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Zen, by Jerome Bixby
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Zen, by Jerome Bixby This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Zen
Author: Jerome Bixby
Illustrator: William Ashman
Release Date: August 21, 2009 [EBook #29750]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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ZEN
By JEROME BIXBY
Because they were so likable and intelligent and adaptable--they were vastly dangerous!
[Illustration: Illustrated by ASHMAN]
It's difficult, when you're on one of the asteroids, to keep from tripping, because it's almost impossible to keep your eyes on the ground. They never got around to putting portholes in spaceships, you know--unnecessary when you're flying by GB, and psychologically inadvisable, besides--so an asteroid is about the only place, apart from Luna, where you can really see the stars.
There are so many stars in an asteroid sky that they look like clouds; like massive, heaped-up silver clouds floating slowly around the inner surface of the vast ebony sphere that surrounds you and your tiny foothold. They are near enough to touch, and you want to touch them, but they are so frighteningly far away ... and so beautiful: there's nothing in creation half so beautiful as an asteroid sky.
You don't want to look down, naturally.
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