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Back The Long Sunset Save as PDF
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

“Tell him yes.”

They listened to the response. “He says they will send a tracking signal. We should follow it in.”

•  •  •

“Well done, Barry,” said Hutch.

“Captain, thank you.”

Beth was smiling. “Not sure what we’d do without him.”

“He’s good. Barry?”

“Yes, Captain?”

“Transfer everything you have on the language to Tasha.”

Derek got out of his seat. “I’m going down to talk with her. With Tasha. Give me some time. I’ll call you when I’m ready to go.”

“I’d like to go too,” said Ken.

Derek frowned. “Not a good idea. We don’t know anything about these guys. They sound okay, but they’re not Volarians. And they have fangs. I don’t want to take any chances.”

They went back and forth for a couple of minutes before Ken gave in. “Okay,” he said, finally. He wasn’t happy about it, but Beth had been sending signals that she wouldn’t want him to go without her. “But I can’t see that there’s anything to worry about.”

Derek had just left the passenger cabin when Barry announced that he was receiving the tracking signal.

ARCHIVE

Walter Esmeraldo’s Log

I’d expected aliens to be seriously different. The only ones we’ve seen that really rattled my cage were the Mantises. I’m glad we didn’t have any reason to try to go down to say hello to them.

—Saturday, August 16, 2256

33.

The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. He is supported on crutches, but lacks so much support of muscle. He has a fine Geneva watch, but he fails of the skill to tell the hour by the sun.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Self-Reliance,” 1841

Derek and Hutch took the lander through the night and into a dawn riddled with storm clouds and a near-torrential rain. The voice spoke to them again, with Tasha’s translation posted on the display: “I am Shalon. My regrets. I should have thought about the weather conditions before recommending this. If you wish to postpone and return to your ship until later, I will understand.”

Derek gave Tasha their response: “It’s not a problem, Shalon. If you wish to postpone the meeting, we can wait. Or we can do it this evening. Whatever you prefer.”

“If you are certain it will not inconvenience you, then let us continue. We look forward to seeing you.”

They continued across a wide forest and emerged over a cluster of buildings and houses whose design and layout caused Ken to comment from the Eiferman that they might have been the product of Leonardo da Vinci. They had onion domes and spires and cornices and a wide range of arches and abutments. None appeared to be more than a few stories tall. Vehicles moved through the streets, and an aircraft was rising into the rain from a facility on the edge of the city.