Loren's eyes were lost in some distant memory. Gradually Kirk could see the eyes turn shiny with tears. "Is Annette waiting?" he asked.
Kirk thought quickly. He knew that what he was going to say shouldn't be said, because he had no right. But he was thinking of his own skin. "Why, yes, Harry," he said slowly. "I imagine Annette is waiting."
Loren let a quick breath come through his teeth. "Annette," he whispered. "And Dickie?"
"Dickie?" Kirk said.
"Little Dickie?" Loren said and he held his breath.
"Oh, yes," Kirk lied. "Of course."
"I can't ask about Eddie, because we never had the chance," Loren said, his eyes still lost. "I always told Annette that no kid should ever grow up without a brother, only we never had the chance for Eddie." Loren reached out absently and touched the brown and yellow neck of the creature. "I called this fellow Eddie, though. Do you suppose that was all right? He's not very pretty."
Kirk nodded, looking at the waving, funnel-shaped head of the animal. "That was all right, Harry."
"Does she still braid her hair?" Loren asked, his eyes shiny.
"What?" Kirk said.