"You didn't let me down... you were swell. I just didn't quite make it."

("I guess we both didn't quite make it ... but we sure let ‘em know that we tried! So long, partner.")

"So long. ‘Hasta la vista, amigo!" I managed to crawl two short steps and collapsed with my head near the Mother Thing's head.

She was smiling. ("Hello, Kip my son.")

"I didn't... quite make it, Mother Thing. I'm sorry."

("Oh, but you did make it!")

"Huh?"

("Between us, we've both made it.")

I thought about that for a long time. "And Oscar."

("And Oscar, of course.")

"And Peewee."

("And always Peewee. We've all made it. Now we can rest, dear.")

"G'night... Mother Thing."

It was a darn short rest. I was just closing my eyes, feeling warm and happy that the Mother Thing thought that I had done all right-when Peewee started shaking my shoulder. She touched helmets. "Kip! Kip! Get up. Please get up."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because I can't carry you! I tried, but I can't do it. You're just too big!"

I considered it. Of course she couldn't carry me-where did she get the silly notion that she could? I was twice her size. I'd carry her... just as soon as I caught my breath.

"Kip! Please get up." She was crying now, blubbering.

"Why, sure, honey," I said gently, "if that's what you want." I tried and had a clumsy bad time of it. She almost picked me up, she helped a lot. Once up, she steadied me.

"Turn around. Walk."

She almost did carry me. She got her shoulders under my right arm and kept pushing. Every time we came to one of those blown-out panels she either helped me step over, or simply pushed me through and helped me up again.

At last we were in the lock and she was bleeding air from inside to fill it. She had to let go of me and I sank down. She turned when the inner door opened, started to say something-then got my helmet off in a hurry.

I took a deep breath and got very dizzy and the lights dimmed.

She was looking at me. "You all right now?"

"Me? Sure! Why shouldn't I be?"

"Let me help you inside."

I couldn't see why, but she did help and I needed it. She sat me on the floor near the door with my back to the wall-I didn't want to lie down. "Kip, I was so scared!"

"Why?" I couldn't see what she was worried about. Hadn't the Mother Thing said that we had all done all right?

"Well, I was. I shouldn't have let you go out."

"But the beacon had to be set."

"Oh, but- You set it?"

"Of course. The Mother Thing was pleased."

"I'm sure she would have been," she said gravely.

"She was."

"Can I do anything? Can I help you out of your suit?"

"Uh... no, not yet. Could you find me a drink of water?"

"Right away!"

She came back and held it for me-I wasn't as thirsty as I had thought; it made me a bit ill. She watched me for some time, then said, "Do you mind if I'm gone a little while? Will you be all right?"

"Me? Certainly." I didn't feel well, I was beginning to hurt, but there wasn't anything she could do.

"I won't be long." She began clamping her helmet and I noticed with detached interest that she was wearing her own suit-somehow I had had the impression that she had been wearing Tim's.

I saw her head for the lock and realized where she was going and why. I wanted to tell her that the Mother Thing would rather not be inside here, where she might... where she might-I didn't want to say "spoil" even to myself.

But Peewee was gone.

I don't think she was away more than five minutes. I had closed my eyes and I am not sure. I noticed the inner door open. Through it stepped Peewee, carrying the Mother Thing in her arms like a long piece of firewood. She didn't bend at all.

Peewee put the Mother Thing on the floor in the same position I had last seen her, then undamped her helmet and bawled.

I couldn't get up. My legs hurt too much. And my arms. "Peewee... please, honey. It doesn't do any good."

She raised her head. "I'm all through. I won't cry any more."

And she didn't.

We sat there a long time. Peewee again offered to help me out of my suit, but when we tried it, I hurt so terribly, especially my hands and my feet, that I had to ask her to stop. She looked worried. "Kip ... I'm afraid you froze them."

"Maybe. But there's nothing to do about it now." I winced and changed the subject. "Where did you find your suit?"

"Oh!" She looked indignant, then almost gay. "You'd never guess. Inside Jock's suit."

"No, I guess I wouldn't. The Purloined Letter.' "

"The what?"

"Nothing. I hadn't realized that old Wormface had a sense of humor."

Shortly after that we had another quake, a bad one. Chandeliers would have jounced if the place had had any and the floor heaved. Peewee squealed. "Oh! That was almost as bad as the last one."

"A lot worse, I'd say. That first little one wasn't anything."

"No, I mean the one while you were outside."

"Was there one then?"

"Didn't you feel it?"

"No." I tried to remember. "Maybe that was when I fell off in the snow."

"You fell off? Kip!"

"It was all right. Oscar helped me."

There was another ground shock. I wouldn't have minded, only it shook me up and made me hurt worse. I finally came out of the fog enough to realize that I didn't have to hurt.

Let's see, medicine pills were on the right and the codeine dispenser was farthest back- "Peewee? Could I trouble you for some water again?"

"Of course!"

"I'm going to take codeine. It may make me sleep. Do you mind?"

"You ought to sleep if you can. You need it."

"I suppose so. What time is it?"

She told me and I couldn't believe it. "You mean it's been more than twelve hours?"

"Huh? Since what?"

"Since this started."

"I don't understand, Kip." She stared at her watch. "It has been exactly an hour and a half since I found you-not quite two hours since the Mother Thing set off the bombs."

I couldn't believe that, either. But Peewee insisted that she was right.

The codeine made me feel much better and I was beginning to be drowsy, when Peewee said, "Kip, do you smell anything?"

I sniffed. "Something like kitchen matches?"

"That's what I mean. I think the pressure is dropping, too. Kip ... I think I had better close your helmet-if you're going to sleep."

"All right. You close yours, too?"

"Yes. Uh, I don't think this place is tight any longer."

"You may be right." Between explosions and quakes, I didn't see how it could be. But, while I knew what that meant, I was too weary and sick- and getting too dreamy from the drug-to worry. Now, or a month from now-what did it matter? The Mother Thing had said everything was okay.

Peewee clamped us in, we checked radios, and she sat down facing me and the Mother Thing. She didn't say anything for a long time. Then I heard: "Peewee to Junebug-"

"I read you, Peewee."

"Kip? It's been fun, mostly. Hasn't it?"

"Huh?" I glanced up, saw that the dial said I had about four hours of air left. I had had to reduce pressure twice, since we closed up, to match falling pressure in the room. "Yes, Peewee, it's been swell. I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

She sighed. "I just wanted to be sure you weren't blaming me. Now go to sleep."

I did almost go to sleep, when I saw Peewee jump up and my phones came to life. "Kip! Something's coming in the door!"

I came wide awake, realized what it meant. Why couldn't they have let us be? A few hours, anyhow? "Peewee. Don't panic. Move to the far side of the door. You've got your blue-light gadget?"

"Yes."

"Pick them off as they come in."

"You've got to move, Kip. You're right where they will come!"

"I can't get up." I hadn't been able to move, not even my arms, for quite a while. "Use low power, then if you brush me, it won't matter. Do what I say! Fast!"