“That’s why I’m confused. I feel as if I’m letting everyone down. I feel like… like a kid. A kid who’s lost his way home.”
Dr. Perry smiled comfortingly. “You are a kid, Chuck.” He paused and added, “But you’ll be a man when this is all over.”
“Sure, if it’s
“Somehow, I don’t think so.”
“Well, what are we going to do? The rocks are gone.”
“What would you suggest?”
Chuck spread his hands helplessly. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. Before the upheaval, with the rocks out there…” He pointed to the distant horizon. “I thought it would be simple. Now, with the rocks gone, I just don’t know.”
“Where did you say the rocks were?”
Chuck pointed again. “Out there, I guess. But how can I tell now?”
“But you think they were out that way?”
“Yes, more or less.” Chuck shook his head, “Oh, heck, I just don’t know.”
“Which way would you lead the party if you had a choice.”
Chuck pointed in the same direction again. “That way.”
“Then suppose we take a chance.”
“What!”
“Suppose we follow your instinct and go that way.” Dr. Perry pointed, too.
“But I may be wrong. After all, we can’t be sure.”
“That’s the chance we’ll have to take.”
“I couldn’t ask you to. It may mean the difference between getting back and staying here forever.”
“We’ll never get back if we don’t try,” Dr. Perry said.
“Yes, but…”
“Suppose we put it to a vote.”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“Come on,” Dr. Perry said. He took Chuck’s arm and led him back to the party. “Our guide has a problem,” he said. “His markers are gone, and he has no real way of knowing just where the rendezvous site is any more.”
“I figured as much,” Masterson said.
“He didn’t know from the start,” Gardel added.
“Be that as it may,” Dr. Perry said, running his fingers through his thick brown beard, “he thinks he may know where the rocks
“Fat chance of that,” Gardel put in.
“Has he got a crystal ball?” Masterson asked sarcastically.
“Oh, pipe down,” Pete shouted.
A scowl crossed Masterson’s face, and he pressed his thick lips tightly together. Sitting near him, Dr. Dumar glanced up through his spectacles, his pale blue eyes shrewdly analyzing the bigger man.
“Yes.” he said at last. “I believe we should allow my colleague to finish speaking without any further interruptions.” He nodded his head in a final motion and then gestured for Dr. Perry to continue.
“The fact is, Chuck feels he shouldn’t take the chance without our consent. I suggested that we put it to a vote.”
Arthur slammed one big brown fist into the open palm of his other hand. “Good idea. Let’s do it and get started.”
A smile started at the corners of Dr. Perry’s eyes, worked its way down to a flashing grin that gleamed brightly in the depths of his beard. “Unfortunately, we do not seem to be equipped with either pencils or paper. I’m afraid we’ll have to make this an open vote.”
“Let us proceed,” Dr. Dumar said, eying Masterson closely. Masterson tweaked at his nose and then stared at the ground.
“I shall cast my ballot first,” Dr. Perry said. “I vote in favor of allowing Chuck to lead us wherever he feels the site may be.” Dr. Perry paused. “Now, then. Pierre?”
“Affirmative,” Dr. Dumar said.
“Ah, before we go any further,” Dr. Perry interrupted, “I think we shall have to abide by a majority vote. Are there any objections to that?” He took the silence for assent and asked, “Arthur?”
“Affirmative,” Arthur said. “I’d follow Chuck anywhere.”
Chuck smiled at Arthur, feeling a warm inner glow start around his ribs.
“Denise?”
“Affirmative.”
“Pete?”
“Affirmative.”
“Mr. Masterson?”
“Negative,” Masterson said emphatically.
“Gardel?”
“Negative!”
Dr. Perry raised his eyebrows, then ran the palm of his hand over his slightly curving nose. “Ah, do we need a count?”
Dr. Dumar grinned and got to his feet. “I think we should get started,” he said. “Chuck, will you lead the way?”
They began moving again.
It was harder now because there were no beacons in the distance to indicate the route. Chuck worked his way through the growth with weary persistence, relying on a sense of direction of which he was none too sure. After awhile he invented a marker on the distant horizon-a slightly rounded hill fuzzy with evergreens. He kept this in sight always, substituting it for the twin white rocks that had once stood out clearly against the sky.
The fuzzy hill became a symbol to him. It stood for home and safety and security.
If he was right.