I feel helpless. Why should I feel that way? I have fought in battles; I have survived kidnapping and shipwreck and war and every kind of outrage. I should be strong. Invincible. But I’m not.
I want to be happy. Can’t I be happy, at long last?
I can’t be happy without him.
He has been gone for days. How long will this take him?
What if he doesn’t come back? That is impossible, he told me before he left. But I have seen many impossible things take place in my life.
There is no need to stay here in this room. He knows where he can find me. There are meetings I can attend. People listen to me in these meetings—Affron and Hieron and the rest. They want my opinion, although they often don’t agree with it. They are glad I’m here. I can help. They will let me help.
But I don’t want to leave my room. I don’t want to speak to anyone, do anything. The others understand.
And then I hear a knock on the door. It isn’t Larry. He wouldn’t knock, would he? It would be Corscius, or Clovis, or Karellia, or any of a hundred people.
“Come in,” I say.
But it is Larry, wearing his odd Earth clothing. He is smiling. It’s so good to see him smile! I race into his arms.
“It’s all right,” he murmurs. “Everything will be all right.”
When we have finished embracing he explains a little. There will be complications. He disappeared, and that made him famous. Now that he has returned, he will become famous again. He will have to find a way to explain to his world what happened without really explaining. This sounds hard, but I don’t care. His family is fine. His family is lovely. I will love them, even the sister he never got along with.
“Thank you,” I say to him. “Thank you for coming back.”
He nods. “And now it’s time to leave. Together.”
We find the others and say our good-byes. The good-byes are hard, but everyone understands. Hieron gives his blessing. Affron says, “Perhaps I’ll return to Earth someday. I’ve always liked your world.”
Larry says, “I can’t wait.” I think perhaps he is joking.
Lamathe and the rest of the priests from Alexandria hug me so hard I think my ribs will crack. I will miss them. I will miss everyone and everything.
But this is what I must do.
Finally we leave the palace and make our way to where Larry has left the portal. His portal. In a forgotten alley of a forgotten part of the city.
“Are you ready?” he asks me.
“Of course I’m ready.”
He takes my hand, and we walk into the portal.
We are going home.
The End
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Also by Richard Bowker
The Portal Series
PORTAL
TERRA
HOME
The Last P.I. Series
Dover Beach
The Distance Beacons
Where All The Ladders Start
The Psychic Thrillers Series
Summit
Marlborough Street
Other Titles
Pontiff (A Thriller)
Replica (A Techno-thriller)
Senator
Forbidden Sanctuary
About the Author
Richard Bowker is the author of many highly regarded science fiction novels, including Replica, the Portal series, and the Last P.I. series. His novel Dover Beach was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick award as Best Paperback Original Novel. He lives with his wife near Boston.
HOME (The Portal Series, Book 3) Page 37