“Sure, I know what I want. I want....” he hesitated, chewing on a pine-needle. “I want time to work in peace, and a chance to see new places. I guess I want money. That would fix things. Then I could really do everything I haven’t time for.” “What sort of places would you like to see? India?” “Yes, and some of Europe, and North Africa. I’ve always wanted to paint in Algeria.” Feeling guilty, Blake said, “Oh, I’ve been there. It’s not so wonderful.” “You’ve been there?” said Teddy angrily. “Why, you lucky little fool.” “But of course I’ve been there. Mother had to go for her health, and of course....” Madden, oddly excited, shook his fist at the air. “Of course, of course, of course. You people who say ‘of course.’” Blake stared at him, mystified. For a cold moment he thought that perhaps Madden hated him. Then everything seemed to calm down: Teddy laughed and spit the pine-needle down between his dangling feet. “Come with me when I go away, then,” he said, “and see if you can get a kick out of that.” “When?” Blake was eager. “Oh, I don’t know. September’s a good time. Call it September. We’ll drive somewhere.” He shook his head and laughed again. “I’m getting nutty. How can I dig myself out of this hole? Damned cesspool.” He closed his eyes against the black and white panorama and went to sleep. The sky was getting red. In a minute there would be a sunrise: Blake tried to concentrate on it. People never saw the sunrise: people ought to look oftener at sunrises. Even one a month would be better than none at all. Some day he would change the system and live at night: he would finish his day with a sunrise and then go to bed immediately. Like this. Was it going to be red-orange, or gold? The clouds across the sky, on the other side, were beginning to flush near the sun. Where was the sun? Everything was waiting for it. Somewhere a few miles farther east there must be someone looking at it right now. All day there were sunrises somewhere in the world. A few hours ago there had been one in Algeria, and none of the people in the hotel there would have seen it. There would be a few servants coming to work in white robes growing pink in the red light. But here on this rock in New Mexico one person would watch it. Blake Lennard Watches Sunrise. He pulled his feet up and lay down facing east. Suddenly the sun was there, but the four huddled bodies on the high rock did not move. CHAPTER SEVEN