THAT EVENING AT DINNER, Audley was amazed to see the relationship that had blossomed these past three days between Jessie and Cybelle. She regarded their intimacy on one hand as refreshing and on the other hand as terrifying. Lanon, too, was fascinated to observe the couple. If he somehow felt left out, he didn't let on to Audley.

Brad and Sylvia had become conspicuous by their absence. It was only too obvious they were honeymooning in Brad's apartment, and if Audley felt any pangs of jealousy, it was only that she and Lanon weren't doing the same thing.

Doc Will, having finally had the dreaded father/daughter chat, acted as though a huge weight had been lifted from his weary soul. He flirted openly with Flora and Cybelle. Between his and Angus' wit, everyone laughed so hard they were weak. What was so funny, nobody could say, but they were certainly all in high spirits. When they took their after dinner promenade, everyone was further delighted by the fact that every time Angus and Flora touched, phosphorescent sparks flew from them.

Love was in the air this Day of the Child and love is contagious. It even, temporarily, transcended the matter of sex. Audley was happy to walk arm in arm with Lanon and to share in the laughter and companionship of these other love-saturated souls.

At the end of the evening, Lanon walked Audley to her door. As they lingered, he asked, "You're leaving again tomorrow?"

She nodded. "I have to get on with my assignment." She withdrew her arm from his and leaned against her door, asking, "What can I do to help you while I'm out there?"

"Just make your observations about the Zooid way of life, put them in the TASC for Jessie, and I'll interpret them for my report to Zenton."

"You want my observations. Okay."

"In case I haven't told you," he said, "I want you to know how much I appreciate all the help you've given me already, Audley."

She shrugged off the compliment. "I haven't done anything!"

"Yes, you have!" he insisted. "Every single day I feel something new because of knowing you."

Her heart was pounding so hard, she was afraid he would hear. To cover her emotions, she said, "I talked to Cybelle and Flora today about us."

"I was hoping you would talk to me about us."

"I'm trying to!" she said. Something new and different in her voice told him he was beginning to see the woman inside. "I'm trying hard not to fall in love with you, Lanon," she said, "but everywhere I turn I'm being told to go ahead and allow it to happen."

"You’ve never been in love before?" he asked.

"No." Her eyes met his. "Have you?"

"Not like this." He delighted to see the inner woman.

She lowered her eyes again, afraid she might faint.

He remembered Angus’ words, that he must not disdain her frailties, he must respect her feelings, he must have patience. "Is falling in love a problem for you?"

She nodded, not daring to speak.

"But why? Love is liberating and joyous!"

"What do you know about love?" she protested.

"I know about love!" he averred. "It's making love that I know nothing about."

"That's part of what I'm having a hard time with."

"So am I." He grinned crookedly.

She had to smile.

"So," he said, "what is the problem? Talk to me."

She sighed. "The problem is, Lanon, I want to know what's going to happen to us tomorrow, next week, next year. I know we could go to bed, make love, have lots of fun and feel liberated and joyous today, but what's going to happen tomorrow? I mean, what's to become of us when your mission is finished? What's to become of you?"

He said simply, "I don't know, Audley."

"Then I'm not sure I want to get too close to you, Lanon." She looked up at him with her raw fear. "I don't want to be left half a person. If we became lovers and you left, I'd want to die! I'd be miserable without you."

"I can't guarantee anything!" he said, as gently as possible. "I might stay. You might come with me. Or you might go first. And if we were apart, it might only be for a little while. There are so many possibilities, it just seems to me that, since we have each other, since we've been given to each other this way, we should treasure each moment that we do have together." He lifted her face to him and held it in the palms of his hands. "I don't know what might happen to us tomorrow. But whatever it may be, I want you to know that I love you more than words can say."

Whatever distrust, whatever cynicism, whatever fear or commitment anxiety she may have had, it dissolved with those three little words and before Lanon stood the inner woman swathed in her sensual, voluptuous, desirable, caressable body.

Losing herself in the blue of his eyes, she asked, "How long is eternity?"

"It's this moment," he whispered, and he pressed his lips to hers. All her thoughts and emotions fell away and there was only the sensation of his lips on hers, his energy flowing through her and hers through him. The universe hung in the balance of his becoming human and her becoming divine. Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over, and she watched him cross the lawn into tomorrow.