dun-colored fog would curtain the day. When the morning winds departed,Jarry and Sanza would stare out across the Deadland through the east windowof the installation, for that was their favorite--the one on the thirdfloor--where the stone that looked like a gnarly Normform waved to them, andthey would lie upon the green couch they had moved up from the first floor,and would sometimes make love as they listened for the winds to rise again,or Sanza would sing and Jarry would write in the log or read back throughit, the scribblings of friends and unknowns through the centuries, and theywould purr often but never laugh, because they did not know how.

One morning, as they watched, they saw one of the biped creatures ofthe iodine forests moving across the land. It fell several times, pickeditself up, fell once more, lay still.

"What is it doing this far from its home?" asked Sanza.

"Dying," said Jarry. "Let's go outside."

They crossed a catwalk, descended to the first floor, donned theirprotective suits and departed the installation.

The creature had risen to its feet and was staggering once again. Itwas covered with a reddish down, had dark eyes and a long, wide nose, lackeda true forehead. It had four brief digits, clawed, upon each hand and foot.

When it saw them emerge from the Worldchange unit, it stopped andstared at them. Then it fell.

They moved to its side and studied it where it lay.

It continued to stare at them, its dark eyes wide, as it lay thereshivering.

"It will die if we leave it here," said Sanza.

"...And it will die if we take it inside," said Jarry.

It raised a forelimb toward them, let it fall again. Its eyes narrowed,then closed.

Jarry reached out and touched it with the toe of his boot. There was noresponse.