Page 79 of The Space Traveller's Lover
“Once it gets hold of you, it never lets go,” she whispers, rubbing her face against his.
Their pupils clash in a fulgurant spark, full of unrestrained desire.
But then his face hardens. A chilling glare stifles the passion from his eyes. He swallows hard while gently pulling away from her.
“I must get things ready,” he states. “Our departure is imminent. This is our last sunset here.”
She sighs. “The last sunset ...”
“Don’t be so gloomy, Shaillah. Wait until you discover our beautiful universe. You will never miss your Earth again.”
“As long as I know the humans are doing all right, I’ll be fine. Yesterday, everybody was so happy at the summit. They seemed to have accepted the robots, their new cities,” Shaillah enthuses.
But Rothwen hardly reacts, gazing into the distance with a blank eerie expression.
“What’s troubling you? Is there something you need to tell me?”
“Humans have to learn to live with the robots, without attacking them. Otherwise, an even bigger catastrophe awaits them. It’s as simple as that,” Rothwen bluntly warns.
“They have learned their lesson. I’m sure they have. They have come to recognize and respect our power,” Shaillah replies in a heartening tone.
“Might as well,” Rothwen sneers, maintaining a harsh unyielding gaze.
“So … are the destroyer-crafts staying behind? For how long?” she prompts him.
“Shaillah … I can’t tell you what I’m going to do. It all depends on how everything goes.”
“But I see you are troubled—”
“You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll take care of it, as usual,” he cuts her off, his impassive face plainly showing he’s not prepared to tell her anything about what he’s thinking.
“I’m nervous about the departure”. Shaillah changes the subject as she tries to soothe his mood. “First time for me, travelling at such high speeds.”
“You’ll be fine, Shaillah,” Rothwen reassures her, his face softening at last with a subtle smile while stroking her shoulders. “I’ll make sure your trip goes smoothly.”
“So … nothing to worry about?”
“Nothing! I’ll see you at sunrise tomorrow,” he declares before swimming away.
She wraps her arms around his neck and rests her head on his shoulders as he carries her upwards, breaking through the thin membrane of their protective orb. With broad, swift strokes, he rushes towards the shore. Soon they’re back at the rear entrance of her smartroom under her balcony.
They slip into their drying bathrobes, and before she can even say a word, he has disappeared up the spiralled staircase. All she can hear is his hurried fading steps.
As she stares at the darkening horizon, a web of doomful thoughts envelops her mind, warning her of an impending disaster, making her feel deeply distressed. A haunting chilling premonition she cannot yet see but can detect with her sixth sense takes hold of her.
Then she remembers that she has a few hours left to say her final goodbye to Sam.
CHAPTER 35
FAREWELL
I grew up with you, learned with you, celebrated with you.
At the very end of El Cuchillo peninsula, Sam sits quietly, his legs dangling over the jagged cliffs. He stares into the distance towards Diablo’s Point, glancing at the rocky arched passages leading to Diablo’s cave entrance, one of the few places on the island that the robots left untouched. In his mind, he retraces every twist and turn of his boat ride with Erin.We were so happy then,he thinks to himself. The sea is eerily calm, but its currents still splash and foam against the rugged shoreline. As he contemplates the dawn’s brightening sky, painful memories keep coming back.
“You are wasting your time. Come on!”
The insistent reproachful cry from his sister Stella doesn’t bother him anymore.
