Daniel was crying. He told Abby thank you, and she said it was her pleasure. That a part of her had been holding on to give him that message, and that she would have peace now, that her family would rest knowing it had done its duty, just like General McPherson.
Daniel sobbed. She had waited. She had longed for him the way he still longed for her. He knew now whatever happened to him, whatever came, that he had done the right thing. She didn’t have long, probably twenty years of peace, but he had bought her that peace. She had everything she wanted, except him. Now, no matter what the cost, he knew it was worth it. He closed his eyes, floating in his prison cell, and slept. In his mind, lost in dreams, he saw the mountains with their snowy white peaks shining bright against the brilliant blue sky. He saw the mountainsides covered in wild flowers. He saw the log cabin, with its long porch—and standing on it, with the wind blowing her hair and dress, was Lana. She was beautiful and she was waving to him. And somehow he knew that this time he would be able to go to her. He would reach her at last and hold her in his arms. He knew she was waiting, and as he made his way slowly toward her, he smiled.
Epilogue
In the emptiness, just beyond the solar system, were three spheres speeding toward the bright blue plant, third from the sun. They were black and nearly invisible in the grand nothingness of outer space. For 400 years they had raced at the speed of light toward a distant star system. Now they were days away from their destination, the planet Earth.
Following the three spheres, only a few weeks behind the innocent looking vessels, came ships of war. The supreme commander was not to be denied a second time. He had sent a small fleet, armed for war, with these instructions:
·Assess the state of the planet Earth
·Subdue the inhabitants by any means necessary
·Build an interstellar transporter
·Return to Tolligark with the human named Daniel Brickman
The American Republic was warned, but had paid no attention. Among the population, now living mostly in orbital space stations, only a handful believed that danger was approaching. Among them were the Tolligarkians, who spent their days monitoring space for signs of their kinsmen. And there was Daniel Brickman, in the penal station that occupied an orbit between the planets Earth and Mars. He knew what was coming, and he had grown used to waiting.
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