"Let us rest here for a time," I said. "I choose thatspot." I indicated a place beneath a small tree,

"And I will rest here," Kwib said, moving to a positionacross from me beside a large rock.

"I miss my Ruby Stone, Dear One," I said.

"As do I, Love."

"I wish to bear the eggs that he will tend. Love."

"As do I, Slim One."

"What was that noise?"

"I heard nothing."

I listened again, but there were no sounds.

"It is said that one who is larger—such as myself—can drink more of the heating beverage with less effect,"Kwib said, after staring into the shadows for a long whileand nodding suddenly.

"I have heard this, also. Are you choosing this place,Dear One?"

Kwib rose-

"I would be a fool not to, Beloved. May there alwaysbe peace between our spirits."

I remained where I was.

"Could it ever be otherwise, my Kwib?"I sought the two sticks at my belt, where the talons resembled hardroot rings.

"Truly you are the kindest, the finest ..." Kwib began.

... And then she lunged, her mandibles wide for themajor cut.

I struck low on her thorax with one set of talons, rollingto the side as I did so. Recovering, I raked the otheracross the great facets of her eyes in which images of themoons and stars had glittered and danced. She whistledand drew back. I brought both sets of talons around andacross and down, driving them with all of my strengthbehind the high chitin plate below her dear head. Herwhistling grew more shrill and the talons were torn frommy grasp as she fell back. The odor of body fluid came tome, and the odor of fear... .

I struck her with my full weight. I extended my mandibles and seized her head. She struggled for but a moment,then lay still.

"Be kind to our Ruby Stone," she told me. "He is sogentle, so fragile...."

"Always, Beloved," I told her, and then I completedthe stroke.

I lay there atop her hard and supple form, coveringher body with warm leptors.

"Farewell, Reaper of the Wood. Dear One ..." I said.

Finally, I rose and used my mandibles to cut throughthe hard corners of her armor. She was so soft inside. Ihad to bear all of her back within me to our Ruby Stone.I began the Feast of Love.

It was full daylight when I had cleaned Kwib'sarmor to a slick, shining hardness and assembled itcarefully, working with the toughest grass fibers. WhenI hung her on the tree she made gentle clicking noisesin the passing air.

From somewhere, I heard another sound—steady,buzzing, unnatural. No! It could not be that the Earthmanwould have dared to follow us and use his capturing box—

I looked about. Was that a giant shadow retreatingbeyond the hill? My movements were sluggish. I could notpursue. I could not have certainty, knew that I could neverhave it. I had to have rest, now....

Heavily, slowly, I moved to a place near the rock andsettled there. I listened to the spirit voice of my darling,borne by the wind from her shell... .

...- Sleep, she was saying, sleep. 1 am with you, nowand ever. Yours is the privilege and the pleasure. Love.May there always be peace between our spirits... .

... And sleep I must before I take feet to the trail.Ruby, Ruby Stone, my Ruby Stone, waiting with the colorof fire on your brow, glorious in the sunlight, soft andsubtle in the evening... . Your waiting is almost ended.It is only yours to wait, to stand and to witness our returning. But now we have finished the trial of love andare coming back to you.... I can see the Home, so clearly,where we placed you... . Soon you will bring yourbrightness near to us. We will give you eggs. We willfeed you. Soon, soon ... The shadow is there again,but I cannot tell ... This part does not concern you. Ibury the shame within me—if shame it should be—andI will never speak of it. ... Our beloved Kwib is stillsinging, on the tree and within me. The poem is peace; peace, troth, and the eternal return of the egg. What elsecan matter, my Dear One? What else can temper theflight or star the brow of solitude but the jeweled badgeof our love. Ruby Stone?

Sleep, sings Kwib. Wait, sings Kwib. Soon, sings Kwib.Our parts in the great song-show of life, Love.

One day, I saw a nice, slick, pretty, new magazine calledOmni and was overcome by the desire to have a storym it, so I wrote this one and did.

He walked barefoot along the beach. Above-the cityseveral of the brighter stars held for a few final momentsagainst the wash of light from the east. He fingered astone, then buried it in the direction from which the sunwould come. He watched for a long while until it hadvanished from sight. Eventually it would begin skipping.Before then, he had turned and was headed back, to thecity, the apartment, the girl.Somewhere beyond the skyline a vehicle lifted, burningits way into the heavens. It took the remainder of thenight with it as it faded. Walking on, he smelled thecountryside as well as the ocean. It was a pleasant world,and this a pleasant city—spaceport as well as seaport—here in this backwater limb of the galaxy. A good place inwhich to rest and immerse the neglected portion of himself in the flow of humanity, the colors and sounds ofthe city, the constant tugging of gravity. But it had beenthree months now. He fingered the scar on his brow. Hehad let two offers pass him by to linger. There was another pending his consideration.

As he walked up Kami's street, he saw that her apartment was still dark. Good, she would not even havemissed him, again. He pushed past the big front door,still not repaired since he had kicked it open the eveningof the fire, two—no, three—nights ago. He used the stairsHe let himself in quietly.

He was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when heheard her stirring.

"Jack?"

"Yes. Good morning."

"Come back."

"All right."

He moved to the bedroom door and entered the room.She was lying there, smiling. She raised her arms slightly.

"I've thought of a wonderful way to begin the day."

He seated himself on the edge of the bed and embracedher. For a moment she was sleep-warm and sleep-softagainst him, but only for a moment.

"You've got too much on," she said, unfastening hisshirt.

He peeled it off and dropped it. He removed his trousers.Then he held her again.

"More," she said, tracing the long fine scar that randown his forehead, alongside his nose, traversing his chin,his neck, the right side of his chest and abdomen, passingto one side of his groin, where it stopped.

"Come on."

"You didn't even know about it until a few nights ago."

She kissed him, brushing his cheeks with her lips.

"It really does something for me."

"For almost three months—"

"Take it off. Please."He sighed and gave a half-smile. He rose to bis feet.

"All right."

He reached up and put a hand to his long, black hair.He took hold of it- He raised his other hand and spreadhis fingers along his scalp at the hairline. He pushed hisfingers toward the back of his head and the entire hairpiece came free with a soft, crackling sound. He droppedthe hairpiece atop his shirt on the floor.

The right side of his head was completely bald; theleft had a beginning growth of dark hair. The two areaswere precisely divided by a continuation of the faint scaron his forehead.

He placed his fingertips together on the crown ofhis head, then drew his right hand to the side and down.His face opened vertically, splitting apart along the scar,padded synthetic flesh tearing free from electrostaticbonds. He drew it down over his right shoulder and biceps, rolling it as far as his wrist. He played with theflesh of his hand as with a tight glove, finally withdrawing the hand with a soft, sucking sound. He drewit away from his side, hip, and buttock, and separated itat his groin. Then, again seating himself on the edge ofthe bed, he rolled it down his leg, over the thigh, knee,calf, heel. He treated his foot as he, had his hand, pinchingeach toe free separately before pulling off the body glove.He shook it out and placed it with his clothing.