"You'll change that opinion," said Kane. "What you need is rest and
relaxation."
"I'd like to get away from the whole business," said Maynard. "I'm
beginning to hate the whole shebang."
"You'll forget that. Did you know that they're going to present you
with your starred nebulae tonight?"
"Are they?"
"Yes. Laura Greggor will be there, too. Are you going to offer her the
chance?"
"Might as well," said Guy.
* * * * *
Kane looked at the younger man sharply. "You lost more than friendship
out there on Mephisto," said Kane. "You lost more than your fellow men."
"You mean Joan Forbes?"
"Yes."
Guy nodded slowly. "I curse myself that I didn't realize her affection
sooner. I'd have had her now if I'd not been so accursedly blind."
"No, you're wrong," said Kane. "Forbes would have followed you out
there anyway. Nothing would have changed, excepting that Joan could
have eased your worry some. Call her Joan Forbes or Mrs. Guy Maynard,
and you would have found her out there on Mephisto III."
"I called her Forbes and ignored her affection," said Maynard with a
groan.
"It's done now," said Kane. "In all of our lives, there are mistakes
which cause us regret for the rest of our lives. Not one of us is
immune. But, Guy, the successful ones of us forget our regrets and look
forward instead of backward. Living in the past is death in the future."
"It's hard to forget," said Guy.
"And yet," said Kane, "out there you will find an entire planet ready
to give you their acclaim. They'll make you forget. Unless, of course,
you prefer to remember, in which case you'll retreat within yourself
and become an embittered man. But if you'll go out there among the
people who want you to be the hero they think you are, you'll find
yourself being so busy living up to their belief that there'll be no
time for regret.
"But above all, Guy, don't take the other road. You can go anywhere
from here, now. If you become embittered because of your regret,
you'll end up a wizened old man with nothing but sorrow to recall for
all your lifetime. Life is too short and too interesting to spend it in
the past. Guy, what would Forbes tell you to do?"
Guy turned. "She'd probably laugh and tell me not to be a fool. She'd
probably admit in that laughing way of hers that she was the best--but
second best becomes top when the best is gone."
"You're bitter," said Kane. "The remedy is people, noise, music,
excitement, and forgetfulness. Come on, Guy, we'll go out now and find
it!"
"I don't think I care to."
"Don't be an idiot. Must I tell the world that their hero does not come
to his own functions because of grief? And Guy, why do you now fall
grief-stricken? I know and you know. But frankly it was because you
didn't know until too late. Now, snap out of it and come with me."
* * * * *
Maynard viewed the banquet with distaste. Yet it was exactly like one
of those same functions that he would have given his life to attend
five years ago. He thought of that and tried to forget. The reception
room was filled with glitter, and the sound of talk and light laughter
assailed his ears, and in part, Maynard forgot his feelings. He became
eager for the laughter. Kane noticed the change, however slight its
appearance, and he smiled inwardly.
"Good boy, Guy," he said. He led Guy to the center of the larger group
and without a word shouldered into the circle.
It was enough. They knew Kane and accepted him easily. Then they saw
Guy, and accepted him immediately; while they did not know him, they
recognized him. Guy became the center of a smaller circle and one of
the men growled cheerfully in Kane's ear:
"I don't know whether I like you any more or not. That young cub has
collected all our women."
Kane laughed. "Call him a young cub to his face, Tony, and he'll
collect your scalp."
"I know it. He's quite a fellow, I hear."
"He's the finest. Get Bill over there and we'll find a drink. And don't
worry, your women will be here when you find time to take 'em home."
"I know that, too. And for nine weeks afterward they'll be yelling at
me to show some get. Darn him, he even looks like a swashbuckler."
"I doubt that any piratical thoughts run through Maynard's mind," said
Kane, motioning to the man called Bill. "And as far as women go, he's
been a very busy boy for a long time."
"That's the trouble right now. If I'd been isolated as long as he has,
I'd be howling at the moon. And look at 'em flock around! A mutual
admiration society if I ever saw one."
Bill came up smiling. "It looks as though your protégé is doing well
in all fields of endeavor, Kane. Right now he's fighting the battle of
Amazonia."