The Project Gutenberg EBook of She Knew He Was Coming, by Kris Neville

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Title: She Knew He Was Coming

Author: Kris Neville

Release Date: October 11, 2010 [EBook #33934]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration]

_Mary might have learned a more ladylike trade, but one thing is
certain: she had a shining faith in that space guy from Earth. Now,
about that cake she baked ..._

She Knew He Was Coming

By Kris Neville

Illustrated by Ed Emsh

Outside, the bluish sun slanted low across the green dust of the Martian
desert, its last rays sparkling on the far mountain tops. One by one,
lights flickered on in the city.

"Mary must be expecting that Earthman," Anne said. She held her glastic
blouse tight together over her breasts and leaned a little out of the
window.

Milly nodded. "The _Azmuth_ landed this morning."

The noises of commerce were fading. From the window Anne saw the neon
blaze up over the door. For the thousandth time she blinked between the
equivocal words: 30--BEAUTIFUL HOSTESSES--30. Laughter, dry and false,
filtered up from the tea bars along the street. She looked westward,
toward the spaceport, and made out the shadowy nose of the berthed space
liner looming against the night. She could picture the scene--a thousand
stevedores unloading cargo, refill men and native spacewriters scurrying
over the sleek hull, the Earth voyageurs shouting orders and curses.

"Maybe he isn't even on it." Anne turned from the window. She crossed to
the couch and sat down, fluffing out the green crinkly glass of her
skirt; pendant, multicolored birds flashed from the rings in her ears.
She tucked rosy feet under her scented body. "I don't like Earthmen,"
she said.

"They spend money."

"They make me sick," Anne said. "With their pale skins and ugly eyes and
hairy bodies."

"They have strong arms."

Anne's wide, red mouth curled in distaste. "They're like a bunch of
kids."

The room was lighted by soft, overhead fire. Heavy d