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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

The star-gazer pointed at the display, where a herd of four-legged animals were moving across a wide plain. “What are those?” They resembled buffalo somewhat, though they were paler, with not much fur. “Incredible. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

•  •  •

Hutch took Korsek, Arin, and Ken down and landed near the buffalo. They were actually larger animals, and their horns were spiraled. They did not react to the arriving vehicle other than to glance in its direction. They showed no interest whatever when she and her passengers climbed out and stood watching them rumble past. Other than a couple of large birds feeding on something, nothing else moved anywhere across that vast plain. When the animals were gone, she got back into the lander. She didn’t like leaving them on their own while she returned to the ship to collect the others. But that was the plan.

She arrived a half hour later on the Eiferman and picked up Kwylla, Rampol, and Droo. By the time she got back to the ground, the sun was setting behind some low ridges. And all three of the moons were in the sky. They were spectacular.

“How’s everything?” she asked Ken.

“Okay. I think it’s going to work.”

“Is the air all right?”

“They thought it was a bit chilly. But that’s no concern. They’re all breathing okay.”

“How about the gravity? Does anyone feel different?”

“No,” said Ken. “Nobody’s noticing anything unusual.”

Droo asked about food. Hutch explained that samples of their food would be transported to the high-tech civilization that would be helping them. The Tarkans. “They’ll duplicate everything, and there’ll be adequate supplies, food, whatever you need, waiting when you arrive, as well as a means for you guys to take over production on your own.”

“Sounds like a miracle,” said Kwylla.

Arin embraced her. “It’s the kind of thing that happens when you have friends.”

Belatedly, she noticed Rampol staring across the plain.

“Anything wrong?” she asked.

“It just seems strange without oceans.”

Priscilla’s Journal

I suspect they’re adjusting to the truth. I don’t think the Volarians shed tears, but I saw both Kwylla and Droo holding their hands to their faces and looking visibly upset. The others have been relatively subdued since they saw the black hole. And arriving on Utopia seems to have had an even more disturbing effect. I doubt it derives from a negative reaction to the world itself, but from its driving home the reality of what’s happening.

—Thursday, August 28, 2256

37.

A friend is a second self.

—Aristotle, Cicero, De amicitia, XXI, c. 50 BCE