She did not ask the question that he had expected and he went on, "I have to write the book."
"There are plenty of places, Ash, where you could write the book. Safe places. Places that could be arranged to be foolproof safe."
He shook his head.
"There's an old robot," he said. "He's the only folks I have. When I was on Cygni, he went out to one of the star systems at the very edge and filed a homestead. I am going there."
"I understand," she said, speaking very gravely.
"There's just one thing," said Sutton. "I keep remembering a little girl who came and spoke to me when I was fishing. I know that she was a person conditioned in my mind. I know she was put there for a purpose, but it makes no difference. I keep thinking of her."
He looked at Eva and saw how the lamplight turned her hair into a copper glory.
"I don't know if I'll ever be in love," said Sutton. "I can't tell you for sure if I love you, Eva. But I wish you would go with me out to Buster's planet."
She shook her head. "Ash, I must stay here, for a while at least. I've worked for years on this thing. I must see it through."
Her eyes were misty in the lamplight. "Perhaps sometime, Ash, if you still want me. Perhaps a little later I can come."