STRANGER FROM SPACE
By HANNES BOK
She prayed that a God would come from the skies
and carry her away to bright adventures. But
when he came in a metal globe, she knew only
disappointment—for his godliness was oddly strange!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories March 1943.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
It was twilight on Venus—the rusty red that the eyes notice whentheir closed lids are raised to light. Against the glow, fantasticallytwisted trees spread claws of spiky leaves, and a group of clay hutsthrust up sharp edges of shadow, like the abandoned toy blocks of agigantic child. There was no sign of clear sky and stars—the heavenswere roofed by a perpetual ceiling of dust-clouds.
A light glimmered in one of the huts. Feminine voices rippled acrossthe clearing and into the jungle. There was laughter, then someone'sfaint and wistful sigh. One of the voices mourned, in the twitteringVenusian speech, "How I envy you, Koroby! I wish I were being marriedtonight, like you!"
Koroby stared defiantly at the laughing faces of her bridesmaids. Sheshrugged hopelessly. "I don't care," she said slowly. "It will be niceto have Yasak for a husband—yes. And perhaps I do love him. I don'tknow." She tightened her lips as she reflected on it.
She left them, moving gracefully to the door. Venus-girls weregenerally of truly elfin proportions, so delicately slim that theyseemed incapable of the slightest exertion. But Koroby's bodywas—compared to her friends'—voluptuous.
She rested against the door-frame, watching the red of the afterglowdeepen to purple. "I want romance," she said, so softly that the girlshad to strain forward to hear her. "I wish that there were other worldsthan this—and that someone would drop out of the skies and claimme ... and take me away from here, away from all this—this monotony!"
She turned back to her friends, went to them, one of her hands, pattingthe head of the kneeling one. She eyed herself in the mirror.
"Well—heigh-ho! There don't seem to be any other worlds, and nobody isgoing to steal me away from Yasak, so I might as well get on with mypreparations. The men with the litter will be here soon to carry me tothe Stone City."
She ran slim hands down her sides, smoothing the blue sarong; shefondled her dark braids. "Trossa, how about some flowers at my ears—ordo you think that it would look a little too much—?" Her eyes soughtthe mirror, and her lips parted in an irreprehensible smile. Shetrilled softly to herself, "Yes, I am beautiful tonight—the loveliestwoman Yasak will ever see!" And then, regretfully, sullenly, "But oh,if only He would come ... the man of my dreams!"
There was a rap at the doorway; they turned. One of the litter-bearersloomed darker than the gloomy sky. "Are you ready?" he asked.
Koroby twirled before the mirror, criticizing her appearance. "Yes,ready," she said.
"Ready!" the girls cried. Then there was a little silence.
"Shall we go now?" Koroby asked, and the litter-carrier nodded. Korobykissed the girls, one after another. "Here, Shonka—you can have thisbracelet you've always liked. And this is for you, Lolla. And here,Trossa—and you, Shia. Goodbye, darlings, goodbye—come and see mewhenever you can!"
"Goodbye, Koroby!"
"Goodbye! Goodbye!" They crowded around her, embracing, babblingfarewells, shreds of advice. Trossa began to cry. Finally Koroby brokeaway from them, went to the