Al let the energy flow out through his fingertips. A cherry red bolt struck Oakey right in the face.
On the green planet, a matron and her son were looking up into the stars. The boy cried out in delight: "A shooting star, mommy," he said. "Make a wish."
Trailing red sparks, the meteor seemed to veer off suddenly and speed away again into space.
"I wished that your father would return from the skies," said the woman. "For a moment, I thought maybe he had."