"But you're not...." A picture of the golden swimmers formed in
Harker's mind. It was recognizable, but hatred and fear had washed out
all the beauty, leaving only horror.
Harker said, "No." He explained about himself and McLaren. He told
about Sim. He knew she was listening carefully to his mind, testing it
for truth. He was not worried about what she would find. "My friend is
hurt," he said. "We need food and shelter."
For some time there was no answer. The girl was looking at Harker
again. His face, the shape and texture of his body, his hair, and
then his eyes. He had never been looked at quite that way before. He
began to grin. A provocative, be-damned-to-you grin that injected a
surprising amount of light and charm into his sardonic personality.
"Honey," he said, "you are terrific. Animal, mineral, or vegetable?"
She tipped her small round head in surprise, and asked his own question
right back. Harker laughed. She smiled, her mouth making a small
inviting V, and her eyes had sparkles in them. Harker started toward
her.
Instantly the birds warned him back. The girl laughed, a mischievous
ripple of merriment. "Come," she said, and turned away.
Harker frowned. He leaned over and spoke to McLaren, with peculiar
gentleness. He managed to get the boy erect, and then swung him across
his shoulders, staggering slightly under the weight. McLaren said
distinctly, "I'll be back before he's born."
Harker waited until the girl had started, keeping his distance. The two
black birds followed watchfully. They walked out across the thick grass
of the plain, toward the trees. The sky was now the color of blood.
A light breeze caught the girl's hair and played with it. Matt Harker
saw that the short curled strands were broad and flat, like blue petals.