Lazarus felt it only as a mighty blow that knocked him off his feet and into the shell hole. He did not become unconscious at once; he had time to realize that he was mortally wounded. He lay as he had fallen and looked up at his stars, realizing that he had come to his ending place.
Every animal finds its ending place. Some find it in a trap, another in a fight it cannot win, some happy few in a quiet place to wait for the end. Whatever it is, it is the ending place and most of us know when we reach it. This is mine.
Did Dinky know? I think so, he's stopped screaming-I think he looked for his. Odd that it doesn't hurt. Thanks for making it worthwhile, Maureen...Llita...Dorable...Tamara...Minerva...Laz...Lor...Ira...Maureen-
He heard wild geese honking high overhead, looked up at his stars again as they blacked out.
CODA-II
"You still don't understand," the Gray Voice droned on. "There is no time, there is no space. What was, is, and ever shall be. You are you, playing chess with yourself, and again you have checkmated yourself. You are the referee. Morals are your agreement with yourself to abide by your own rules. To thine own self be true or you spoil the game."
"Crazy."
"Then vary the rules and play a different game. You cannot exhaust her infinite variety."
"If you would just let me look at your face," Lazarus muttered pettishly.
"Try a mirror."
CODA-III
From the Kansas City Post November 7, 1918:
CODA-IV
Ira! Galahad! Got him?"
Yes! Hoist us in! Oh, what a mess! Ish, about two liters and lots of jelly."
Get him inside and let me see him. Lor, you can get us out of here now."
Seal up, Dora, and bounce it!"
"Sealed and zooming! Screens down! What the goddamn hell have they done to Boss?"
"I'm trying to find out, Dora. Be ready with the tank; I may freeze him."
"Ready now, Ish. Laz-Lor, I told you we should pick him up sooner. I told you."
"Pipe down, Dora. We told him he'd get his ass shot off. But he was having more fun than kittens-"
"-and wouldn't have thanked us-"
"-and wouldn't have come-"
"-you know how stubborn he is."
"Tamara," said Ishtar, "cuddle his head and talk to him. Keep him alive. I don't want to freeze him-if at all-until I've made temporary repairs. Hamadryad, clamp there! Mm
Galahad, one slug hit. the Finder. That's how his intestines got so chopped up."
"Clone-trans?"
"Perhaps. The way he regenerates, repair and support may be enough. Justin, you were right; the dates on his letters did prove that he didn't last through it; losing the Finder's signal pinpointed when and where. Galahad, are you finding more fragments? I want to close him. Tamara, rouse him, make him talk! I don't want to have to freeze him. The rest of you shut up and get out! Go help Minerva with the children."
"Glad to," Justin said hoarsely. "I'm about to throw up."
"Maureen?" Lazarus murmured.
"I'm here, darling," Tamara answered, cradling his head against her breasts.
"Bad...dream. Thought...I was...dead."
"Just a dream, Beloved. You cannot die."