Tell ‘em how we gained our velocity in the shadow of the mortal ship itself, and slipped beneath the fan of fire with all rockets dead, and coasted on to the precious station—
His rusty voice sobbed and stopped.
“Lars!”
Lilith’s hand squeezed mine desperately, vibrant and alive again.
“Oh, Lars!”
The anomaly was gone.
Black funnel and green machine had flickered off the telescreen.
The northward stars shone clear where they had been, no longer dimmed or reddened.
Nowhere was nowhere—with a small letter now.
Unbelievingly, I looked at the other end of the drum.
That devouring creature had become a thin gray ghost fading from the electronic chart.
The bright magnetic web dissolved.
In a moment all the chart was blank, except the bright green dot of Nowhere Near.
“They’ve closed the gate.” Ken Star’s voice was faint and shaken.
“I knew—I nearly knew they would.
Giles said they wouldn’t let us strike them.”
“They’re machines,” old Habibula wheezed.
“They do what they must.
When the fleet didn’t follow, they had to go back.”
“I thought—” I had to catch my breath.
“I thought they’d fire on us.”
“We got inside their main computer,” old Habibula puffed.
“We smashed a hatful of transistors to take care of that.”
“Giles!”
Lilith threw her arms around him, gay malice glinting in her wide bronze eyes and breathless laughter ringing in her voice.
“I never quite believed the yarns you used to tell—”
“But now you know I’m an immortal hero!”
He kissed her on the mouth.
“A mortal hungry hero!
We found wonder and danger and secrets enough in that dead universe, but precious little to eat and drink.
Let’s find my caviar and wine!”
“Come along, Ken.”
She slipped away from old Habibula to catch Ken Star’s time-shrunken arm.
“Let’s go by the station hospital. I want to look at our patients there—and you need a shot of Giles’ serum.”
I stood alone in the drum as they all turned to go, the taste of triumph strangely flat.
Nowhere Near was safe again and still my own command—though now our task was done. Interstellar communication would be open now.
We could report to sector base and request relief.
Heavy at heart, I stood watching Lilith.
Here in our own native space and time, her weapon would work again.
She was once more a goddess, no longer afraid of the dull cold skull on her finger.
With life and death to give, serene in absolute authority, she was leaving me.
I took a step to follow her, but I couldn’t chase a goddess.
I stopped and let her go, trying not to envy her laughing joke for old Habibula, her thoughtful hand on Ken Star’s arm.
Woodenly, I turned back to the computer. After all, I had enough to keep me busy. Nowhere Near had lost air and suffered damage. The blast area had to be decontaminated. The wrecked atomic plant had to be inspected. Interstellar communication had to be restored. I had to keep us all still alive, while we waited for relief.
“Lars—” I heard Lilith’s voice, choked and high.
“Did you think —did you think I didn’t need you now?”
I turned and saw her coming back to me, flying across that low-G space like a white and graceful bird.
I caught her hi my trembling arms, warm and quick and wonderful.
Tears shining in her wide bronze eyes, she clung to me desperately, more girl now than goddess.
I held her hard, and kissed the white distress from her face, knowing now that she needed me.