BooksBarbecue
Back The Long Sunset
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Prologue
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. 28.
  33. 29.
  34. 30.
  35. 31.
  36. 32.
  37. 33.
  38. 34.
  39. 35.
  40. 36.
  41. 37.
  42. 38.
  43. 39.
  44. 40.
  45. 41.
  46. 42.
  47. 43.
  48. 44.
  49. Epilogue
  50. About the Author
  51. Copyright

The skies were clear for the second attempt. Drivers arrived early and lined up as they had the day before. Arin and his associates charged around, straightening everything, moving cars slightly more left or right, and finally withdrawing with a look of satisfaction. Then the waiting began.

Ken hadn’t yet settled with Arin on a way to measure time, other than explaining in general terms that something wouldn’t take long. They knew, of course, that Arin had the time down, that he’d recorded the schedule of the Eiferman’s arrivals and departures. So they weren’t entirely surprised when, after everything was in place, he told Ken it would take “a quarter of an orbit” before the ship made its way above the horizon.

Hutch accepted an invitation from one of the drivers to get into his car and out of the sun. They made an attempt at conversation, but it failed and she wasn’t entirely surprised when he said something to her and left. She didn’t want to offend him, so she stayed where she was.

Eventually, Arin checked the timepiece he’d brought with him and told everyone that they should see the “vehicle” shortly. Minutes after that, it rose out of the ocean. They watched it approach, and hundreds of them waved and shouted as it passed overhead.

•  •  •

Hutch and Beth returned regularly to the beach. The crowd that had overwhelmed them during the first few days turned into occasional individuals smiling at them and saying hello almost as often in English as in the local usage. “They’re getting used to us,” Beth said.

Hutch tried to pick up whatever she could of the language. If they could get down words like underwater and hello and food, it would help. But she couldn’t even reproduce some of the sounds she was hearing. She was struck, however, at how friendly the creatures remained. How would a group of humans in Atlantic City have reacted if a UFO had crashed close to shore, and minutes later a group of strange-looking creatures came out of the water?

“I can’t help thinking,” she told Beth, “I’d almost prefer not to learn the language.”

“Why’s that, Hutch?”

“Because at some point, we are going to have to communicate with them.”

“And tell them about the black hole?”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it? There’s no happy ending here. And what happens to their lives if they find out? I’m not sure it would be a good idea to say anything.”

•  •  •