Brood of the Dark Moon: (A Sequel to "Dark Moon")Diffin, Charles Willard
Science
Brood of the Dark Moon: (A Sequel to "Dark Moon")
Diffin, Charles Willard
Science fiction
"So much data to record," he said. "There will be others who will follow
us some day. Perhaps not during our lifetime, but they will come. These
discoveries are mine; I must have the records for them.... And later I
will make paper," he added as an afterthought; "there is papyrus growing
in the lake."
But on the whole, Kreiss kept strictly to himself. "He's a lone wolf,"
Chet told the others, "and now that he is bringing in those heavy loads
of metals he is more exclusive than ever: won't let me into the back end
of his cave."
"Does he think we will steal his gold?" Harkness asked moodily. "What
good is gold to us here?"
"He may have gold," Chet informed him, "but he has something more
valuable too. I saw some chunks that glowed in the dark. Rotten with
radium, he told me. But even so, he is welcome to it: we can't use it.
No, I don't think he suspects us of wanting his trophies; he's merely
the kind that flocks by himself. He was having a wonderful time today
pounding out some of his metals with a stone hammer; I heard him at it
all day. He seems to have settled down in that cave for keeps."
* * * * *
Harkness threw another stick across the fire; its warmth was unneeded,
but its dancing flames were cheering.
"And that is something we must make up our minds about," he said slowly:
"are we to stay here, or should we move on?"
He dropped to the ground near where Diane was sitting, and took one of
her hands in his.
"Diane and I plan to 'set up housekeeping,'" he told Chet, and Chet saw
him smile whimsically at the words. Housekeeping on the Dark Moon would
be primitive indeed. "We are lacking in some of the customary features
of a wedding; we seem to be just out of ministers or civil officials to
tie the knot."
"Elect me Mayor of Dianeville," Chet suggested with a grin, "and I'll
marry you--if you think those formalities are necessary here."
Diane broke in. "It's foolish of me, Chet, I know it; but don't laugh at
me." He saw her lips tremble for an instant. "You see, we're so far away
from--from everything, and it seems that that if Walter and I could just
start our lives with a really and truly marriage--oh, I know it is
foolish--"
This time Chet interrupted. "After all you have been through, and after
the bravery you've shown, I think you are entitled to a little
'foolishness.' And you _shall_ be married with as good a knot as any
minister could tie: you see, that is one of the advantages of being a
Master Pilot. My warrant permits me to perform a marriage service in any
level above the surface of the Earth. A left-over from the time when
ship's captains had the same right. And although we are grounded for
keeps, if we are not above the surface of the Earth right now I don't
know anything about altitudes. But," he added as if it were an
afterthought, "my fee, although I hate to mention it, is five dollars."
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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