round the beautiful coral reefs where his wife and he relaxed thoroughly and the boys chattered ceaselessly about their exciting day. The feeling was good. Lincoln bathed in the long missed company of his family. Everything felt right just now, his wife by his side, the warm afternoon sunshine, the smell of the sea , and the enthusiasm of his young sons enjoying the best and most unexpected vacation of their lives.
Not surprisingly the boys did n o t want to go to bed that evening. But when they were eventually persuaded, or perhaps overpowered would be more apt, they were asleep in minutes.
"There won't be another peep out of them until morning ," whispered Emma affectionately as she crept out of their bedroom. Earlier she had felt uneasy about leaving the children in the care of the hotel child minding service. She had been afraid that David might wake up and be upset when he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. But now she felt sure he wou ld stay asleep. When the child minder arrived she felt even better. She was a kindly woman who clearly loved children.
"Leave everything to me ," she reassured confidently. "I've looked after more children than you could imagine and they all take to me right away. Your two don't look as though they'll wake up but if they do I'll have them back to sleep in no time with a story or a lullaby."
Lincoln smiled to himself as he imagined the boys' reaction to being sung a lullaby; they would go to sleep in disgust.
He and Emma left the hotel just before twenty- two hundred. A table had been reserved at one of Cairns' more exclusive and expensive restaurants and the two of them walked the short distance arm in arm, recapturing the romance of their early life together. They lingered over the meal, the food and beautiful surroundings made haste positively indecent. The tables were arranged in secluded alcoves where customers could eat in an atmosphere of intimacy.
"Good food, good wine, pleasant surroundings, and the company of a lovely wife. What more can a man ask ?" pondered Lincoln softly.
"Go on, the wine is going to your head ," his wife teased, but she too enjoyed the same feel ing of contentment and well being, and lived each moment to the full.
"How long do we have ?" she asked. There was no need to be more specific. The question had been uppermost in her mind since she had learned that her husband was to return to earth.
Lincoln looked at his wife and felt very selfish. He knew that she lived her life ever hoping and waiting, but always trusting in his judgement. He knew that she longed for them to be together, but would accept whatever he decided. He had neglected his family. He only saw the boys for short periods and had irretrievably missed much of their growing up and development. He knew now that his time had been squandered. He had considered his project important and so it was. But how is importance measured? How can the demands of science be weighed against the needs of a family? In his heart he knew that all the logic in the world had not made him stay at Mendeleev . What had really counted was his overwhelming preoccupation with space research. And for that he had denied his own desire to complete his family, and, more importantly, denied the need of his family for his constant support and presence.
"The rest of our lives ," he replied simply. Emma assumed her question had been misunderstood so she quickly rephrased it. "I mean, how long can you stay on earth?"
"For the rest of our lives ," he repeated quietly but firmly.
His wife didn't say more, she just looked at him questioningly. She wanted him to stay, but more than that she had to be sure that he wanted to stay for his own sake. She did not want this decision made for her or for the children's sakes. It had to be for himself or it would certainly come between them.
"This contact has taught me a lot ," he explained. "I've been conducting
Not surprisingly the boys did n o t want to go to bed that evening. But when they were eventually persuaded, or perhaps overpowered would be more apt, they were asleep in minutes.
"There won't be another peep out of them until morning ," whispered Emma affectionately as she crept out of their bedroom. Earlier she had felt uneasy about leaving the children in the care of the hotel child minding service. She had been afraid that David might wake up and be upset when he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. But now she felt sure he wou ld stay asleep. When the child minder arrived she felt even better. She was a kindly woman who clearly loved children.
"Leave everything to me ," she reassured confidently. "I've looked after more children than you could imagine and they all take to me right away. Your two don't look as though they'll wake up but if they do I'll have them back to sleep in no time with a story or a lullaby."
Lincoln smiled to himself as he imagined the boys' reaction to being sung a lullaby; they would go to sleep in disgust.
He and Emma left the hotel just before twenty- two hundred. A table had been reserved at one of Cairns' more exclusive and expensive restaurants and the two of them walked the short distance arm in arm, recapturing the romance of their early life together. They lingered over the meal, the food and beautiful surroundings made haste positively indecent. The tables were arranged in secluded alcoves where customers could eat in an atmosphere of intimacy.
"Good food, good wine, pleasant surroundings, and the company of a lovely wife. What more can a man ask ?" pondered Lincoln softly.
"Go on, the wine is going to your head ," his wife teased, but she too enjoyed the same feel ing of contentment and well being, and lived each moment to the full.
"How long do we have ?" she asked. There was no need to be more specific. The question had been uppermost in her mind since she had learned that her husband was to return to earth.
Lincoln looked at his wife and felt very selfish. He knew that she lived her life ever hoping and waiting, but always trusting in his judgement. He knew that she longed for them to be together, but would accept whatever he decided. He had neglected his family. He only saw the boys for short periods and had irretrievably missed much of their growing up and development. He knew now that his time had been squandered. He had considered his project important and so it was. But how is importance measured? How can the demands of science be weighed against the needs of a family? In his heart he knew that all the logic in the world had not made him stay at Mendeleev . What had really counted was his overwhelming preoccupation with space research. And for that he had denied his own desire to complete his family, and, more importantly, denied the need of his family for his constant support and presence.
"The rest of our lives ," he replied simply. Emma assumed her question had been misunderstood so she quickly rephrased it. "I mean, how long can you stay on earth?"
"For the rest of our lives ," he repeated quietly but firmly.
His wife didn't say more, she just looked at him questioningly. She wanted him to stay, but more than that she had to be sure that he wanted to stay for his own sake. She did not want this decision made for her or for the children's sakes. It had to be for himself or it would certainly come between them.
"This contact has taught me a lot ," he explained. "I've been conducting
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