>"</div> -</div></div> - -<p>She caught her breath, sharply. "That kind of sadness. The kind that -says something about us. How we've dreamed and planned of going Home—"</p> - -<p>She let her voice drift.</p> - -<p>"I sometimes think Earth is such a beautiful place that you have to be -dead to go there."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine said nothing.</p> - -<p>"Think of the wide sky, Johnny. Where we can see the sunrise. I've -always dreamed about seeing a sunrise.</p> - -<p>"A sun. That's a funny word to say; it just <i>sounds</i> warm. Sun. A sun -that is like those little points of light, way beyond the bulkheads. -When we see them from Observation, they look all cold. Imagine how it -would be to be so close to one of them that it's big and warm....</p> - -<p>"Johnny, do you think anything could be as pretty as those pictures, -in Compartment Seven, of a blue and gold sunrise?"</p> - -<p>"Even prettier."</p> - -<p>"Say it again!"</p> - -<p>"Even prettier."</p> - -<p>"I'll stay up, then, all the first night. I know I will. Just to see -the sun come up."</p> - -<p>She drew in her legs and clasped her arms around them.</p> - -<p>"Tell me again what They said."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine did not answer immediately. He sat motionless, trying to -make out the bulkhead that marked the other side of the Ship. But their -feeble light could not penetrate so much darkness. It almost seemed as -if there were no other bulkhead and no Ship, only darkness, there, that -spread out to the ends of the Universe.</p> - -<p>Finally he spoke. "It was awful hard to hear them; we're too far away. -As near as we could understand, they're having a celebration for us. -Hundreds and hundreds of people will be there. All to see us."</p> - -<p>"Hundreds ... and ... hundreds. Hundreds and hundreds!" She turned her -face to his. "It seems hard to believe, doesn't it? All those people!"</p> - -<p>"Maybe even more than that, Marte."</p> - -<p>"Johnny?" She ducked her head and pulled her legs in tighter. "Johnny?"</p> - -<p>"Yes?"</p> - -<p>"We can have babies, can't we?" She asked it in a rush.</p> - -<p>"... Yes. We can have babies. As many as we want."</p> - -<p>She wrinkled her nose. "... It seems funny, to be able to have all the -babies you want. Not one every time somebody dies: but all you want!"</p> - -<p>She smiled at some secret communication with herself. "I think we'll -have a dozen....</p> - -<p>"Imagine, Johnny. We can have babies that will have a real childhood. -Not like ours, in the Ship, but one on Earth. They can play in the wind -and in the sunshine.</p> - -<p>"And learn things. All kinds of things. They won't be born into one -particular job. They can do anything they want to—anything in the -whole wide world. And they can live in the air." She blinked her eyes.</p> - -<p>"It makes me so glad I want to cry."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Big Ship, the balanced terrarium of fifty lives, swung downward in -her path, rushing toward her parent sun, the first interstellar voyager -coming home.</p> - -<p>Home. After twenty-one generations had peopled her vast bulk, after -four hundred long years in space.</p> - -<p>The radio in Control crackled and sputtered; the nearly seven hour wait -was over. The Captain, the Mate, and Johnny Nine, the pilot, listened -intently.</p> - -<p>The language had changed, and the voice that came out of the speaker -was reedy, and thin with vast distances.</p> - -<p>"Halloo.... Hallooo...." Like a cosmic sigh. Weird. "Yur message...." -They could make out the words; the vowels were shorter, the consonants -more sibilant, but they could make out the words. "... Repeat ... -pilot...." The voice rose and fell, rose and fell. Static hacked away -inside the speaker, split sentences, scattered words.</p> - -<p>"... World waiting eagerly for...." Hiss and sputter. "In answer.... -Repeat.... pilot inside Mar's orbit.... Repeat ... pilot...."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine bent forward. "I guess he means we'll get a pilot ship -inside the orbit of Mars. They'll probably set us around Earth. We've -got too much bulk to land."</p> - -<p>"They'll probably ferry us down in one of their best ships," the -Mate said; there was a weariness and an undefined, non-directional -bitterness in his voice. A germ of thought lay buried beneath the -words, a half-formed memory concept: Ferry us down like they ferried -our ancestors up—four hundred years ago—to the Leviathan—built in -space—too big ever to land.</p> - -<p>The voice from Earth sighed out of the speaker; only the sputter of -static remained. Earth was awaiting, now, the reply.</p> - -<p>The Mate snapped off the speaker. The new silence was stark, as if -something other than sound had been withdrawn.</p> - -<p>The Captain rubbed the back of his left hand with the palm of his right.</p> - -<p>None of them could quite find words for their thoughts.</p> - -<p>It was the Captain, finally, who spoke.</p> - -<p>"I guess—there isn't much to tell them, is there?"</p> - -<p>The Captain turned his swivel chair until it faced the broad -Observation window; through it he could see out into the inconceivable -depths of star-clustered space.</p> - -<p>"I've been thinking," he mused, half to himself. "Thinking a lot, -lately." He rubbed his forehead. "About the Ship ... I've lived here a -long time—my whole life. That's a long time. I was wondering how it -would seem not to live here anymore."</p> - -<p>He put his elbows on his knees and twined his hands before his -face. "Not for you, Johnny. For you and Marte, and the rest of the -Twenty-first Generation, that's different. I mean for us old timers. -When you're twenty, there's a new world ahead; when you're fifty—it's -not ahead any more. How will it seem to us?"</p> - -<p>The Captain shook his head slowly. "It'll sure seem funny to give this -up. This room here, where I've worked all these years. This view—"</p> - -<p>He waved his hand toward the Observation window.</p> - -<p>"This view clear into Infinity."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine crossed the room and stood before the window. He gazed into -space. Without turning, he began to talk. There was no excitement in -his voice, only calm certainty.</p> - -<p>"Think, Captain: think of other things. Think of trees and running -water and blue sky. Think of green grass, real green grass, acres and -acres of it, swaying in the wind. Think of that."</p> - -<p>The Captain smiled. "Ah, youth, Johnny.... If it had been forty years -ago—or thirty—or even ten.... But now...." He shrugged. "We're old -and set in our ways. We think of rest and of the familiar."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine still did not turn. "Imagine sitting on a chair, on a -porch, facing out to the woods, across a field of corn. Imagine the -neighborhood kids gathering about you, and you telling them how you -were on the Interstellar Flight. How you came back from the stars."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps, Johnny, perhaps.... Perhaps...."</p> - -<p>The Mate jammed full power into the heavy transmitter. "I hope -these tubes hold," he said matter-of-factly. "I couldn't find the -replacements."</p> - -<p>The Captain came back from his thoughts. "Did you make a check of the -Parts Index?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Sure. They're supposed to be in Compartment Four. Couldn't find them -there. Some crazy fool probably made baby rattles out of them a hundred -and fifty years ago."</p> - -<p>"I'll send someone to see if you overlooked them. You want to go, -Johnny?"</p> - -<p>"I'll look, sure. Compartment Four, Skippy?"</p> - -<p>"Supposed to be."</p> - -<p>The Mate turned back to the radio. "Hello, Earth.... Hello, Earth.... -Hello, Earth.... This is Interstellar Flight One.... Interstellar -Flight One, inside Pluto.... Hello, Earth, this is—"</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine closed the door behind him and left the cramped room.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In Compartment Four Johnny Nine switched on the lights; the large -center bulb flared blue and the filaments fused. That left the -compartment in gloom.</p> - -<p>Slowly the Ship was growing old. It no longer functioned as smoothly -as before; its spare parts stock was running low. Bulbs were rationed -and three whole levels were in continual darkness. The long night was -creeping in, as if the jet of space was slowly digesting the interloper.</p> - -<p>"Sit down, Johnny. Old Sam wants to talk to you."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine dropped his hand from the switch and turned. "Oh? Oh, -Sam.... Where did you come from?"</p> - -<p>"I seen you coming down, so I followed you. I wanted to talk to you -alone. And when I seen you comin' down here, I said, 'Now, Sam, here's -your chance to talk to Johnny.'"</p> - -<p>"Yes, Sam?"</p> - -<p>"Go ahead, Johnny, sit down."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine crossed to a crate that still contained parts for the -atomic motor and sat down. "All right, Sam. Go ahead."</p> - -<p>Sam shuffled his feet. "I don't know how to start, hardly. Look, -Johnny. Tell me something. True. You will, won't you?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, Sam, I will. You know that."</p> - -<p>"Sure, I know you will. Why, don't I remember when you was just a -little tyke, how you used to come down to the gardens and watch old -Sam? And I said, then, that if ever there's a boy that gives you a -straight answer, that's Johnny Nine.</p> - -<p>"I remember you sayin', once, 'Sam,' you said, 'you've to one blue eye -and one brown.'" Sam smiled. "Right out you said it. An' you know, -that's right. I have. Nobody else would have told me so, because they -were afraid of hurting my feelings. But why should I mind that I've got -one blue eye and one brown one? Funny, how other folks think you mind, -when really you don't....</p> - -<p>"Look, Johnny. About the gardens. I'm getting old—uh-uh, don't say it: -I am and you know I am. Lately, folks have been comin' around helpin' -me out. They let on that they're just there lookin', but they help me, -and I know it. Is it because I'm gettin' old, Johnny?"</p> - -<p>"Sam, you're like the Captain. Good for another twenty years."</p> - -<p>"Now, Johnny, answer old Sam straight."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine hesitated. "Well," he admitted, "you aren't as young as -some of us, Sam. But that doesn't mean you're old. I mean, really old." -Johnny Nine turned his head so Sam could not see his face.</p> - -<p>Sam cleared his throat. "Look, Johnny!" He held out a tiny bottle.</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine glanced around. "Where did you get that?" he demanded -angrily when he saw the bottle.</p> - -<p>"That's all right. Old Sam's got ways. An' he'll be takin' it any day -now. You just say the word, Johnny."</p> - -<p>"Did somebody give that to you?" Johnny Nine demanded sharply.</p> - -<p>"No. Nobody gave it to me. Old Sam's had this bottle for years. Just -waitin', Johnny. Just waitin'. For somebody to say the word."</p> - -<p>"Give it to me!"</p> - -<p>Sam snatched back the bottle. "No!" His weak old eyes showed traces of -fire. "No. Old Sam's—"</p> - -<p>"Sam," Johnny Nine said gently, "we're almost Home, Sam, almost <i>Home</i>."</p> - -<p>Sam laughed bitterly. He shook his head. "No, Johnny. Can't fool old -Sam. 'Course folks <i>say</i> we are. But I <i>know</i>. Old Sam knows. I'll be -drinkin' this any day now."</p> - -<p>"Sam, listen. In four—" He bit his tongue before he could say -'months'. That superstition. "In a little while, we'll be Home. It's -true, Sam, I wouldn't lie."</p> - -<p>Sam's eyes brightened. "You ain't foolin' me?"</p> - -<p>"No, Sam."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Sam seemed to relax. "Home," he said. "You know, Johnny, lately I've -been dreamin' of Home. Now you say we're almost there.... You know, -I remember, when old John Turner—I guess you don't remember old -John—before your time—when old John, well, he told Molly Dawn (she -was his partner), he said, 'Molly, it sure looks like the only way <i>we</i> -can get Home is live as long an' as useful a life as Sam. Because Sam -is just too stubborn to grow old like the rest of us.' Yes, sir, that's -just what he said: 'Old Sam is too downright stubborn to grow old like -the rest of us.'"</p> - -<p>Sam slapped his knee. "Now don't that beat all? 'Too stubborn,' he -says."</p> - -<p>Sam leaned back against a row of crates. His eyes glistened in the -light. Then the excitement died from them.</p> - -<p>"No, Johnny. It don't seem right for me to go on livin' when people -come down to 'ponics every day to do my work. It <i>ain't</i> right, Johnny."</p> - -<p>"But Sam—"</p> - -<p>"Oh. I know. You tell me we're almost Home. But Johnny," Sam leaned -forward, "there ain't no Home. It's just a story they tell you when -you're little.... Or maybe when you're old, like me. There ain't -nothing but this here Ship and—"</p> - -<p>"Sam, listen—"</p> - -<p>"But me no buts, Johnny. Old Sam knows. Yes, sir, he's been around too -long. You're all trying to fool him, but you're not." He paused for -breath. "I <i>know</i>, Johnny. That's why I got this here bottle. You don't -need to hint around, trying to make it easy. You just speak up. Old Sam -can do what's got to be done."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine stood up.</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take that bottle, Sam."</p> - -<p>"No, Johnny."</p> - -<p>"Give it to me!"</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine took the bottle and smashed it against the deck plates.</p> - -<p>"We'll never need one of those again. Where we're going there's no -tolerance factor. A man doesn't have to die just because he can't do -all the work he once could. Earth is such a big terrarium that a man -can just keep on living."</p> - -<p>"Johnny, old Sam's confused. He's all mixed up." One lone tear ran down -his cheek.</p> - -<p>"You go to your cabin and get some rest. You'll never need a bottle. -Understand that, Sam? You'll never need a bottle."</p> - -<p>"Then you weren't foolin' me? We're really goin' Home? Somebody said we -were, and I thought we were, and then I thought you were all foolin' me -and then—</p> - -<p>"I guess I better had, Johnny. Old Sam's tired. Old Sam's awful tired."</p> - -<p>He limped out of the compartment.</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine watched his back until it disappeared down the companionway -ladder to the passenger quarters. The rest of the passengers had been -doing Sam's work for nearly three years now. But it didn't matter. -They were so near Home that it didn't matter. They no longer needed to -produce a balance for a new generation; it was journey's end.</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine began to rummage through the supplies, extra parts for all -sorts of fancied emergencies that never occurred, and no parts, of -course, for those that did, over the long, four hundred years of the -trip.</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine finally found the radio spares. Mislaid behind a mass of -junk that once had been air control gauges. One of the First Generation -had smashed the gauges when he went mad. But the Ship had been lucky. -It had survived without them.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Hello, Johnny. The Captain said you were—oh! Johnny?"</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine looked up; he smiled. He slipped out of the headset. "'Lo, -Marte. They're broadcasting music to us. Want to listen?" He held out -the headset. "It sounds better over these than over the speaker."</p> - -<p>She crossed to him, in lithe, swaying youth movements, and took the -headset. She fitted it over her hair and began to listen.</p> - -<p>At first her face was expressionless. After a while, her mouth formed a -little "o" and her eyes widened; she stood for a long time listening, -making no sound.</p> - -<p>Finally, she removed the headset and laid it on the table. She seemed -vaguely puzzled.</p> - -<p>"It's awful funny music, isn't it, Johnny? Not at all like ours....</p> - -<p>"But then I guess they'd think our songs—"</p> - -<p>She began to hum the tune of <i>Long Night</i>. Then she sang softly:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"<i>It's a long night,</i></div> - <div class="verse"><i>A dark night,</i></div> - <div class="verse"><i>Before the day.</i></div> - <div class="verse"><i>It's a long night before the long day,</i></div> - <div class="verse"><i>And we're going Home:</i></div> - <div class="verse"><i>Yes</i></div> - <div class="verse"><i>We're going Home!</i>"</div> -</div></div> - -<p>She stopped.</p> - -<p>"I guess they'll think that's funny, Johnny. Let's not sing it for -them, ever. If somebody would laugh at that, it would hurt me, down -inside. Let's never sing it again."</p> - -<p>"All right, Marte," Johnny Nine said.</p> - -<p>After a moment, he stood up. "You didn't come here with the rest."</p> - -<p>"No ... I wanted to wait. I hoped maybe I could look at it while you -were here. Just you and me."</p> - -<p>He crossed to the Observation window. "It's just the little 'scope.... -But here, I'll—"</p> - -<p>He peered into the eyepiece and adjusted the knobs. "There.... Ah.... -That does it. There, Marte."</p> - -<p>He stood aside.</p> - -<p>She bent over the telescope. The silence drew out and out, almost -breath-held.</p> - -<p>"It's.... It's.... Johnny, I feel like it was ours. Just yours and -mine. Isn't it beautiful, all hazy blue?"</p> - -<p>"Can you see the continents?"</p> - -<p>"Yes.... Yes, I think I can. Not very well. Just dark patches."</p> - -<p>She looked up. "It looks so little, Johnny, like a little ball. So -little that if I had a chain, I could put it on it and then wear the -chain around my neck."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine laughed gently. "But it's really big, Marte. Bigger than -the Ship. A hundred times that big, a thousand—"</p> - -<p>"A million!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, maybe even that. It doesn't seem possible, does it?"</p> - -<p>"Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, I'm so happy!" She looked into the eyepiece -again. "I'll never forget this, not as long as I live. That little tiny -ball and the Sun. I think I feel something like God must have felt when -he <i>made</i> it."</p> - -<p>"If you were to look hard enough, Marte, you could almost see our -little farm down there—"</p> - -<p>"Our farm.... Say it again, Johnny."</p> - -<p>"Our farm," he said.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Ship drew nearer and nearer. The balanced terrarium pointed Home, -rushing faster than the wind, faster than sound, faster—</p> - -<p>The Captain sat at his desk. For the past hour he had been drawing -strange designs, contorted in helical animation, on a pad of yellow -paper. Occasionally, he paused to stare out of the Observation window, -lost in thought.</p> - -<p>Absently, he let the pencil drop to the deck; the sound it made spun -away his reverie. He bent and retrieved the pencil.</p> - -<p>"Skippy?"</p> - -<p>The Mate looked up from a book. "Yes?"</p> - -<p>The Captain chuckled. "I've been thinking about what Johnny said a -while back."</p> - -<p>The Mate waited.</p> - -<p>"You see that star, out there, Skippy? The bright one, there on the -left of the field? I've been watching her for years. Even thought up a -name for her. Mary Anne. It almost seems that if I could say something, -in just the right way, she could understand and answer me."</p> - -<p>The Mate closed the book and placed it on the table. When the two of -them were alone, they sometimes talked of things that only friends can -talk of. He maintained an encouraging silence.</p> - -<p>"I've been thinking, too," the Captain continued, "that when I get to -Earth, I can still see Mary Anne. If I know where to look, she'll be -there, just the same as always....</p> - -<p>"There was old Grandfather John Turner (you remember how he used to -cuss the filters?) Remember how he talked of going Home. 'I won't live -to see it,' he would say. 'I won't be here then,' he would say. But -when he talked about it, it didn't seem to matter....</p> - -<p>"It was the dream that mattered. A dream of everything that's -wonderful. It meant peace and beauty and rest. It meant something too -wonderful ever to happen.... For him, it was just a dream.</p> - -<p>"Now that we can practically touch it, and see it, and feel it, I find -it a rather frightening thing. It makes me feel cold inside; it makes -my mouth get dry; it makes my hair prickle.</p> - -<p>"Funny, how it gets me."</p> - -<p>"I know what you mean," the Mate said.</p> - -<p>"Maybe I've been afraid all along to admit that I wanted to go Home; -afraid that somehow wanting something so much like a dream would keep -me from ever getting it.</p> - -<p>"But now that we're almost there, I've changed. Remember what Johnny -said, 'How would you like to sit on a porch and tell the kids how you -came back from the stars?'"</p> - -<p>The Mate nodded and smiled. "It kinda got me too."</p> - -<p>The Captain looked at the icy points of light again, set against the -ebon of eternal night. "It does get you....</p> - -<p>"On Earth, Mary Anne will sparkle. I guess everything sparkles there. -Stars sparkle; water sparkles in the sunlight; the air sparkles; life -sparkles."</p> - -<p>He stood up and turned his back on the window.</p> - -<p>"You know, once I get my feet down there, I'm going to see that they -stay. I'm never going to take them off. Not even so much as a single -mile. I'm going to get me a bushel basket, and I'm going to fill it -with Earth, and when I go to bed, I'm going to have it right there -beside me, so I can reach out with my hands, anytime in the night, and -feel it."</p> - -<p>"For a long time, Ed, I was scared, like you were, that something would -happen. But now we're so near, I don't know.... I was afraid that maybe -things had changed; that there wouldn't be any people. That maybe—I -guess I always see the dark side, don't I?"</p> - -<p>The Captain said, "Maybe there's some good in that. But this time I'm -going to sound a little like Johnny. Things may have changed, Skippy. -From what we've read about. We've got to expect that. But it can't be -too different. We can adjust. Man can always adjust."</p> - -<p>He turned again to the window.</p> - -<p>"And there's always Earth herself. You can look through the 'scope and -see her out there, just like she's been for a billion years. Home. -That hasn't changed. The air of Home; the water of Home. That doesn't -change."</p> - -<p>"I guess you're right, Ed," the Mate agreed. "That can't change."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He found her down below the motors on the last level. Their light was -burning dimly.</p> - -<p>She had been crying.</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine stood watching her for a long time. Finally he said, "I'm -sorry, Marte."</p> - -<p>She looked up. Her face was tear-cast, and her eyes were red. "It's.... -It's...." Her voice caught in a sob. "Oh, Johnny, why? <i>Why</i>, Johnny?"</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine had no answer to that question.</p> - -<p>"Why did he have to do it—just when we were almost Home?" She began to -cry again.</p> - -<p>He sat down beside her, drew her head over on his shoulder.</p> - -<p>"We've all got to die sometime. You, me ... Sam."</p> - -<p>"But not now, Johnny. Not <i>now</i>!"</p> - -<p>He let out his breath in a long sigh. "I know. I—I liked Sam. He was -always good to me, always ready to stop work and explain things to me. -But he was old, Marte, so awful old."</p> - -<p>"But not to see Home, when you're almost there.... He looked through -the 'scope, but his eyes were bad and he couldn't see it. And he -thought we were all fooling him.... But Johnny, he'd <i>had</i> to believe, -once he got his feet down on Earth, once the wind was all around him. -Even if he was old. He'd <i>had to</i> believe, then."</p> - -<p>"I know, Marte."</p> - -<p>There was silence for a moment.</p> - -<p>"You know what they say. 'When you die, you go to Earth'. Maybe Sam's -already there. Ahead of us. Somehow."</p> - -<p>"He used to tell me—me—me—" She choked up; she let out her breath -unevenly. "When I was little and went down to look at the gardens, he -used to tell me how he—"</p> - -<p>"Don't, Marte. Try not to think of it."</p> - -<p>"All right, Johnny. I won't. I'll try not to think of it. But Johnny—"</p> - -<p>"Now, now, that's enough."</p> - -<p>For fully five minutes neither of them spoke.</p> - -<p>Then Marte asked, in a small voice, "Johnny?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"I wonder how he got the bottle."</p> - -<p>"Please, Marte...."</p> - -<p>"I <i>know</i>, Johnny. But that way. It was so cruel. If he'd just waited." -She looked at Johnny Nine.</p> - -<p>"Johnny?"</p> - -<p>He was staring at his sandals.</p> - -<p>"Johnny?"</p> - -<p>"Yes?"</p> - -<p>"We aren't—aren't going to reconvert him, are we? Not now?"</p> - -<p>"No, Marte." Johnny Nine took a deep breath. "Not now. We're going to -take him with us, and bury him, really bury him. Put the Earth over -him. He'd like that, Marte. Not in the reconverter, but in the cool -Earth, the Earth of Home."</p> - -<p>"Yes," she said very softly, "he'd like that."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Closer and closer. The Ship was well inside Jupiter, skyrocketing to -her rendezvous with the pilot ship. The radio lapse was less than -thirty minutes now.</p> - -<p>The Captain turned from the speaker. "You heard it, Johnny. What can we -tell them?"</p> - -<p>Earth wanted press comments. <i>Tell us about the trip!</i></p> - -<p>The Mate stood up.</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine shuffled his feet. There was an awkward silence.</p> - -<p>The History of the Ship. Which of them would dare attempt that?</p> - -<p>The life of twenty-one generations; the death of nineteen; the dream of -Earth....</p> - -<p>Their little, circumscribed hopes and fears. The little things out of -the night drench of a thousand lives. How well they lived together, the -mutual respect and the mutual affection....</p> - -<p>The little things whose total is life.</p> - -<p>Or the big things.</p> - -<p>Like the Great Sickness, during the Second Generation. It had almost -finished the Ship.</p> - -<p>The little things and the big, all rolled into an emotion that meant -the Ship. That <i>was</i> the Ship....</p> - -<p>The History of the Ship. Who could tell that? Who?</p> - -<p>The Captain walked to the transmitter. He picked up the microphone and -switched the "send" lever over.</p> - -<p>"Hello, Earth.... Hello, Earth.... Interstellar Flight One.... -Interstellar Flight One.... For your press.... Repeat.... For your -press...."</p> - -<p>There was only one thing to say: "We're coming Home!"</p> - -<p>That single sentence crackled its way across the vastness of space.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Ship sped on. Its forty-nine people worked and slept and played, as -their fathers before them, and <i>their</i> fathers before that. But their -hearts were glad with a new gladness.</p> - -<p>"We're inside Mars!"</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine settled back in the pilot seat, aft in the Ship, above the -tubes.</p> - -<p>"We're inside Mars!"</p> - -<p>No one heard him. He was alone in the cramped pilot quarters.</p> - -<p>He threw in the forward jets, unused for almost two hundred years, cut -in the forward jets to break their fall. Prayed.</p> - -<p>The great Ship trembled.</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine's hands skipped, in carefully trained movement, over a -bewildering array of firing studs. His eyes seemed to dart everywhere, -checking the banks of dials. The tempo increased. For ten years he had -trained for this job; he knew it well.</p> - -<p>Then the Ship began to turn. Slowly, lazily, its nose spewing fire.</p> - -<p>It took two hours, and by then, Johnny Nine was exhausted. But it was -done. His job was done. He had set the Ship safely in an orbit around -the Sun, between Mars and Earth.</p> - -<p>He left the tiny pilot cabin.</p> - -<p>They would be waiting for him, forward. He wanted to run along the long -companionway. He forced himself to walk. His heart was hammering with -a mounting tempo.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>They were all assembled in the play-area, the only large open space in -the whole Ship. Johnny Nine came out onto the platform above it. His -hands gripped the guard rail tightly.</p> - -<p>He looked down at the passengers below him, saw their white upturned -faces, strained, tense. Saw Marte, holding her breath.</p> - -<p>"You felt the jets," he said, and his voice carried clear. "That means -we're in an orbit around the Sun. Our own Sun. Just like a planet."</p> - -<p>There were no cheers. His announcement was greeted only by the low hum -of voices, breaking like wind in pines, a sigh of relief.</p> - -<p>Then there was a stunned silence, when, for a moment, no one knew quite -what to do with himself.</p> - -<p>After that, they began to mill around, each going to his neighbor and -repeating the news again.</p> - -<p>"Well, we're Home."</p> - -<p>"Yes, we're Home."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The Ship drifted in its orbit, now, like a planet, like a very small -planet, the balanced terrarium.</p> - -<p>"Listen," the Mate said. "I've got him!"</p> - -<p>He took off the headset and switched open the speaker.</p> - -<p>"Interstellar Flight One...."</p> - -<p>The voice sounded strong and clear and near.</p> - -<p>The Mate spoke into the microphone.</p> - -<p>And then they waited, their eyes on the huge sweep hand of the clock.</p> - -<p>One second, two, three—</p> - -<p>Four—</p> - -<p>Five....</p> - -<p>"Flight One. Read you fine. Expect to make approach within an hour. Has -yur Ship a carrier magnet plate for coupling?"</p> - -<p>The Captain frowned. "Tell him no."</p> - -<p>"Hello, pilot ship. No magnet plate, repeat, no magnet plate."</p> - -<p>"... All right, Flight One. Has yur Ship serviceable suits?"</p> - -<p>The Captain said, "Better check them, Johnny."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine left at a run to test the space suits.</p> - -<p>It took him almost half an hour. When he came back, he was breathless.</p> - -<p>"They tested, Captain!"</p> - -<p>The Mate threw the sending switch.</p> - -<p>"Pilot ship. Have suits. Repeat. Have suits."</p> - -<p>"Look!" Johnny Nine cried. He was pointing to the Observation window. -"See it, that little light. It's their ship!"</p> - -<p>The three men looked.</p> - -<p>They could see a moving finger of fire, like a tiny comet, except that -its tail thrust sunward.</p> - -<p>"Have located yur Ship, Flight One. We are making ready for the -approach."</p> - -<p>The radio was silent a moment. Then:</p> - -<p>"We have a request."</p> - -<p>"Yes?" the Mate said into the microphone.</p> - -<p>"... We have full transmission equipment on our ship for a world -program. Since you have no magnet plates to couple us, will you send -one of yur passengers over for formal welcome?"</p> - -<p>"Tell them yes."</p> - -<p>"Yes," the Mate echoed.</p> - -<p>The wait was infinitesimal now.</p> - -<p>"Fine. Brief ceremony planned. To be broadcast to the three planets. -At conclusion of it, we will send yur pilot to you. He will move yur -Ship into an orbit around Earth, and you can be taken down within three -days. That will be the fastest course, and we know all of you are -anxious to land at the first possible moment."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine started for the door.</p> - -<p>"Wait!" the Captain ordered. "I'll tell the passengers. You get ready -to board their ship for the welcome."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine felt a lump in his throat. "Yes, sir!"</p> - -<p>"Hello, Flight One. We can approach you to a thousand meters."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Marte helped him into his suit. Her fingers fluttered nervously.</p> - -<p>"Three days, Johnny. Three days! It's not bad luck to say it anymore. -Only three more days and we'll be Home!"</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine worked the hermetically sealed helmet swivel. His movements -were stiff.</p> - -<p>"Three days."</p> - -<p>"And then—"</p> - -<p>"Marte, I love you."</p> - -<p>"Of course you do, but say it again."</p> - -<p>"I love you, Marte."</p> - -<p>He kissed her lightly.</p> - -<p>"I love you too," she told him.</p> - -<p>The passengers all gathered around him at the air lock. He looked at -them, saw each of their faces, knew them as friends.</p> - -<p>Over to one side was a long, rude box. Newly made. Sam spoke to him -from the muted memory of the dead; the memory not of Sam alone, but of -nineteen generations.</p> - -<p>Marte, standing at Johnny Nine's side, clinging to his arm, looked up -at him, and smiled. She was beautiful with the innocence of youth, and -her smile was that of a girl who has never seen her dreams crushed.</p> - -<p>He tried to think of something to say.</p> - -<p>Finally, in desperation, he said:</p> - -<p>"I won't be gone long."</p> - -<p>He reached up and flipped his helmet forward. He buckled it in place -with stiff fingers and stepped into the airlock. The door clanged shut -behind him.</p> - -<p>The outer door opened into space and he popped away from the Ship, -borne outward by the air pressure.</p> - -<p>It was silent.</p> - -<p>He could tell by the way the Ship appeared and disappeared that he was -spinning end over end. There was no gravity, even this close to the -Ship's artificial fields.</p> - -<p>It was the first time any of his generation had been in free space.</p> - -<p>It was awkward. He floundered.</p> - -<p>He could see the pilot ship lying off there to his left. Above him.</p> - -<p>Below him.</p> - -<p>He tried to do something about that, fumbled for the blast studs, -found them, pushed one.</p> - -<p>It was like guiding a very small rocket that has very powerful trigger -jets.</p> - -<p>It seemed to take an eternity to bring himself under control.</p> - -<p>But he drew nearer the pilot ship.</p> - -<p>He pushed a stud.</p> - -<p>The ship loomed large; it hit him. He tried to twist as he had read it -should be done, to place his feet against the ship's plates.</p> - -<p>Got them there ... and drifted away.</p> - -<p>He realized that he had forgotten to switch on the magnetic shoe plates.</p> - -<p>He magnetized his plates, gritted his teeth, pushed a stud.</p> - -<p>He hit the ship. Hard. Rolled.</p> - -<p>There. He was all right now.</p> - -<p>He walked toward the open port. It was a peculiar process. First he cut -off the left magnet, lifted his left foot, then....</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He was inside. Inside the space port of the pilot ship. The outer door -swung closed.</p> - -<p>Darkness. Then they switched on a light.</p> - -<p>After what seemed a long time, there was enough air around him that he -could hear it hiss from the vent through his built in outer pick-up.</p> - -<p>The inner door opened.</p> - -<p>He stepped into the ship proper.</p> - -<p>There was a group of friendly Earth-faces waiting for him. They were -smiling.</p> - -<p>His muscles were knotted with tension. He fumbled with his helmet. He -couldn't hold his hands still. They slipped. He twisted at the helmet, -futilely.</p> - -<p>One of the Earthmen stepped forward to help.</p> - -<p>Then. It was off.</p> - -<p>And with that, he knew that he was Home. He felt the tension flow away -to be replaced by a singing excitement, an excitement so intense as to -be almost unbearable.</p> - -<p>Something had to give.</p> - -<p>... Suddenly he thought of how he must have looked, crossing to the -pilot ship—how awkward he must have seemed to the trained spacemen -around him.</p> - -<p>He started to laugh, explosively. At himself. Twisting awkwardly in -space. It was funny.</p> - -<p>He laughed, and he didn't care what the Earthmen thought, seeing him -laugh. Even if they thought he had gone crazy, he didn't care.</p> - -<p>That was the first thing he did. Laugh.</p> - -<p>After that....</p> - -<p>At first he could not understand what was wrong. The laughter died; it -sputtered and died in a strangled gasp.</p> - -<p>Then he thought he had eaten fire, and his throat and lungs were raw.</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine swayed on his feet. The magnetized soles kept him erect. -The Earth-faces spun dizzily around him. He reached for his helmet, -instinctively, reached and missed, reached again.</p> - -<p>He clawed frantically at his helmet, and everything around him turned -black.</p> - -<p>The helmet fell in place with a loud clang of steel on steel.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He was unconscious only five minutes, but, as consciousness flowed -back, he felt his head hammer with sharp pains, and lights danced -before his eyes. He was afraid he was going to be sick inside the space -suit.</p> - -<p>It was fifteen minutes before he was recovered enough to listen to what -they had to tell him.</p> - -<p>An Earth doctor, the pilot ship's surgeon, made it very plain.</p> - -<p>"... Twenty-one generations is a long time," the doctor had told him, -"for an animal that can adapt itself as easily as man...."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine could complete the rest of it: Sometime, long ago, perhaps -as early as the Second Generation, perhaps at the time of the Great -Sickness, the terrarium had been thrown out of balance. And, as the -balance continued to shift, man continued to adapt.</p> - -<p>Until—</p> - -<p>He could hear them, around him, talking quietly.</p> - -<p>"We haven't told yur Ship, yet. We thought you'd better do that."</p> - -<p>"Yes," Johnny Nine choked.</p> - -<p>The Earthmen fell silent, ringing him in.</p> - -<p>"Yes," he said, "I'll tell them. I'll tell them Earth's air is poison, -and her water, and her land." His voice was hollow. "I'll tell them -that."</p> - -<p>He staggered toward the space port, blindly.</p> - -<p>"We're sorry."</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine looked at them, the ring of friendly, kindly, sad faces.</p> - -<p>"So—are—we," he said very slowly.</p> - -<p>He stepped into the lock, and, when the outer door opened, he popped -away from the pilot ship.</p> - -<p>He floated toward the Ship that was Home.</p> - -<p>How am I going to tell them? he asked himself. How am I going to tell -them?</p> - -<p>And Marte? Tell her that she will never feel the free wind on her face?</p> - -<p>Johnny Nine floated awkwardly away from the pilot ship.</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WIND IN HER HAIR ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. -</div> - -<div style='margin:0.83em 0; font-size:1.1em; text-align:center'>START: FULL LICENSE<br /> -<span style='font-size:smaller'>THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE<br /> -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK</span> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person -or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the -Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when -you share it without charge with others. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work -on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the -phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: -</div> - -<blockquote> - <div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most - other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions - whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms - of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online - at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you - are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws - of the country where you are located before using this eBook. - </div> -</blockquote> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg™ License. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format -other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain -Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -provided that: -</div> - -<div style='margin-left:0.7em;'> - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation.” - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ - works. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. - </div> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right -of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread -public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/donate/">www.gutenberg.org/donate</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. -</div> - -</div> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/65032-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/65032-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4adfbfa..0000000 --- a/old/65032-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/65032-h/images/illus.jpg b/old/65032-h/images/illus.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 212a49b..0000000 --- a/old/65032-h/images/illus.jpg +++ /dev/null |
