ss the room. As his activity increased, the animal
became more and more content to lie on the bed and follow him with its
eyes. It no longer frisked about as it had in the beginning. As Bolden
told the nurse, it was becoming housebroken.

The time came when the doctor failed to find a single microbe. Bolden's
newly returned strength and the sensitivity of his skin where before
there had been numbness confirmed the diagnosis. He was well. Peggy came
to walk him home. It was pleasant to have her near.

"I see you're ready," she said, laughing at his eagerness.

"Except for one thing," he said. "Come, Pet." The animal raised its head
from the bed where it slept.

"Pet?" she said quizzically. "You ought to give it a name. You've had it
long enough to decide on something."

"Pet's a name," he said. "What can I call it? Doc? Hero?"

She made a face. "I can't say I care for either choice, although it did
save your life."

"Yes, but that's an attribute it can't help. The important thing is that
if you listed what you expect of a pet you'd find it in this creature.
Docile, gentle, lively at times; all it wants is to be near you, to have
you touch it. And it's very clean."

"All right, call it Pet if you want," said Peggy. "Come on, Pet."

It paid no attention to her. It came when Bolden called, getting slowly
off the bed. It stayed as close as it could get to Bolden. He was still
weak so they didn't walk fast and, at first, the animal was able to keep
up.

* * * * *

It was almost noon when they went out. The sun was brilliant and Van
Daamas seemed a wonderful place to be alive in. Yes, with death behind
him, it was a very wonderful place. Bolden chatted gaily with Peggy. She
was fine company.

And then Bolden saw the native who had given him the animal. Five to
seven days, and he had arrived on time. The rest of the tribe must be
elsewhere in the settlement. Bolden smiled in recognition while the man
was still at some distance. For an answer the native shifted the bow in
his hand and glanced behind the couple, in the direction of the
hospital.

The movement with the bow might have been menacing, but Bolden ignored
that gesture. It was the sense that something was missing that caused
him to look down. The animal was not at his side. He turned around.

The creature was struggling in the dust. It got to its feet and wobbled
toward him, staggering crazily as it tried to reac