w that there was
something to celebrate. We could even save our announcement that we
were going home until then.

"Mr. Duane," I said. "Next week, on the tenth, we'll have been here
thirty-five Martian years. Maybe you'd like to come out then. I guess
our neighbors will be giving us a sort of party."

He laid the pen down and looked at me very intently. "They don't know
you're planning to leave yet, do they?"

"No. We'll wait and tell them then."

Duane nodded slowly. "I'll be there," he promised.

* * * * *

Martha was out on the veranda again, looking down the road toward the
village. All afternoon at least one of us had been out there watching
for our guests, waiting for our anniversary celebration to begin.

"Do you see anyone yet?" I called.

"No," she said. "Not yet...."

I looked around the room hoping I'd find something left undone that I
could work on, so I wouldn't have to sit and worry about the
possibility of Duane's having forgotten us. But everything was ready.
The extra chairs were out and the furniture all dusted, and Martha's
cakes and cookies arranged on the table.

I couldn't sit still. Not today. I got up out of the chair and joined
her on the veranda.

"I wonder what their surprise is...." she said. "Didn't John give you
any hint at all?"

"No," I said. "But whatever it is, it can't be half as wonderful as
ours."

She reached for my hand. "Lewis," she whispered. "I can hardly believe
it, can you?"

"No," I said. "But it's true. We're really going."

I put my arm around her, and she rested her head against me.

"I'm so happy, Lewis."

Her cheeks were full of color once again, and her step had a spring to
it that I hadn't seen for years. It was as if the years of waiting
were falling away from both of us now.

"I wish they'd come," she said. "I can hardly wait to see their faces
when we tell them."

It was getting late in the afternoon. Already the sun was dipping down
toward the desert horizon. It was hard to wait. In some ways it was
harder to be patient these last few hours than it had been during all
those years we'd wanted to go back.

"Look," Martha said suddenly. "There's a car now."

Then I saw the car too, coming quickly toward us. It pulled up in
front of the house and stopped and Duane stepped out.

"Well, hello there, Mr. Farwell," he called. "All ready for the trip?"

I nodded. Suddenly, now that he was here, I couldn't say any