Lehal Library

“Perhaps that is one way of saying it. Another is ... curiosity ... yes, curiosity.” “Yes! This has happened to me. But are all of you going?” “Why would we leave anyone behind? Would you leave your hand, or even a finger?” “But where will you go?” “The Signal will guide us.” “What is this Signal? Can you describe it?” “Tt is made by arrangement.” “By arrangement with whom? Or what?” “With one of us who went ahead. They all agreed to send us the special Signal when it was time for us to follow. One finally did so after these many years.” “He was ... you are ... like an explorer, looking for new worlds to conquer.” “Not to conquer, Robert. To be in and to understand.” “How do you know where to go?” The questions kept flooding in. “We simply follow the Signal.” “Are you receiving it now?” “Oh yes. It has been with us continuously since we first perceived it.” “Why don’t I perceive it too?” "Ido not know. Perhaps your attunement is different.” “You have waited so long. Why is that?” “It was necessary to train our animal children to live without us. Now that we have completed this, we are in the process of saying goodbye to all of them. We cannot nor would we take them with us.” I understood that it was time now for me to leave. “Tam glad that we came. Somehow, I think we shall meet again.” “We shall. I could tell you more ... but that would, as you might say, spoil the fun.” I waved farewell, and all four waved back as I began to lift off the grass. I could not see my INSPEC fellow traveler, but at least I knew the way back. I phased out gradually and dwindled into blackness. Then the glowing INSPEC figure was beside me. You found them interesting, did you not? They were much like humans in the future that I have met before. Except that those were living just outside of Earth, not in it.