Part 59 (1/2)

”Usually,” said Pilch.

”Well, I might some day. But not just yet.” She smiled. ”Let's let Lyad get a head start! Actually, it's just I've found out there are so many interesting things going on all around that I'd like to look them over a bit before I go charging seriously into a career again.” She reached across the table and tapped Pilch's wrist. ”And I'll show you one interesting thing that's going on right here! Take Mantelish's big tree out there!”

”The sequoia?”

”Yes. Now just last year it was looking so bad they almost talked the professor into having it taken away. Hardly a green branch left on it.”

Pilch shaded her eyes and looked at the sequoia's crown far above them.

”It looks,” she observed reflectively, ”in fairly good shape at the moment, I'd say!”

”Yes, and it's getting greener every week. Mantelish brags about a new solvent he's been dosing its roots with. You see that great big branch like an L turned upward, just a little above the center?”

Pilch looked again. ”Yes,” she said after a moment, ”I think so.”

”Just before the L turns upward, there's a little cl.u.s.ter of green branches,” Trigger said.

”I see those, yes.”

Trigger picked up the field gla.s.ses and handed them to her. ”Get those little branches in the gla.s.ses,” she said.

Pilch said presently, ”Got them.”

Trigger stood up and faced up to the sequoia. She cupped her hands to her mouth, took a deep breath, and yelled. ”Yoo-hoo! Reee-pul-sive!”

Down in the garden, Mantelish straightened and looked about angrily.

Then he saw Trigger and smiled.

”Yoo-hoo yourself, Trigger!” he shouted, and turned back to his spading.

Trigger watched Pilch's face from the side. She saw her give a sudden start.

”Great Galaxies!” Pilch breathed. She kept on looking. ”That's one for the book, isn't it?” Finally she put the gla.s.ses down. She appeared somewhat stunned. ”He really is a little green man!”

”Only when he's trying to be. It's a sort of sign of friendliness.”

”What's he doing up there?”