He waited to hear what the big man would say next.
Channing licked dry lips. A terrible doubt assailed him. Maybe Aln
Muh had been metamorphosed too. Maybe she had returned to her former
self--whatever that may have been--while he sat here.
He looked down at the big, freckled hands resting on his knees. They
were trembling and his palms felt moist. Without looking up, he asked,
"Is the period of metamorphosis, always for a term of five years?"
"Invariably. No other term is possible in the present state of our
knowledge of the technique--except permanency."
A great sigh escaped Channing. That was all right, then. Aln Muh was
genuinely a Jube. The agent had told him about her--mentioned her by
name, he remembered now--had said that she was upklin farming on the
neighboring planet. If she had been metamorphosed, she would have been
taken from him more than a year ago.
He tossed his cap on the table decisively and stood up.
"All right. I'll take the permanent treatment."
* * * * *
Ckm Dyk sucked the methane through his gills with satisfaction. It was
good to be home again. He had forgotten already that he had ever been
Jim Channing, that he would never be human again.
He did not know that less than five minutes after the shuttle-ship had
borne him off to Galactic Enterprises, Aln Muh had sent her spaceboat
hurtling toward the fiery orb of Phylox Beta, mad with the grief of
having lost him. It would not have concerned him much if he had known.
Jubes make tender and devoted lovers, but they are notorious for their
exceedingly bad memories.