Meryl came out, dressed in a pretty plaid shift with a peasant blouse, mincing along gecko style. “Is that booze?”

Namir tossed it slowly. “Cheap vodka. Pretty cold.”

I’d never seen her drink anything stronger than wine, and not much of that. She squirted a big blast of the vodka into her mouth, and on her face, and immediately had a coughing fit. She started to laugh, then sneezed, with enough force to free her slippers and start her in a slow pinwheel. The skirt billowing around was quite pretty, in an abstract way, though the performance might have been more dignified with underwear. She wound up laughing and crying, not a bad combination under the circumstances.

After we were settled down, Paul said, “I just wanted to make sure everybody has everything sorted out. I’m planning to go into the lander tomorrow at noon. Push the button and see what happens.”

“Do you want us up there, too?” Namir said.

Paul paused, probably remembering Namir’s reaction last time. “Strapping in wouldn’t be necessary. But maybe we should all be in the same place.”

The diffuse feeling of grief, of loss. Elza took Namir’s hand. “We should,” she said.

“I would like that, too,” Snowbird said. “Even with the heat.”

“We don’t know anything about the process,” Dustin said. “The emotional impact may be less, now that we’re expecting it. Or it may be of a different nature. Joy, perhaps.”

“Or anger,” Namir said. “Perhaps we should all be restrained. All but one, who has the key.”

“Sometimes you scare me,” I said, smiling, but meaning it.

“Then you should hold the key.” He shook his head. “Actually, it was only Moonboy and I who had severe reactions last time. Maybe in lieu of a straitjacket, I should have Elza give me a sedative.”

“And anyone else who wants one,” she said. “Except the pilot. Snowbird, I wouldn’t know what to give you.”

“There is a food that prepares one for the unexpected. It worked well enough last time.”

“Wish they made it for humans.” Paul said. “I’m going to assume that with no time elapsed, or no duration, we don’t have to do anything special with the plants. Just everybody complete the maintenance roster before noon tomorrow.” He shrugged. “I know you would anyway. Guess I’m just at a loss for anything constructive to say or do.” He passed around a handwritten note:

Don’t say anything of a sensitive nature to anyone until we know we’re at turnaround. The walls have ears etc.

“Can’t play badminton in zero gee,” I said.

“Namir,” Meryl said, “could you get your balalaika and do me a song or two?”

“Yes,” Dustin said, with no sarcasm in his voice: “I would like that, too.”

“The end of the world is at hand,” said Elza.

Chapter 14 - PREDICTIONS

14

PREDICTIONS