The Calm Man Read online

coming face to face with the stand-in. She might havenoticed the difference. But I had to have a stand-in, as a safeguard.Your mother _might_ have gone to the office despite the mental block."

  "She's gone now, father. Why did you send for her?"

  "To avoid what she would call a scene, my son. That I could not endure.I had the stand-in summon her on the office telephone, then I withdrewall vitality from it. She will find it quite lifeless. But it does notmatter now. When she returns we will be gone."

  "Was constructing the stand-in difficult, father?"

  "Not for me, my son. On Mars we have many androids, each constructed toperform a specific task. Some are ingenious beyond belief--or would seemso to Earthmen."

  There was a pause, then the weaker of the two voices said, "I will missmy mother. She tried to make me happy. She tried very hard."

  "You must be brave and strong, my son. We are eagles, you and I. Yourmother is a sparrow, gentle and dun-colored. I shall always remember herwith tenderness. You want to go with me, don't you?"

  "Yes, father. Oh, yes!"

  "Then come, my son. We must hurry. Your mother will be returning anyminute now."

  Sally stood motionless, listening to the voices like a spectator sittingbefore a television screen. A spectator can see as well as hear, andSally could visualize her son's pale, eager face so clearly there was noneed for her to move forward into the room.

  She could not move. And nothing on Earth could have wrenched a torturedcry from her. Grief and shock may paralyze the mind and will, butSally's will was not paralyzed.

  It was as if the thread of her life had been cut, with only one lightleft burning. Tommy was that light. He would never change. He would gofrom her forever. But he would always be her son.

  The door of Tommy's room opened and Tommy and his father came out intothe hall. Sally stepped back into shadows and watched them walk quicklydown the hall to the stairs, their voices low, hushed. She heard themdescend the stairs, their footsteps dwindle, die away into silence ...

  _You'll see a light, Sally, a great glow lighting up the sky. The shipmust be very beautiful. For eight years he labored over it, restoring itwith all the shining gifts of skill and feeling at his command. He wascalm toward you, but not toward the ship, Sally--the ship which willtake him back to Mars!_

  How is it on Mars, she wondered. My son, Tommy, will become a strong,proud adventurer daring the farthest planet of the farthest star?

  You can't stop a boy from adventuring. Surprise him at his books andyou'll see tropical seas in his eyes, a pearly nautilus, Hong Kong andValparaiso resplendent in the dawn.

  _There is no strength quite like the strength of a mother, Sally. Endureit, be brave ..._

  Sally was at the window when it came. A dazzling burst of radiance,starting from the horizon's rim and spreading across the entire sky. Itlit up the cottage and flickered over the lawn, turning rooftops tomolten gold and gilding the long line of rolling hills which hemmed inthe town.

  Brighter it grew and brighter, gilding for a moment even Sally's bowedhead and her image mirrored on the pane. Then, abruptly, it was gone ...

  Transcriber's Note:

  This etext was produced from _Fantastic Universe_ May 1954. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.