“Oh, sure. You bet.”
“Like it?”
“Say, there isn’t anything I like better.”
Red was watching out of the corner of his eyes again. “Ever think you would like to be with a circus? I mean, for good?”
Slim considered, “I guess not. I think I’ll be an astronomer like my Dad. I think he wants me to be.”
“Huh! Astronomer!” said Red.
Slim felt the doors of the new, private world closing on him and astronomy became a thing of dead stars and black, empty space.
He said, placatingly, “A circus would be more fun.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“No, I’m not. I mean it.”