Footfall

“I know,” he said.

She liked to think Melissa was conceived that night. Certainly it happened during that wonderful week. Five months later, Jeri quit her job as general science editor for UCLA’s alumni magazine. David’s education was finished, he’d found a great job with Litton Industries, and they could enjoy themselves…

She sipped her sherry, then, convulsively, drained the glass. It was an effort to keep from throwing it on the floor. Who am I so damned mad at?

At myself. I’m a damned fool. She crumpled the letter, then smoothed it out again. Then poured more sherry. No matter how often she wiped her eyes, they filled again.

She’d had three glasses when the phone rang. At first she thought she’d ignore it, but it might be about Melissa. Or it might even be David; he still called sometimes. What if it’s him, and he says he needs me?

“Hello.”

“Jen, this is Vicki.”

“Oh

“You’ve heard the news?” Vicki asked.

How the devil would you know about David — “What news?”

“The alien spaceship.” What?”

“Jeri, where have you been all day? Hibernating?”

“No, Melissa and I drove up to the Angeles Crest. We had a picnic.”

“Then you haven’t seen the news. Jen, the astronomers have discovered an alien spaceship in the solar system. It’s coming to Earth.”

Aliens. Coming to Earth. She heard the words, but they didn’t make any sense. “You’re not putting me on?”

“Jeri, go turn on Cha

Saturn. They were coming from Saturn, and no one knew how long they’d been there. Jeri remembered a TV monitor at JPL. Three lines twisted into a braid, and David’s grip on her arm was hard enough to hurt.

That was a lot mote than ten years ago! I was about twenty. I had David, and everything was wonderful.

The phone rang just as the news program was ending. Jen lifted the receiver. “Hello, Vicki.”

“Hi. Okay, you watched the news?”

“Yes.” Jeri giggled.

“What?”

“Aliens from Saturn, that’s what! Vicki, I’ll bet they were there when the Voyager probe went past. I remember all the bull sessions after that probe. John Deming and Gregory and David and I, trying to think how an orbiting band of particles could be twisted like that. David even said ‘aliens,’ once. But he wasn’t serious.”

“Yes, well, that’s what we need to talk about,” Vicki said. “We’ve decided-the Enclave is going north. To Bellingham. You and Melissa are invited.”

“Oh. Why?”

“Well, for one thing, you and David were part of the group for a long time.”

“That’s one reason,” Jeri said. “What are some others?”

Vicki Taje-Evans sighed. “Because you know science-and all right, because you’re pretty and unattached, and we may need to attract a single guy.”

An interesting compliment. I’m glad they think I’m pretty, at my age I see. So I can be a playmate for Ken Dutton.”

“Jeri, he wasn’t invited.”

“Good.”

“I thought you liked Ken. In fact, I thought—”

You can keep that thought to yourself, Vicki Tate-Evans.

Of course it was true. Ken Dutton had invited himself to di

“He thought I’d be convenient,” Jeri said. “He wouldn’t have to drive far. Somehow that didn’t seem a good foundation for a relationship.”

“Oh.” Vicki laughed awkwardly. “Anyway, he’s not invited.

In fact I was supposed to tell you not to invite him. Well. That’s good. Jeri, we’ll be going up to Bellingham this week. Isadore and Clara will stay down here until a few days before the aliens come. We’d like you to come up with us, but you could wait and go up with Isadore if you want.”

“I see. Thanks, Vicki. Uh-I’ll get back to you, shall I?”

“You’ll have to. We need to go over your gear, find out what David left you, and what you have to take. I’ll help with that.”

“Thanks. There’s a lot of it here. I’ll get it out. Thanks for inviting me.”

“Sure. Bye.”

Jeri put the phone down and thoughtfully pulled at her lower lip.

Aliens. Coming here, soon.

And they hid at Saturn. No sign of them, nothing that made sense, anyway. They stayed hidden for more than a dozen years. Is that a sign of friendship?

Don’t be paranoid, she told herself. But it might be a good idea not to be in a big city when they came. Just in case.

She and David and Melissa had visited George and Vicki at the Enclave house in Bellingham. That had been nice, a good vacation. It had been their last vacation together. A month later, David was transferred to Colorado.

“It’s a big raise,” he’d told her. He sounded excited.

“But what about my job?”

“What about it, Jeri? You don’t have to work,”

“David, I don’t have to, but I want to.” When Melissa started school, Jeri needed something to do, and became an editorial assistant with the West Coast branch of a big publishing house. She’d been good at the job. Her experience with the alumni paper had helped. Within a year she’d become an associate editor, and then there’d been a lucky break: she’d discovered a woman who needed a lot of help, hand-holding and reassurances, and lots of editing, but whose first book became an instant best-seller.

After that, Jeri became a senior editor. “I’m important at Harris Wickes.”

“You’re important to me. And to Melissa.”

“David—”

“Jeri. It’s a big promotion.”

I was a damn fool. So was he. Why didn’t he tell me they’d fire him if he didn’t transfer? That a lot of eager young petroleum geologists were graduating from the schools, and the big firms would rather hire a recent graduate than a man so long out of school…

He didn’t tell me because he was ashamed. They didn’t really want him anymore, but he couldn’t tell me that. And he wouldn’t beg me.

Damn it, I begged him! But it’s not really the same, and David, David, why can’t I just call you and say I’m coming to you…

Why can’t I?

It was a beautiful spring day in Washington. The city was surprisingly calm, despite the headlines. It took a lot to shake up Washington people.

Roger Brooks walked from NASA headquarters back toward the White House. There’d been nothing for him at the NASA press conference. It was great for Congressman Wes Dawson that he was going to go up to the Soviet Kosmograd space station to watch the aliens arrive. It might even make a story, but Mavis would take care of the news part, and there was plenty of time to collect background.

For a minute he’d thought he had something. Jeanette Crichton discovers the satellite and Wes Dawson goes to the President… Not too many would know about the co

Captain Crichton calls her brother-in-law, who calls Congressman Dawson, who goes to see the President. All out in the open for everyone to see. Nothing hidden at all. Damn.

It was a good twenty-minute walk to the Mayflower. Even so, Roger got there before his lunch appointment. The grill at the Mayflower was convenient, even if the food wasn’t distinguished. Roger would have preferred one of the French cuisine places off K Street, but today he was meeting John Fox. Fox wasn’t someone you ate an expensive lunch with, no matter who was paying. Brooks ordered a glass of white wine and leaned back to relax until Fox showed up.