And yet — the analogy was false. History never repeated itself. These who were leaving now were no longer children, whatever they might be. And this time there would be no reunion.
The ship had grounded along the water’s edge, sinking deeply into the soft sand. In perfect unison, the line of great curving panels slid upwards and the gangways extended themselves towards the beach like metal tongues. The scattered, unutterably lonely figures began to converge, to gather into a crowd that moved precisely as a human crowd might do.
Lonely? Why had he thought that, wondered George. For that was the one thing they could never be again. Only individuals can be lonely — only human beings. When the barriers were down at last, loneliness would vanish as personality faded. The countless raindrops would have merged into the ocean.
He felt Jean’s hand increase its pressure on his in a sudden spasm of emotion.
“Look,” she whispered. “I can see Jeff. By that second door.”
It was a long way away, and very hard to be certain. There was a mist before his eyes which made it hard to see. But it was Jeff — he was sure of that: George could recognize his son now, as he stood with one foot already on the metal gangway.
And Jeff turned and looked back. His face was only a white blur: at this distance, there was no way of telling if it bore any hint of recognition, any remembrance for all that he was leaving behind. Nor would George ever know if Jeff had turned towards them by pure chance — or if he knew, in those last moments while he was still their son, that they stood watching him as he passed into the land that they could never enter.
The great doors began to close. And in that moment Fey lifted up her muzzle and gave a low, desolate moan. She turned her beautiful limpid eyes towards George, and he knew that she had lost her master. He had no rival now.
For those who were left there were many roads but only one destination. There were some who said: “The world is still beautiful: one day we must leave it, but why should we hasten our departure?”
But others, who had set more store by the future than the past, and had lost all that made life worth living, did not wish to stay. They took their leave alone, or with their friends, according to their nature.