Dave Danials went to answer the doorbell. He was startled to see his brother standing on the front porch. He showed his sixth finger momentarily in greeting, and so did his brother.
"Got some time off, and I thought I'd spend half of our savings on an intergalactic ticket to see you guys. Hey, it's only money, and I can always make more of that. Man, I'm tired after that jaunt of 265.7 light years, Earth's reckoning."
"Damn, it's good to see you!" said Dave, hugging his brother. "Come on in the house."
The two brothers walked into the living room, and Dave called out: "Come here, Hon. We've got company!"
Dave's wife Martha came into the room, did a double-take when she saw who was there. Then she flashed her sixth finger in greeting. "Good Lord, Nyy'Lyyn, it's so good to see you," she said, using her husband's brother's real name. "And how is my sister Ssl'Znyy?"
"Hey, she's great, Martha. She's on Special Assignment to another Galaxy; but soon as possible we're gonna use the other half of our savings to send her for a visit here to Earth. She really misses you."
Then Dave's brother pulled a couple of globes from his pocket and handed one to his brother and sister-in-law. "The latest SensiPods. All the scenes and sights of home that fits nicely in your pocket"--or so the visi-ads would have it!"
Dave and Martha held the globes and tears came to their eyes. "Only two hundred more Earth years of Observation Duty," Dave said, "then we'll be able to return home for good."
"Hey, man, cheer up," said Dave's brother. "The price of intergalactic round-trip tickets has gone down pretty drastically--so start saving your money and you'll be able to pay us a visit back home in no time!"
"Got some time off, and I thought I'd spend half of our savings on an intergalactic ticket to see you guys. Hey, it's only money, and I can always make more of that. Man, I'm tired after that jaunt of 265.7 light years, Earth's reckoning."
"Damn, it's good to see you!" said Dave, hugging his brother. "Come on in the house."
The two brothers walked into the living room, and Dave called out: "Come here, Hon. We've got company!"
Dave's wife Martha came into the room, did a double-take when she saw who was there. Then she flashed her sixth finger in greeting. "Good Lord, Nyy'Lyyn, it's so good to see you," she said, using her husband's brother's real name. "And how is my sister Ssl'Znyy?"
"Hey, she's great, Martha. She's on Special Assignment to another Galaxy; but soon as possible we're gonna use the other half of our savings to send her for a visit here to Earth. She really misses you."
Then Dave's brother pulled a couple of globes from his pocket and handed one to his brother and sister-in-law. "The latest SensiPods. All the scenes and sights of home that fits nicely in your pocket"--or so the visi-ads would have it!"
Dave and Martha held the globes and tears came to their eyes. "Only two hundred more Earth years of Observation Duty," Dave said, "then we'll be able to return home for good."
"Hey, man, cheer up," said Dave's brother. "The price of intergalactic round-trip tickets has gone down pretty drastically--so start saving your money and you'll be able to pay us a visit back home in no time!"
