Adventures in the Far Future & Tales of Outer Space — page 230: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“We have known of it for many generations. We have timed it exactly. We of my generation were born with the irrefutable knowledge that there would be only fourteen trios around the Sun to our lives. Acceptance of the fact has been a part of our living. So that if we laugh, if we smile—if we are gay, as once all Mars was gay, it is a rare—it is a very rare and difficult thing. And you must understand that it Is not that we are weak... .” Her voice trailed into silence, and | made another, more determined effort to make my question, although still far from sure that | fully understood what | was asking. But | let fly anyway. “Good Lord, woman, we've been right next door all the time! You've visited us, you’ve learned at least three of our languages, you Know us and our planet perhaps even better than we do! There’s room—five million people? At the rate we multiply we’re used to finding room for five million more!” | began making promises all-over the place for my people. “Look Lya,” | said. “Max and I—we’'ll escort the biggest fleet you've got to Earth. Take you to our great oceans, our tall mountains, our broad fields. If were not the best there is in the Universe, at least... well, at least—” And then, as though it grew from somewhere deep inside her, the small smile was pushing the strained whiteness of her face aside, and there was a softness in it that had not been there before. “You are kind. But so forgetful, Mr. Latham. For have | not Said that die best of our ships can offer us no escape? Do you not understand what it ts from which we have no turning, no shrinking back or away?” “Not a—plague, or disease, you said. Nothing that your own medical science can halt—you said it could not be CORniclooo SS CO