THEY MADE THEIR WAY to the verandah, picking up a couple of glasses enroute. Bless his envious heart, Jimmy had warned the other boys off as requested. I hope Avis cooks him a Cordon Bleu dinner, Blades thought. Nice kid, Avis, if she’d quit trying to ... what? ... mother me? He forgot about her, with Ellen to seat by the rail.
The Milky Way turned her hair frosty and glowed in her eyes. Blades poured the port with much ceremony and raised his glass. “Here’s to your frequent return,” he said.
Her pleasure dwindled a bit. “I don’t know if I should drink to that. We aren’t likely to be back, ever.”
“Drink anyway. Gling, glang, gloria!” The rims tinkled together. “After all,” said Blades, “this isn’t the whole universe. We’ll both be getting around. See you on Luna?”
“Maybe.”
He wondered
