the distance very quickly.

"Well," Lee said, "I suppose I can understand that. You were born here,
Aura?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Your world here--what is it like?"

She gazed up at him as though surprised. "You have seen it. It is just a
simple little place. We have not so many people here in the village, and
about that many more--those who live in the hills close around here."

"You mean that's all? Just this village? Just a few thousand people?"

"Oh there are others, of course. Other groups--like ours, I guess--out
in the forests--everywhere in all the forests, maybe." Her gesture
toward the distant, glowing, wooded horizons was vague. "We have never
tried to find out. Why should we? Wherever they are, they have all that
they need or want. So have we."

The thing was so utterly simple. He pondered it. "And you--you're very
happy here?"

Her wide eyes were childlike. "Why yes. Of course. Why not? Why should
not everyone be happy?"

"Well," he said, "there are things--"

"Yes. I have heard of them. Things on your Earth--which the humans
create for themselves--but that is very silly. We do not have them
here."

Surely he could think of no retort to such childlike faith. Her faith.
How horribly criminal it would be to destroy it. A priceless
thing--human happiness to be created out of the faith that it was the
normal thing. He realized that his heart was pounding, as though now
things which had been dormant within him all his life were coming
out--clamoring now for recognition.

And then, out of another silence he murmured, "Aura--you're taking me to
my grandfather, aren't you? He came here from Earth--and then he sent
back there to get me?"

"Yes," she admitted. "So you know it? But I was instructed to--"

"All right. We won't talk of it. And he's told you about me?"

"Yes," she agreed shyly. She caught her breath as she added, "I have
been--waiting for you--a long time." Shyly she gazed up at him. The
night-breeze had blown her hair partly over her face. Her hand brushed
it away so that her gaze met his. "I hoped you would be, well, like you
are," she added.

"Oh," he said awkwardly. "Well--thanks."

"And you," she murmured out of another little silence, "you--I hope I
haven't disappointed you. I am the way you want--like you wished--"

What a weird thing to say! He smiled. "Not ever having heard of you,
Aura, I can't exactly say that I--"

* * * * *

He checked