Part 5 (2/2)
”What fun!” she exclaimed in pretty excitement. ”Pour some over me right now!”
”Not so fast, Jim, boy!” Dr. Cutler, the biologist, s.n.a.t.c.hed the jug from James' hand. ”First you-all better let me take a sample of this here stuff back to Base to test on a lower life-form, so's I can make sure it won't do anything bad to Miss Magnolia. Might have iron in it and I have a theory that iron may not be beneficial for the local vegetation.”
”Oh, thank you!” the tree rustled. ”It's so very thoughtful of you, Doctor, but I'm sure Jim would never give me anything that would injure me.”
”I'm sure he isn't fixing to do a thing like that, ma'am, but he's no botanist.”
”And for you, Phyllis....” James handed his wife the awkward bundle to unwrap for herself.
She tore the papers off slowly. ”Oh, Jim, darling, it's--it's--”
”You wanted a bit of green, so I ordered a plant from Earth. You like it? I hope you do.”
”Oh, _Jim_!” She embraced him and the pot simultaneously. ”More than _anything_!”
”It won't stay green,” Magnolia observed. ”Either it'll turn blue or it'll die. Puny-looking specimen, isn't it?”
”Well,” said James, ”it's only a youngster. I guess this Christmas is too early, but next Christmas there ought to be berries. It's a holly plant, Phyl.”
”Holly,” she repeated, her voice shaking a little. ”_Holly._” She and Dr. Cutler exchanged glances.
”I told you, Miz Phyllis, ma'am--he may know the first thing about botany, but he doesn't know anything after that.”
”Jim,” Phyllis said, linking her free arm through his, ”I misjudged you.
Dr. Cutler is right. You don't know so very much about botany, after all.”
He looked at her blankly. Her voice was trembling, and not with tears this time. ”I love this little plant; it's just what I wanted ... but there aren't ever going to be any berries, because, to have berries, you have to have two plants. And the right two. Holly's di--dio--it's just like us.”
”Oh,” James said, feeling thoroughly inadequate. ”I'm sorry.”
”But you mustn't be sorry. I'm going to plant it here on Elysium, and I hope it will stay green in spite of what she says, and it'll have blossoms anyway ... and it was very, very sweet of you, dear.”
She kissed his cheek.
”Is this one a boy or a girl?” Magnolia asked.
”You-all can't tell till it blooms, Miss Magnolia, ma'am,” Dr. Cutler informed her.
”Maybe I can. Hand it up here, please.”
Phyllis paused for an irresolute moment, then, smiling nervously at her guests, obliged.
”It's a boy,” Magnolia announced, after a minute. ”A boy.” She gave back the pot reluctantly. ”Phyllis,” she said, ”you and I have never been friends and I admit that it's been my fault just as much as yours.”
”As much as mine?” Phyllis echoed. ”I like that--” and was going to go on when she obviously recollected that they had company, and stopped.
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