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into the air. "Tag! You're it!"

    She screamed with laughter and shot off after him. They rushed across the wilderness, weaving in and out of empty windows, and broken colonnades, and their shouts woke a clamor of echoes.

    Jorun sighed. I'd better go to bed , he thought. It's late .

    *
    The spaceship was a steely pillar against a low gray sky. Now and then a fine rain would drizzle down, blurring it from sight; then that would end, and the ship's flanks would glisten as if they were polished. Clouds scudded overhead like flying smoke, and the wind was loud in the trees.

    The line of Terrans moving slowly into the vessel seemed to go on forever. A couple of the ship's crew flew above them, throwing out a shield against the rain. They shuffled without much talk or expression, pushing carts filled with their little possessions. Jorun stood to one side, watching them go by, one face after another— scored and darkened by the sun of Earth, the winds of Earth, hands still grimy with the soil of Earth.

    Well , he thought, there they go. They aren't being as emotional about it as I thought they would. I wonder if they really do care .

    Julith went past with her parents. She saw him and darted from the line and curtsied before him.

    "Good-by, good sir," she said. Looking up, she showed him a small and serious face. "Will I ever see you again?"

    "Well," he lied, "I might look in on you sometime."

    "Please do! In a few years, maybe, when you can."

    It takes many generations to raise a people like this to our standard. In a few years— to me— she'll be in her grave.

    "I'm sure you'll be very happy," he said.

    She gulped. "Yes," she said, so low he could hardly hear her. "Yes, I knowI will." She turned and ran back to her mother. The raindrops glistened in her hair.

    Zarek came up behind Jorun. "I made a last-minute sweep of the whole area," he said. "Detected no sign of human life. So it's all taken care of, except your old man."

    "Good," said Jorun tonelessly.

    "I wish you could do something about him."

    "So do I."

    Zarek strolled off again.

    A young man and woman, walking hand in hand, turned out of the line not far away and stood for a little while. A spaceman zoomed over to them. "Better get back," he warned. "You'll get rained on."

    "That's what we wanted," said the young man.

    The spaceman shrugged and resumed his hovering. Presently the couple re-entered the line.

    The tail of the procession went by Jorun and the ship swallowed it fast. The rain fell harder, bouncing off his force-shield like silver spears. Lightning winked in the west, and he heard the distant exuberance of thunder.

    Kormt came walking slowly toward him. Rain streamed off his clothes and matted his long gray hair and beard. His wooden shoes made a wet sound in the mud. Jorun extended the force-shield to cover him. "I hope you've changed your mind," said the Fulkhisian.

    "No, I haven't," said Kormt. "I just stayed away till everybody was aboard. Don't like goodbys."

    "You don't know what you're doing," said Jorun for the— thousandth? —time. "It's plain madness to stay here alone."

    "I told you I don't like goodbys," said Kormt harshly.

    "I have to go advise the captain of the ship," said Jorun. "You have maybe half an hour before she lifts. Nobody will laugh at you for changing your mind."

    "I won't." Kormt smiled without warmth. "You people are the future, I guess. Why can't you leave the past alone? I'm the past." He looked toward the far hills, hidden by the noisy rain. "I like it here, Galactic. That should be enough for you."

    "Well, then—" Jorun held out his hand in the archaic gesture of Earth. "Good-by."

    "Good-by." Kormt took the hand with a brief, indifferent clasp. Then he turned and walked off toward the village. Jorun watched him till he was out of sight.

    The technician paused in the airlock door, looking over the gray landscape and the village from whose chimneys no smoke rose. Farewell, my mother , he thought.