I started walking along a winding trail in the great park. The stars
were out. They were diamonds, ground to dust, and thrown carelessly
across the black velvet of the sky. The moon had not yet risen. There
was a breeze, cool and light, and it brought temporary sanity. At least
it helped me realize I was tired.
I came to a little brook, and, instead of crossing the foot bridge, I
turned and followed the brook upstream. It led through groves of trees
and presently I found a little clearing where the bank sloped gently
and was covered with soft moss. At the water's edge, the bank and a
rock formation made a kind of overhanging ledge and I sat on this a
while and stared at the water, liquid silver, tumbling below.
Finally I moved up the bank a little, wrapped my cloak around me and
lay down. I looked at the stars. I wondered which one might be Mars.
It was red, I'd heard, but I saw nothing like that. Probably it wasn't
visible now. I got to thinking about Mars, and I got to thinking about
the prison colony there, and then I got to thinking about the primitive
life, and then free-mating.
That made me think of Lara, and her firm body and long, clean limbs and
blonde hair and mouse-colored eyes.
I drifted off to sleep. Lara stayed with me; she stepped into my
dream. It was a wonderful dream. Her voice, when she broke from
standard, was thrilling and delicious. It was linked with the tumbling
of the brook somehow. She was warm and vibrant in my arms. She was
alive, so alive. She was all movement.
We were laughing together and....
* * * * *