"Why does everyone say, come _back_ to Earth," Kirk complained. "Just because I had ancestors here I'm no Earthman!" He added, "And whatever you do, don't mention that bright idea to Lyllin! I'm going up to Orville now to get her." Garstang only smiled at him, a queer sort of smile. Kirk drove up through the quiet roads, the green countryside. The golden sun was soft upon his face. The breeze held a faint, smoky tang of oncoming fall. Earth's fall--he'd heard about that. Peaceful, beautiful--but it was no world for him! Come "back" to Earth, indeed! Why, he'd lived on many worlds and none of them had ever got that kind of sentimental hold on him. Though he could understand why people felt that way about this old place-- Hell, he must be getting sentimental himself! He put a curb on such thoughts and drove on. And when he drove into Orville, there were frantic handwavings from every street-corner, his name was shouted by the kids along the sidewalks. * * * * * Vinson came running out of his house to meet him when he pulled up. "Your wife's over at your house," Vinson explained. He shook hands. He was vastly excited and proud. "You know what--the village is going to put up a plaque. With all our names on it. Just saying, 'They fought the Battle of Orville'. Nothing else, account of diplomacy." Kirk said, "It deserves the plaque, that fight. If you chaps hadn't turned out that night--" "Hear you're leaving tomorrow," Vinson went on. "Thought I'd keep your old place going better, while you're gone, by working the fields. I'll keep an eye on your house, too." Kirk said, "What makes you think I'm coming back?" Vinson said, puzzledly, "Why, you are, aren't you? I mean--you're an Orville boy--this is your real home--" Kirk suppressed the impatient words he'd been about to utter. No use upsetting a nice guy. He said, "Oh, sure, I'll be back--" He drove on to the old house. Lyllin sat on the porch. He saw, to his surprise, that on her lap there cozily reclined a large black cat. Lyllin smiled. "I think I've been accepted. By the people here--and by Tom." Tom yawned and looked with insolent green eyes at Kirk. "His sides are bulging," Kirk said. "You've been bribing the beggar with food." She laughed. "I don't know how he'll like space-travel. But we'll be bringing him back some day." "Will we?" said Kirk. She looked up at him. "Joe Garstang was talking to me. You _will_ be retiring from active service in a few years. And I like it here now, Kirk. I really do." He said, loudly, "Why in the world must everyone assume that I _want_ to come back to this place? Will you tell me that?" "Don't you?" He started to answer, then didn't. He looked out from the porch of the old house, at the sunset light sweeping the green valley, at the old trees beyond the fields, at everything that had somehow got a queer grip on him without his knowing it. He said, "Well, I don't know. Maybe." Lyllin smiled.