ide of the road. I picked up the book I had
been reading, but the window was too close to the road for me to
concentrate on the pages. She didn't say anything until he was standing
before her.

"I'll be waiting," she said. "Take care of yourself."

He nodded. "I have to go," he told her. "Partly because it was Dad's
last wish, partly because I need others of my own kind. Alone, we can't
help the world much; together, there's a good chance for results. I left
a letter for the council saying you were going to take over the class,
because you have the ability to carry on. Watch Cathy, and help her all
you can. She's got it; her weather forecast proved that much. You've got
to drum that into her; never let her forget it. Maybe I'll be back--I
hope so. But first, I have to find others. I need them, and they might
need me. We're still not completely self-sufficient.

"Give the kids my love, and keep them at it. Just don't forget they
_are_ kids. Give them a chance to grow up as normally as possible.
That's a chance I didn't have."

He kissed her tenderly, then started off down the road. When he reached
the crest of the hill, he turned and waved. Marty joined me at the
doorway, and we waved too. Outlined against the bright blue afternoon
sky, he stood immobile for a moment. To many, he would have been just a
young man with a tired-out face; but to me, the symbol of a better life
for Tommy and his children ... a life unmarred by the threat of instant
death as punishment for something he had little control over.

He's gone now, but the work will go on, and the Athersons of the world
will come to realize he is giving us another chance, a chance we don't
really deserve. Somehow he reminds me of another man. A man who said:
"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of
such is the kingdom of God."

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from _Fantastic Universe_ September 1957.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
typographical errors have been corrected without note.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stopover, by William Gerken

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STOPOVER ***

***** This file should be named 28450.txt or 28450.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/4/5/28450/

Produced b