Is this a dark planet? Slowly her tongue was beginning to thaw; her words were less blurred.
I dont think so, Mr Murry said, but I know so little about anything that I cant be sure.
You shouldnt have tried to tesser, then. She had never spoken to her father in this way before. The words seemed hardly to be hers.
Calvin looked at her, shaking his head. It was the only thing to do. At least it got us off Camazotz.
Why did we go without Charles Wallace? Did we just leave him there? The words that were not really hers came out cold and accusing.
We didnt just leave him, her father said. Remember that the human brain is a very delicate organism, and it can be easily damaged.
See, Meg, Calvin crouched over her, tense and worried, if your father had tried to yank Charles away when he tessered us, and if IT had kept grabbing hold of Charles, it might have been too much for him, and wed have lost him for ever. And we had to do something right then.
Why?
IT was taking us. You and I were slipping, and if your father had gone on trying to help us he wouldnt have been able to hold out much longer, either.
You told him to tesser, Meg charged Calvin.
There isnt any question of blame, Mr Murry cut in severely. Can you move yet?
All Megs faults were uppermost in her now, and they were no longer helping her. No! And youd better take me back to Camazotz and Charles Wallace quickly. Youre supposed to be able to help! Disappointment was as dark and corrosive in her as the Black Thing. The ugly words tumbled from her cold lips even as she herself could not believe that it was to her father, her beloved, longed-for father, that she was talking in this way.
She had found her father and he had not made everything all right. Everything kept getting worse and worse. If the long search for her father was ended, and he wasnt able to overcome all their difficulties, there was nothing to guarantee that it would all come out right in the end. There was nothing left to hope for. She was frozen, and Charles Wallace was being devoured by IT, and her omnipotent father was doing nothing. She teetered on the seesaw of love and hate, and the Black Thing pushed her down into hate. You dont even know where we are! she cried out at her father. Well never see mother or the twins again! We dont know where Earth is! Or even where Camazotz is! Were lost out in space! What are you going to do! She did not realize that she was as much in the power of the Black Thing as Charles Wallace.
Mr Murry bent over her, massaging her cold fingers. She could not see his face. My daughter, I am not a Mrs Whatsit, a Mrs Who or a Mrs Which. Yes, Calvin has told me everything he could. I am a human being, and a very fallible one. But I agree with Calvin.We were sent here for something. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
The Black Thing! Meg cried out at him. Why did you let it almost get me?
Youve never tessered as well as the rest of us, Calvin reminded her. It never bothered Charles and me as much as it did you.
He shouldnt have taken me, then, Meg said, until he learned to do it better.
Neither her father nor Calvin spoke. Her father continued his gentle massage. Her fingers came back to life with tingling pain. Youre hurting me!
Then youre feeling again, her father said quietly. Im afraid it is going to hurt, Meg.
The piercing pain moved slowly up her arms, began in her toes and legs. She started to cry out against her father when Calvin exclaimed, Look!
Coming towards them, moving in silence across the brown grass, were three figures.
What were they?
On Uriel there had been the magnificent creatures. On Camazotz the inhabitants had at least resembled people. What were these three strange things approaching?
They were the same dull grey colour as the flowers. If they hadnt walked upright they would have seemed like animals. They moved directly towards the three human beings. They had four arms and far more than five fingers to each hand, and the fingers were not fingers but long waving tentacles. They had heads, and they had faces. But where the faces of the creatures on Uriel had seemed far more than human faces, these seemed far less. Where the features would normally be there were several indentations, and in place of ears and hair were more tentacles. They were tall, Meg realized as they came closer, far taller than any man. They had no eyes. Just soft indentations.
Megs rigid, frozen body tried to shudder with terror, but instead of the shudder all that came was pain. She moaned.
The Things stood over them. They appeared to be looking down at them, except that they had no eyes with which to see. Mr Murry continued to kneel by Meg, massaging her.
Hes killed us,bringing us here, Meg thought. Ill never see Charles Wallace again, or mother, or the twins
Calvin rose to his feet. He bowed to the beasts as though they could see him. He said, How do you do, sir maam ?
Who are you? the tallest of the beasts said. His voice was neither hostile nor welcoming, and it came not from the mouthlike indentation in the furry face, but from the waving tentacles.
Theyll eat us, Meg thought wildly. Theyre making me hurt. My toes my fingers I hurt
Calvin answered the beasts question.Were were from Earth. Im not sure how we got here. Weve had an accident. Meg this girl is paralysed. She cant move. Shes terribly cold. We think thats why she cant move.
One of them came up to Meg and squatted down on its huge haunches beside her, and she felt utter loathing and revulsion when it reached out a tentacle to touch her face.
But with the tentacle came the same delicate fragrance that moved across her with the breeze, and she felt a soft, tingling warmth go all through her that momentarily assuaged her pain. She felt suddenly sleepy.
I must look as strange to it as it looks to me, she thought drowsily, and then realized with a shock that of course the beast couldnt see her at all. Nevertheless a reassuring sense of safety flowed through her with the warmth which continued to seep deep into her as the beast touched her. Then it picked her up, cradling her in two of its four arms.
Mr Murry stood up quickly. What are you doing?
Taking the child.
11
No! Mr Murry said sharply. Please put her down.
A sense of amusement seemed to emanate from the beasts. The tallest, who seemed to be the spokesman, said, We frighten you?
What are you going to do with us? Mr Murry asked.
The beast said, Im sorry, we communicate better with the other one. He turned towards Calvin. Who are you?
Im Calvin OKeefe.
Whats that?
Im a boy. A a young man.
You, too, are afraid?
Im not sure.
Tell me, the beast said. What do you suppose youd do if three of us suddenly arrived on your home planet?
Shoot you, I guess, Calvin admitted.
Then isnt that what we should do with you?
Calvins freckles seemed to deepen, but he answered quietly.Id really rather you didnt. I mean, the Earths my home, and Id rather be there than anywhere in the world I mean, the universe and I cant wait to get back, but we make some awful bloopers there.
The smallest beast, the one holding Meg, said, And perhaps they arent used to visitors from other planets.
Used to it! Calvin exclaimed.Weve never had any, as far as I know.