A wayfarer's return from a far country to his wife and family may be ashining experience, a kind of second honeymoon. Or it may be so shadowedby Time's relentless tyranny that the changes which have occurred in hisabsence can lead only to tragedy and despair. This rarely discerning, warmlyhuman story by a brilliant newcomer to the science fantasy field is toldwith no pulling of punches, and its adroit unfolding will astound you.
A space rover has no business with a family. But what can a manin the full vigor of youth do—if his heart cries out for a home?
They all knew he was a spacerbecause of the white goggle markson his sun-scorched face, and sothey tolerated him and helped him.They even made allowances for himwhen he staggered and fell in theaisle of the bus while pursuing theharassed little housewife from seatto seat and cajoling her to sit andtalk with him.
Having fallen, he decided tosleep in the aisle. Two men helpedhim to the back of the bus, dumpedhim on the rear seat, and tucked hisgin bottle safely out of sight. Afterall, he had not seen Earth for ninemonths, and judging by the crustedmatter about his eyelids, he couldn'thave seen it too well now, even ifhe had been sober. Glare-blindness,gravity-legs, and agoraphobia wereexcuses for a lot of things, when aman was just back from Big Bottomless.And who could blame aman for acting strangely?
Minutes later, he was back up theaisle and swaying giddily over thelittle housewife. "How!" he said."Me Chief Broken Wing. Youwanta Indian wrestle?"
The girl, who sat nervously staringat him, smiled wanly, andshook her head.
"Quiet li'l pigeon, aren'tcha?" heburbled affectionately, crashing intothe seat beside her.
The two men slid out of theirseats, and a hand clamped his shoulder."Come on, Broken Wing, let'sgo back to bed."
"My name's Hogey," he said."Big Hogey Parker. I was just kiddingabout being a Indian."
"Yeah. Come on, let's go have adrink." They got him on his feet,and led him stumbling back downthe aisle.
"My ma was half Cherokee, see?That's how come I said it. Youwanta hear a war whoop? Realstuff."
"Never mind."
He cupped his hands to hismouth and favored them with ablood-curdling proof of his ancestry,while the female passengersstirred restlessly and hunched intheir seats. The driver stopped thebus and went back to warn himagainst any further display. Thedriver flashed a deputy's badge andthreatened to turn him over to aconstable.
"I gotta get home," Big Hogeytold him. "I got me a son now,that's why. You know? A littlebaby pigeon of a son. Haven't seenhim yet."
"Will you just sit still and bequiet then, eh?"
Big Hogey nodded emphatically."Shorry, officer, I didn't mean tomake any trouble."
When the bus started again, hefell on his side and lay still. Hemade retching sounds for a time,then rested, snoring softly. The busdriver woke him again at Caine'sjunction, retrieved his gin bottlefrom behind the seat, and helpedhim down the aisle and out of thebus.
Big Hogey stumbled about for amoment, then sat down hard in thegravel at the shoulder of the road.The driver paused with one foot onthe step, looking around. There wasnot even a store at the road junction,but only a freight buildingnext to the railroad track, a coupleof farmhouses at the edge of a side-road,and, just across the way, a desertedfilling station with a saggingroof. The land was Great Plainscountry, treeless, barren, and rolling.
Big Hog