Ursula LeGuin - The Dispossesed

dirigible, he hoped, if she had brought the girls along. Train riding was hard, with children. He still recalled the discomforts of the trip from Chakar to Abbenay, in '68, when Sadik had been trainsick for three mortal days.

The door of the garden room opened, increasing the dim illumination. The commander of the Davenant looked in and spoke his name; he answered; the commander came in, with Ketho.

*'We have the entry pattern for our landing craft from your ground control,'* the commander said. He was a short, iron-colored Terran, cool and businesslike. "If you're ready to go, we'll start launch procedure."

"Yes."

The commander nodded and left. Ketho came forward to stand beside Shevek at the port.

'•You're sure you want to walk through this wall with me, Ketho? You know, for me, it's easy. Whatever happens, I am coming home. But you are leaving home.

True Journey is return. ...'**

"I hope to return," Ketbo said in his quiet voice. "In time."

•'When are we to enter the landing craft?"

"In about twenty minutes."

"I'm ready. I have nothing to pack." Shevek laughed, a laugh of clear, unmixed happiness. The other roan looked at him gravely, as if he was not sure what happiness was, and yet recognized or perhaps remembered it from afar.

He stood beside Shevefc as if there was something he wanted to ask him. But he did not ask it "It will be early morning at Anarres Port," he said at last, and took his leave, to get his things and meet Shevek at the launch port

Alone, Shevek turned back to the observation port, and saw the blinding curve of sunrise over the Temae, just coming into sight

"I will lie down to sleep on Anarres tonight," he thought. "I will lie down beside Takver. I wish I'd brought the picture, the baby sheep, to give Pilun,"

But he had not brought anything. His hands were empty, as they had always been.

311

The risk of a trip to Urras involves nobody but the person going," Bedap said. "It changes nothing in the Terms of the Settlement, and nothing in our relationship with Urras, except, perhaps, morally—to our advantage.

But I dont think we're ready, any of us, to decide on it. m withdraw the topic for the present, if it's agreeable to the rest of you."*