Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke [46]
Behind his decision there was another factor of which, he was unaware. Tonight's experience had weakened his contempt and scepticism for Jean's peculiar interests. He would never recognize the fact, but it was so-and it had removed the last barrier between them.
He looked at Jean as she lay, pale but composed, in the reclining chair of the flyer. There was darkness below, stars above. George had no idea, to within a thousand kilometres, where they might be-nor did he care. That was the business of the robot that was guiding them homewards and would land them in, so the control board announced, fifty-seven minutes from now.
Jean smiled back at him and gently dislodged her hand from his.
"Just let me restore the circulation," she pleaded, rubbing her fingers. "I wish you'd believe me when I tell you I'm perfectly all right now."
"Then what do you think happened? Surely you remember something?"
"No-it's just a complete blank. I heard Jan ask his question-and then you were all making a fuss over me. I'm sure it was some kind of trance. After all-"
She paused, then decided not to tell George that this sort of thing had happened before. She knew how he felt about these matters, and had no desire to upset him further-and perhaps scare him away completely.
"After all-what?" asked George.
"Oh, nothing. I wonder what that Overlord thought about the whole business. We probably gave him more material than he bargained for."
Jean shivered slightly, and her eyes clouded.
"I'm afraid of the Overlords, George. Oh, I don't mean they're evil, or anything foolish like that. I'm sure they mean well and are doing what they think is best for us. I wonder just what their plans really are?"
George shifted uncomfortably.
"Men have been wondering that ever since they came to Earth," he said. "They'll tell us when we're ready for it-and, frankly, I'm not inquisitive. Besides, I've got more important things to bother about." He turned towards Jean and grasped her hands.
"What about going to Archives tomorrow and signing a contract for-let's say-five years?"
Jean looked at him steadfastly, and decided that, on the whole, she liked what she saw.
"Make it ten," she said.
***
Jan bided his time. There was no hurry, and he wanted to think. It was almost as if he feared to make any checks, lest the fantastic hope that had come into his mind be too swiftly destroyed. While he was still uncertain, he could at least dream.
Moreover, to take any further action he would have to see the Observatory librarian. She knew him and his interests too well, and would certainly be intrigued by his request. Probably it would make no difference, but Jan was determined to leave nothing to chance. There would be a better opportunity in a week. He was being super-cautious, he knew, but that added a schoolboy zest to the enterprise. Jan also feared ridicule quite as much as anything that the Overlords might conceivably do to thwart him. If he was embarking on a wild-goose chase, no one else would ever know.
He had a perfectly good reason for going to London; the arrangements had been made weeks ago. Though he was too young and too unqualified to be a delegate, he was one of the three students who had managed to attach themselves to the official party going to the meeting of the International Astronomical Union. The vacancies had been there, and it seemed a pity to waste the opportunity, as he had not visited London since his childhood. He knew that very few of the dozens of papers to be delivered to the I.A.U. would be of the slightest interest to him, even if he could understand them. Like a delegate to any scientific congress, he would attend the lectures that looked promising, and spend the rest of the time talking with fellow enthusiasts, or simply sightseeing.
London had changed enormously in