_Shandy was a teddy bear, a lion,
an ape, a rival for Nancy Tanner's
affections.... But what_ else _was he_?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Worlds of If Science Fiction, October 1958.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Holman came down out of the forest of giant orange-woods and trudged
across the plain toward the place where Nancy Tanner lived. It was late
afternoon and the woods beyond Nancy's home were already growing dark
and dim.
The door of the old spaceship was open and a dark flowered rug hung
over the rail of the gangway. Late sun glazed the round window
near the door, but Holman thought he had seen Nancy behind the
strawberry-patterned curtains.
Wearing a pale blue cotton dress, tan and slender, Nancy came out of
the ship and into the low-trimmed grass. She held up one arm and waved
once, smiling. "Ken," she said and turned to roll up the rug.
Holman said, "How you been?" as he came near, walking at his usual pace.
Setting the rug carefully on the bottom step, Nancy looked up at him.
"Fine. Yourself?"
"Not bad. Had a cold last week." Holman put his suitcase down next to
the neatly rolled rug.