A GREEN CLOUD CAME
by ROBERT W. LOWNDES
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Comet January 41.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Her fingers lightly caressed a button on the long table as shehalf-turned toward him. At this moment, she was glad they still worethe semi-barbaric accoutrements donned for last night's festivities,commemorating the conclusion of the final war—weird, fantastictrappings, selected more for adornment than for approximations ofancient military dress—for he would not notice that she was trembling.When at last she spoke, her voice was steady.
"Please go now, quickly."
His hand made as if to clasp her arm, then dropped to his side. For aninstant he stood there, words welling to his lips, then, with a halfshrug he turned away. She did not move as he strode toward the doorway,glanced out the window; her back was a picture of composure.
"Natalla!" It was not a command, or yet a call, but a cry ofastonishment blended with horror. Gone was her carefully built-uppoise as she whirled, then gasped as she saw the look in his eyes.Swiftly she hurried toward the window, but he stood in front of her,blocking her view.
"What is it, Eric?"
"Don't look," he gasped. For a moment she felt fear coursing throughher, fear that at this moment he would wilt, give way to terror.She bit her lips, telling herself she couldn't endure the sight ofit. But, an instant later, the panic had left him; she could seerugged determination flowing back into his being. Almost faint withthankfulness for the strength of him, she relaxed against his body,permitted him to lead her across the room to a sofa.
"Do you remember Greer?" His voice was analytically thoughtful. "He wasthe little astronomer who made those startlingly radical predictionsabout a year ago. Remember how we all checked his data? No one couldfind anything of the sort, even though we checked and re-checked adozen times. The conclusion was the only one that could be drawn undersuch circumstances; Greer was suffering from delusions. So he was curedby the psychiatry department."
Her nose wrinkled in concentration. "Greer? Wasn't he the one whoclaimed to have discovered a sort of gaseous cloud in space? Our systemwas supposed to be approaching it; when it reached our atmosphere, itwould prove a deadly poison to all life-forms on this planet."
"Yes—that's it. Well, it seems he was right. It's come—the greencloud. All I could see out that window was the nauseous swirls of it,and the people where they'd fallen in the streets. Neither of us canleave this building." He snapped on the tele-screen. It lit up; hecould hear the faint hum of the machinery, but no images appeared."Dead!"
All I could see out the window was green whirls of it—and people where they had fallen!
"Eric, it couldn't be."
He paced up and down the floor, clasping and unclasping his hands. "Idon't know. It came without warning on a night when nearly everyonewas out celebrating. No one in the streets or parks could have beenprepared for it. Most of the dwellings were probably left with windowsopened. It's only sheer luck that it wasn't the case here. And luckagain that we came back early."
"Please sit down," she begged. He looked at her a moment, thenshrugged, came over to the sofa, and sat beside her. "There must havebeen some, Eric," she