“There’s one that Kathleen especially likes, if I can recall it. I think the first line is, “That time of year thou mayst’—”

“That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang, In me thou seest the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west…”

The feminine voice coming from TB startled both Nicole and General O’Toole. The words struck a resonant chord in O’Toole; he was deeply moved and a few tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. Nicole took the general’s hand and squeezed it compassionately after TB had finished the sonnet.

“You didn’t say anything to Michael about the problems you found with the pod navigation,” Nicole said. She and Richard were lying side by side in one of the small bedrooms on the military ship.

“No,” replied Richard quietly. “I didn’t want to worry him. He believes that we are going to be safe and I don’t want him to think differently.”

Nicole extended her arm and touched Richard. “We could stay here, darling — then at least Michael would survive.”

He rolled over toward her. She could tell he was looking at her, even though she couldn’t see him very clearly in the dark. “I thought about that,” Richard said. “But he would never accept it… I even thought about sending you by yourself. Would you want to do that?”

“No,” Nicole answered after thinking for a moment. “I don’t think so. I’d rather go with you, unless—”

“Unless what?”

“Unless there really is a big difference in the odds. If one of us can survive but two of us are almost certainly doomed, it doesn’t make much sense—”

“I can’t give you an accurate probabilistic assessment,” Richard inter­rupted. “But I don’t think there’s a major difference if we go together. My knowledge of the pod and its system might almost be worth the extra mass. But either way, we’re better off in the pod than if we stay here.”

“You’re absolutely convinced that missiles are on the way, aren’t you?”

“Yes, indeed. Nothing else makes sense. I would bet that such a contin­gency plan was under development as soon as Rama changed course and headed for the Earth.”

They were silent again. Nicole tried to sleep but was unsuccessful. They had both decided to rest for six hours before departing so that they could store some energy for what would doubtless be an exhausting voyage. Nicole’s mind, however, would not turn off. She kept imagining General O’Toole perishing in a nuclear fireball.

“He really is a wonderful man,” Nicole said very quietly. She wasn’t cer­tain if Richard was still awake.

“Yes, he is,” Richard answered in the same tone. “I envy his inner strength. I can’t imagine giving up my own life for someone else so will­ingly,” He paused for a moment. “I guess that comes from his deep religious beliefs. He doesn’t see death as an end, only as a transition.”

I could do it, Nicole thought. I could give up my life for Genevieve. Maybe even for Richard and this unborn baby. Perhaps in O’Toole’s religion everyone is part of his family.

Richard, meanwhile, was struggling with his own emotions. Was he being selfish in not insisting that Nicole go alone? Could he really justify the extra risk of his presence in terms of his extra skills? He dismissed the questions and tried to think of something else.

“You haven’t said much about the baby,” Nicole said softly after another short silence.

“I haven’t really had time to integrate him, or her, into what’s going on,” Richard replied. “I guess I’ve been insensitive… You know I’m happy about it. I just want to wait until we’re rescued before I seriously start thinking about what it will be like to be a father.” He leaned over and gave Nicole a kiss. “Now, darling, I hope you won’t think I’m being rude, but I’m going to try to sleep. It could be a long time before we have another opportu­nity—”

“Of course,” she said. “I’m sorry.” Nicole’s mind drifted to another pic­ture, this one of a small baby. ! wonder if he’ll be intelligent, she thought. And will he have Richard’s blue eyes and long fingers?

Nicole was curled up in a ball in the corner of the dimly lit room. The taste of manna melon was still in her mouth. She was awakened by a strange tapping on her shoulder. Nicole glanced up and saw the gray velvet avian bending over her. The cherry rings around its neck glowed in the dark. “Come,” it said pleadingly. “You must come with us.”

She followed the avian into the hallway and turned to the right, away from the vertical corridor. The other avians were standing quietly against the wall. They were all watching her carefully. The whole procession followed the gray avian down the tunnel.

In a few moments the tunnel expanded into a large room. There was a solitary small light on the far wall, but otherwise the room was dark. Others were present, but Nicole could not see them clearly. Occasionally she glimpsed their silhouettes as they moved across the beam from the single light source. Nicole started to say something but the avian leader interrupted her. “Shh,” it said, “they will be here soon.”

Nicole heard a noise coming toward them from the opposite side of the room. It sounded like a cart with wooden wheels moving on a dirt path. As it approached, the avians around Nicole backed up and pressed against her. Moments later there was a fire in front of them.

A bier was resting on top of a burning cart. Nicole gasped. Her mother’s body, dressed in regal green robes, lay on top of the bier. In the light from the fire Nicole could see some of the others in the room. Richard was smiling at her, holding the hand of a dark little girl about two years old. General O’Toole was very close to the fire, kneeling in prayer beside it. Behind him were a variety of biots and two or three odd forms that must have been octospiders.

The flames consumed the bier and began to burn her mother’s body. Her mother rose slowly from her supine position, When Anawi turned in Nicole’s direction, her face changed. It was Omen’s head on top of her mother’s body.

“Ronata,” he said distinctly, “the prophecies must be heeded. The Senoufo blood will be spread, even unto the stars. Minowe will be left behind. Ronata must travel with those who come from far away. Go now, and save the strange ones and Ronata’s children.”

60

RETURN TO RAMA

I can’t believe I’m doing this, Nicole said to herself as she carried her final ferryload of supplies to the heavy elevator at the top of the Beta stairway. It was dark inside Rama. The beam from her flashlight shone into the black void,

The dream had been so incredibly vivid that Nicole had been completely discombobulated for more than five minutes after she woke up. Even now, almost two hours later, when she closed her eyes Nicole could see Omeh’s face perfectly and hear his magical voice intoning the words. I hope Richard doesn’t wake up before I’m gone, Nicole thought. There’s no way he would ever understand.

She returned to the ferry and made one last trip through the shell toward the Newton. For thirty minutes she had been drafting her good-bye remarks in her mind, but now that the moment had come, Nicole was apprehensive.

“Dear Michael and dearest Richard,” she would begin, “last night I had the most compelling dream of my life. The old Senoufo chieftain Omeh ap­peared to me and told me that my destiny was with Rama.”

Nicole passed through the airlock and entered the control center. She sat down in front of the camera and cleared her voice. This is ridiculous, she thought, just before she turned on the lights. ! must be insane. But the power of Omeh’s image in her mind calmed all of her last-minute doubts, Moments later she continued with her final remarks to her friends.