"Martt! Frannie! Frank!" It was his voice! Brett was here! And we saw him step from a thicket. His familiar voice; his familiar figure, but so fantastically garbed that it brought to me a wild desire to laugh, for I was half hysterical with the relief of seeing him. Frannie cried, "Brett! My brother! You're all right, Brett, aren't you? I'm glad you're all right." Under stress, how inarticulate are we humans! I said awkwardly, "How are you, Brett? We thought we'd come and see you." He took Frannie in his arms. And wrung Martt's hand, and mine, while his strange companions stood in the background among the trees, watching us. "Of course I'm all right," he declared. "And terrifically happy." A shadow crossed his face; his glance went to the vehicle's doorway. "Father didn't come with you?" Then Martt showed a wisdom far beyond his years. This was no time to bring sorrow to Brett. Martt said smoothly, "Father is better than he has ever been, Brett. We'll tell you--later." "Good! That's fine!" Brett's face was radiant. "You're just in time, you three. I'm to be married tonight." But even then as I wrung his hand again, and congratulated him, I had a premonition that it was not to be. _CHAPTER 2_ STOLEN INTO SMALLNESS "Life is pleasant here," said Brett. "Pleasant, and indolent. It does not make for progress, but it is happiness--and I'm beginning to wonder if that is not best, after all." We were sitting in an arcaded passage on the roof of the home where Brett lived. Crescent archways opened to the roof, where stood banks of vivid flowers, with a vista of the city beyond. The building seemed of baked earth, rough like adobe, and of dull orange color. It was a two-storied, crescent-shaped structure, set upon a wide street-corner near the edge of the city. The home of Leela's father. I had never forgotten Leela--the girl Brett and Martt had rescued from the giant on their first visit here. Brett had fallen in love with her. It was she whom tonight he was to marry. And this was her father's home--Greedo, the old musician. "I have lived here with them six months," Brett said. Martt exclaimed, "Six months! Why Brett, you have been gone four years!" We had miscalculated the Time-change of the vehicle. Our purpose had been to strike this realm of the Inner Surface at a point in Time which to Brett would be four years. But now we found it six months only. Brett smiled. "I'm glad you didn't postpone your arrival. You've no idea how pleased I am to have you--tonight of all nights." We had not yet seen Leela, or her father. Brett said that Leela would be up presently to greet us. The city was excited over our coming. A crowd was gathered in the street before the house; Brett had made them a brief speech; Frannie, Martt and I had stood at the parapet and waved to them. Then Brett had spoken of a younger sister of Leela's. Her name was Zelea--they called her Zee.