JACQUI was left alone, apart from essential visits by the robots, for some time after her stargazing excursion. How long would she have to hold out, on this benighted planet! Even if she could survive, physically, she would surely go insane from both the boredom and the culture shock. And the food was dull and she was getting little exercise. Jacqui continued writing and sketching furiously for the duration of the long Night: there was little else she could do, except pace and wade around her room by way of exercise. She decided to put her predicament to Major when he showed up soon after the planet’s ‘dawn’.

But Major had other news for her. “Much has been discussed since we last met. You will be pleased to learn that it has been agreed to send a mission to the star which lies in your Earth’s direction, and that you can be taken as a passenger and set down on Earth. If you are still willing to go, that is.”

Jacqui suspected that the Sous’ aims were not entirely altruistic. Her upkeep must be costing them a lot of money—or whatever passed for ‘money’ on this world—and they quite likely wanted to be rid of her. Nevertheless her spirits were raised by this announce­ment. “When?” she asked, in some excitement.

“I’m afraid it will be a long wait, from your point of view. The ship is due to be launched in sixteen Days’ time—our Days, I mean.”

Jacqui did a rapid calculation in her head. Sixteen times forty-six terrestrial days: that was over two years! She’d just have to find ways to occupy herself for that length of time.

“Now that it’s light again,” she asked, “can I explore any of your planet? Those islands I saw, for instance, when I was first let out of my dome. Can I visit them?”

“That would be difficult. You cannot wade or swim that distance, and the water is much deeper in parts. There are creatures in the deep water that might be a danger to you.”

“In my world we use boats.”

“Ah, yes. I have some knowledge of your modes of transport, but we have no boats of our own. Over short distances we swim, as you have seen. For greater distances we use a flying device built on principles similar to the spaceship which brought you here, but smaller.”

Jacqui was learning a lot! But she continued: “Could your robots perhaps construct a boat for me? They have made many other things for my comfort.”

“I think they would need more guidance than I can give,” replied Major. “You have been supplied with drawing materials. Could you perhaps sketch out a design that they could follow?”

“I’ll try,” said Jacqui. “Perhaps if you send a robot here in a day or two—Earth’s days, I mean.”

When Major had left, Jacqui gave it some thought. A canoe would be best, she thought. She had some experience of canoeing back on Earth, and the shallow sea here was so calm that she was sure she could paddle a considerable distance without problems. She made several tentative sketches until she was confident that she had produced a design that the robots would understand. As an after­thought, she drew a quick representation of herself next to the ‘canoe’, to give an idea of the scale. When a robot next appeared, she showed it her drawings. The robot was completely still for a moment, then it grasped the drawings in its tentacles and disappeared.

A few days later several robots appeared, drawing a passable canoe through the water. Success! It was too large to pass through her exterior door, of course, so Jacqui was waiting outside wearing her mask (Major had shown her how to operate the door, warning her to be careful). Gleefully she took hold of the paddle and climbed into the vessel, which promptly overturned.

Feeling considerably annoyed with herself, Jacqui scrambled to her feet, took off her poncho and shook the water off it, and quickly re-adjusted her mask, which luckily had not come adrift. She tried boarding once again, with the same result. Was she that much out of practice? But this was an open canoe, not a kayak. It should be far more stable. Perhaps the robots had built it top-heavy? While she was wondering how to explain this dilemma to the robots, luckily Major appeared.

“I think it needs some ballast,” she said. “Some extra weight at the lowest level, below the waterline. Can the robots manage that? If that fails, it will need an outrigger.”

There was a pause, while Major evidently made some commun­ication with the robots, who responded by towing the canoe away.

A day later the canoe was back, and its keel had been augmented by some heavy metallic-looking material. Jacqui tried it once more, and to her relief it now answered well. She found it relatively easy to paddle, and faster than she expected: possibly because of the lower gravity. With Major’s permission, she did a test circuit of the entire building, and pronounced it satisfactory.

“When can we set out for the islands?” she asked. “I would really love to be able to walk on dry land for a while. On Earth, as you know, we all live on the land, not the sea. Incidentally, how much of this planet is covered by water?”

“Nearly ninety-seven percent,” replied Major. “The land masses consist of only a number of islands like the ones you have seen. We have no continents. Indeed, we seldom venture onto the islands. Although we can survive for quite a long time out of the water, it is not pleasant for us, and we cannot easily move ourselves. If you reach the islands, you will have them to yourself.”

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“They should learn to slither like a snake,” thought Jacqui to herself. But she did not express that idea out loud. To late, she wondered if Major had caught her thought—but if he did, he showed no reaction.

“I must seek permission,” he continued, “but it is possible we may be able to set out in a few of your days’ time. In the meantime, you may practise propelling your vessel until you are confident. Do not stray far from the building. The robots have been instructed to keep a watch on you, in case of accident.”

*

So it was about five or six days later that Jacqui and Major set out. She had recovered much of her forgotten skill in canoeing, and felt confident that she could paddle the ten or so miles to the nearest island without difficulty. She had at first wondered how to moor the canoe when she was indoors, since it had no painter and anyway there was nothing to tie it to. But the robots had thought of that. Near the bows on the port side they had fitted two suction-cups which, when pressed against the wall of her room, held the canoe just firmly enough to stop it drifting away.

Major was swimming alongside Jacqui as she paddled her way across the sea. Her canoe had been loaded with several days’ worth of food and drink, stowed in a sort of duffel-bag in the canoe’s stern. Despite her days of practising, it was hard work, and the distance to the nearest island turned out to be greater than she had estimated. Several times she had to stop for a rest, but she made steady progress. At least she was getting plenty of exercise at last!

It must have taken her the best part of a terrestrial day, before she was finally able to spring ashore and draw the canoe up onto a narrow beach of fine grey sand. Oh the joy of being on dry land at last! Major had held back, a short way out: he did not wish to come ashore with her, but he would remain within calling distance if necessary. The island was quite safe to explore, he assured her. He also explained that she could now remove her mask for the short periods she needed to eat or drink, but she needed to keep it on at other times. She had become more acclimatised to the unfamiliar atmosphere.

She shouldered her bag and set out. The island was quite small, a little over a mile wide and about three miles long, she discovered. It consisted of low rolling hills almost entirely covered with a soft brown moss-like growth, not dissimilar to sphagnum back home. It was quite comfortable to walk on, even barefoot. In a few places there were outcrops of bare rock, a sort of granite. She could see no other plants than the ‘moss’.

But there were animals! Several times she disturbed what looked like a millipede, about ten inches long and half an inch across, with innumerable bristle-like legs. It was adorned at each end, she noticed, with the same tiny Bell-like growths as the Sous, but it also had long antennae at each end and what looked like some sort of feeding appendages. Perhaps this animal lived on the moss. She noticed that if the millipede was moving towards her, and then sensed her presence, it would scuttle off backwards. These creatures could move in either direction with ease. Perhaps their ‘head’ and their ‘tail’ were not differentiated. How strange!

For the first time, she wondered if Major and the other Sous could swim in either direction. She had never noticed. But their two Bells were unequal, so perhaps not.

There were other creatures besides the millipedes. She had a moment of panic when what looked like a large black spider, nearly a foot across, came scuttling towards her. She had always been afraid of spiders. But when it came closer she could see that it had only five thin legs, symmetrically arranged about a pill-shaped body only an inch across. No head that she could make out, and no ‘Bells’. More of a starfish with spider’s legs, than a spider, she decided. Anyway, the creature stopped close to her, appeared to show no interest, and then scuttled off.

Once or twice she came across a small slimy soft-bodied creature, more like an elongated slug than anything else, with the familiar Bells at each end—equal in size, in this case. She avoided treading on these.

Eventually she reached the highest point of the island. She was very tired now, and she sat down to rest, leaning back against a large warm boulder rising out of the moss. She ate one of her prepared meals, and watched as the food and drink-bags disintegrated once they were empty. No litter problem! She had barely finished eating and replaced her mask, before she was fast asleep.

*

Jacqui continued exploring the island for two or three more days. From the high point, she could see several other islands in the distance, one of which looked considerably more mountainous than this one. She wondered if she could visit it. And she encountered several more of the spider-starfish, of varying sizes: one of them nearly twice as big as the first one. She had overcome her fear and revulsion now: she guessed that they might be predators, but they showed no interest in her.

But it was time to return. The local Day was advancing and she must not be left in darkness: besides Major was waiting. So she made her way back to the canoe.

She was only about fifty yards from the shore when the mishap occurred. She felt something prick the sole of her foot. At first she thought nothing of it, but a few seconds later a searing pain shot up her leg. Crying out in agony, she sat down, and tried to nurse her foot. She could make out a small puncture mark, but not enough to explain the pain. Snakebite—or a scorpion?—she wondered. But she had seen nothing resembling one. Was this it, for her? Time up? She tried to stand up, but the pain was too great: she could not put her foot on the ground. In agony, she crawled the remaining distance to her canoe. Once or twice she vomited. If anything, the pain was increasing.

Major had drawn up, close to the beach. “You have been hurt, I see,” he said, regretfully. “We must get you back to the complex as quick as we can. I shall assist you.” Using his clenched Big Bell, he drew the canoe out into the water, and with his help she painfully eased herself on board. Placing the duffel bag before her, she sat down and rested her foot, which was now visibly swelling, upon it. She tried paddling, but could do so only weakly, and every stroke caused her to cry out in pain. Major assisted by pushing the canoe, but the progress was slow. The sky was already darkening by the time they finally reached the building. The pain had become slightly less intense now, but her foot was still swollen and painful to touch, and it was throbbing. There were red streaks running up her shin and calf. Thankfully she tipped herself out of the canoe and crawled into her habitat, pulled herself up onto the dry platform, and lay down on her bed.

“I shall return shortly with the doctor,” said Major. “We shall do all we can. I am very sorry that this happened.”