"See what I mean?" said Towne, checking his watch. "It's a sort of genius—"
"We'll be back in a couple of months," Murchison said, gesturing towards the others. "We'll have a real long chat then."
"And we'll bring Laura with us," Towne said significantly.
"Don't go yet," Pace pleaded.
"Really, Pace—"
"Tell me about things. Back home."
"You get the newscasts," Briggs said. "What more can we tell you?"
"So long, fella," Towne stood up.
"It's early, I tell you!" Pace dropped the object in his hand. The light glittered on the smooth-planed surfaces as it fell. It was the bust of a woman, with long flowing hair, her chin tilted defiantly, her blank eyes somehow vital and seeing. When it hit the ground, it shattered into white powder, and the wind leaped upon the fragments like a hungry animal.