After Worlds Collide (When Worlds Collide 2)

“Very much so,” said Tony happily.

“That will be marvelous! And how many of you—”

Tony explained. “We have two camps.”

“So I heard.”

“A van has gone ahead of us. It will deposit its stores and passengers at the new city, and then start at once to the other camp. We did not dare radio.”

“They listen for you all day,” said Lady Cynthia. “And at night. But my other friends: Nesbit Darrington? Is he here?”

There was silence.

“I see,” she said slowly. “And Hawley Tubbs?”

Again there was silence.

The Englishwoman sighed heavily. “So many people! Ah, God, so many! Why was I spared? Why do I stand here this night with you on this foreign world? … I’m sorry!”

Tony jumped. Von Beitz was rapping on the window of his driver’s compartment. Tony peered through the window. Von Beitz was pointing ahead.

Tony’s eyes followed the German’s arm. Far away on the horizon the night sky was pinkly radiant. At first he thought that it was the aurora. Then he knew. He turned to the others.

“There are the lights of our new home!”

A murmur rose, a prayer, a hushed thanksgiving.…

The tractor-truck and its two huge trailers rumbled toward the distant illumination.

Tony bent over Eve. “We’ll be safe soon, dear.”

“Yes, Tony.”

They descended into a long and shadowed cut. At the end was a slow curve.

Then they came out on a valley floor.

In the valley’s center was the bubble of the new city. It was not as large as the first one they had seen. But its transparent cover was identical; and like the first, it was radiant with light. Did the lights go on all over Bronson Beta every night? Had Ransdell turned them on? They did not know. They only saw out on the valley floor the resplendent glory of a Bronson Betan city at night, and because none there save Tony and Lady Cynthia had seen the sight before, their emotions were ineffable.

There, under its dome, stood the city, its multi-colored metal minarets and terraces, its spiral set-backs and its network of bridges and viaducts, shining, strong, incredibly beautiful.

“Surpassing a dream of heaven!” Duquesne murmured.

“Magnificent!” Williamson whispered. There were tears on almost every enraptured countenance.

Then a strange thing happened:

Cole Hendron stirred.

Eve dropped a tear on his face as she bent over him. She let go of Tony’s hand to adjust the blankets over her father. But Hendron put her hand aside and slowly, majestically, sat up in his improvised cot.

“Father!” she said.

He was staring at the city.

“Cole!” Tony whispered.

The others in the trailer sensed what was happening. They looked at their old leader. And the caravan moved forward so that in the light of the city, faces became visible.