Together they swam high above the town along one insloping wall of the
cavern, passing through the thin layer where swarming microscopic life
furnished Tana's constant illumination, and reached the surface.
"Clear the water from your lungs all at once," Xintel instructed him.
"It's easier that way."
She exhaled as far as possible, water pouring from her open mouth, and
gasped in a breath of gas. He did likewise, and after some choking and
coughing, found he could breathe.
They climbed out on a slanting rock outcropping and he stared around.
"This gas must be almost pure oxygen," he said, his voice ringing
hollowly.
He looked around at the vaulted roof and irregular walls, noticing that
his breathing, while not painful, was somewhat labored. Then suddenly
the girl laughed wildly and did a few steps of a strange sinuous dance.
"What's the matter?" he asked anxiously.
She threw herself into his arms with limp abandon and squinted up into
his face as though having difficulty focusing her eyes. He believed he
understood, and besides he was beginning to cough.
She was giggling as he pushed her head under the water, but he had to
force himself to overcome his instinctive Earth reactions before he
could take that first breath of liquid.
After a few minutes Xintel gave him a shamefaced smile.
"Did I make a fool of myself?" she asked.
"Of course not," he replied gallantly but with a trace of
absentmindedness.
Slowly they let themselves drift down into the city, with Barry's mind
working furiously. He had remained out of water several minutes. He
though of the colony, and--until Xintel touched his arm--of Dorothy.
The experience gave a new purpose to his oddly timeless life. After
that during each waking period he swam up to the cavern roof. Each
time, as well as he could judge, he was able to remain out of water a
little longer.
At first Xintel scolded him bitterly, as from time immemorial wives
have scolded husbands for their own good. Upon the Venusians breathing
gaseous oxygen had the same effects as alcohol addiction on Earth. She
told him horrible stories of people who had drunkenly wandered into the
Outside and fallen afoul of norus or torvaks. She pointed out an oxygen
addict who moved jerkily and seemed half insane. Once she even resorted
to the ancient feminine weapon of contending amid loud sobs that he no
longer loved her or he would instantly cease his debauchery.
But Barry persisted, and after following him and seeing for herself
that he did not become intoxicated she finally accepted his habit,
along with his periods of silent thoughtfulness, as an inborn
peculiarity of her alien mate.