“That is what it would be,” Spy said. “If his comfort or happiness is at issue, I think your course is clear.”

Meryl crossed her arms over her chest, holding herself. “My course is not clear. It’s euthanasia to treat mental illness. For my husband of twenty-three years.”

“One of you is headed there.” Spy stepped toward her, and his voice lowered. “An objective observer would see that he is giving up the least. You can’t say that’s not true.”

“You’re not going to be able to care for him. He needs constant medical attention.”

Not if he’s going to die, I thought.

“In terms of duration,” Spy said, “he will spend less time going there than you will spend returning to ad Astra from here. Minutes.”

“It might be a kindness,” Dustin said. It was clear that Meryl was struggling with it—it would be a kindness to her, as well, of course.

“Take me, too?” she said.

“No. We don’t have two of any race. Not possible.”

She sat down and stared at nothing.

“I wonder if it would be possible for me to kill you,” Namir said quietly.

“It’s an interesting thought,” Spy said. “How would you propose to do it?”

“Physical force. I’ve done it to bigger and stronger creatures.”

“It wouldn’t be smart,” Paul said.

“We’re running out of smart.” Only his lips moved, and his eyes. But the quality of his poise changed. He was gathering himself, ready.

“Don’t,” I said. “They can kill you with a thought.”

“We could,” Spy said, “but might not. Go ahead and try.”

After the longest second in my life, Namir said, “It was a hypothetical question. You’ve answered it,” and relaxed, turning his back. Spy looked at each of us in turn, perhaps recording our reactions.

“So. We just go back to Earth?” Paul said. “How will that work?”

“You set up the flight as you normally would. You will begin to accelerate, then, after a period of no duration, stop. That will be at the turnaround point. You spend thirty hours or so there, turning around again, then you complete the journey, also with no duration. Almost twenty-five years will pass, of course, while you travel the twenty- four light-years.”

“Will we be seeing you again?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Perhaps you’d better hope not.”

Chapter 13 - END OF A WORLD

13

END OF A WORLD

So we left Moonboy and Fly-in-Amber to the tender mercies of the Others and made our weightless way along the cable back to ad Astra. Before we got to the air lock, the starfish rose and sped away. Namir stood still and watched it depart. I wished I could have seen his face.

Once inside, I stayed close to Meryl, but she didn’t want to talk about it. We all raided the pantry for human food, however uninspiring.