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<h1><span class="smaller">YOUNG READERS</span> <br/>Science Fiction Stories</h1>
<p class="center">By RICHARD M. ELAM</p>
<h2 id="c1"><br/><i>BETH AND THE TWILIGHT STAR</i></h2>
<p>Beth Harrison and her father
had driven into the desert to look for dead
branches of “jumping cactus,” which were used
in making lamps for Mr. Harrison’s tourist
shop in Tucson. He and Beth had just gotten
out of the station wagon and were gazing up a
slope of bristly cacti.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_14">14</div>
<p>“This looks like a good place, Daddy,” Beth
said.</p>
<p>Mr. Harrison nodded. “We’ll have to hurry,
though. It’s getting late.”</p>
<p>They started up the sandy slope carrying
straw market bags that would hold their gleanings.</p>
<p>“Maybe we’ll see some Flying Saucers,”
Beth said half-jokingly. “Someone thought he
saw one out here the other day.”</p>
<p>Her father grinned. “Flying Saucers indeed!
You and that lively imagination of yours,
Beth!”</p>
<p>They set to work searching for dead
branches. They found a few good specimens.
But they were not enough to suit Beth and
she decided to broaden the search. She went
over the slope and up and down another, and
before long her roaming carried her out of
sight of her father.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_15">15</div>
<p>Amidst the stunning colors of the sunset,
Beth could make out a lone star—Sirius—the
brightest true star in all the sky. It reminded
her of a pearl glowing in the heavens.</p>
<p>Presently Beth had a bag full of cactus wood
for the lamp shop. She was about to return to
her father when suddenly she saw something
ahead that she had not noticed before. Almost
hidden within a dense thicket of smoky green
<i>paloverde</i> was a shiny surface that reflected
the dying sun’s rays. Her imagination stirred,
Beth decided to investigate.</p>
<p>She put down her bag and made her way
into the thicket. As she moved carefully
through the thorns, she found some of the
branches pushed aside as if someone had used
this path before. She was almost through when
she tripped and fell head-first. Her forehead
bumped against an unyielding branch, causing
her to see more than one star this time.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_16">16</div>
<p>She didn’t know how long she lay on the
ground half-stunned before she got to her
feet. There was a painful bruise on her forehead,
but her curiosity was still strong and she
went on. The shiny surface turned out to be
a wall as smooth and glossy as steel.</p>
<p>“Jeepers!” Beth thought. “What can it be?”</p>
<p>She reached out to touch the wall. Before
she could do so, a door opened in the wall.</p>
<p>The first thing she noticed beyond was a
soft yellow light filling a handsome room. Feeling
like Alice on the threshold of Wonderland,
she stepped inside, more thrilled than afraid.</p>
<p>She heard a sighing behind her and saw the
door closing shut. Only then did she become
frightened. She beat against the wall, wishing
that she had not been so rash as to venture
into such a strange place.</p>
<p>She heard a voice say, “That will not help.”</p>
<p>Beth turned and saw a girl of about her own
age standing on a richly-carpeted platform
across the room. The odd unearthliness of the
girl struck Beth immediately. She was pretty
and her skin was milky white. Her costume
seemed to be of a blue phosphorescent material,
as did her shoes. Her short hair was almost as
red as glowing coals.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_17">17</div>
<p>“Wh—who are you?” Beth stammered.</p>
<p>“I am Linnia,” the girl replied in a voice
that sounded almost as if she were singing.
“You are Beth.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Beth replied in amazement, “but
how did you—?”</p>
<p>“I can read your mind.”</p>
<p>Beth gulped. “You can?”</p>
<p>“Come over and sit down,” Linnia said.
“We shall talk.”</p>
<p>She sat in a nearby chair that seemed to be
made of steel matchsticks, it looked so frail.
Beth sat in the chair opposite and found that
it was very sturdy.</p>
<p>“You are thinking that I look very strange
to you,” Linnia said. “You seem strange to me
too, but that is because we are of different
worlds.”</p>
<p>Beth gulped again. “D—different worlds?”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_18">18</div>
<p>Suddenly the yellow light in the room
changed to a pulsing orange. Linnia straightened
up quickly. “That is the signal,” she
spoke. “I did not expect it so soon. We must
hurry and prepare ourselves!”</p>
<p>Beth started asking questions, but Linnia
said not now. Beth found herself following the
girl across the room to a row of couches. Beth
lay down on one and somehow knew exactly
what she was to do. She guessed that Linnia
was putting the thoughts into her head. She
lifted the straps that hung at the sides and
buckled them across her body.</p>
<p>The couch was soft as a cloud and Beth
was thinking how much she would like to
have a bed like this when all at once she felt
herself sinking deeply into the cushion as if
a great hand were thrusting her down. For
several moments she was as giddy as if she
were riding the roller-coaster at the carnival.
Then finally her breath came back and she
felt herself rise to the top of the cushion again.</p>
<p>“We can get up,” she heard Linnia say.
“We’re coasting now.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_19">19</div>
<p>They unbuckled their straps and rose to
their feet. Linnia walked over to the wall,
pressed a button, and a blind rolled back,
revealing a long window.</p>
<p>“Look,” Linnia said.</p>
<p>Beth joined her and looked out the window.
Her heart fairly rose into her throat. She was
up in the sky, far up in the sky! Through a
veil of clouds beneath she could see the curve
of the earth itself!</p>
<p>Beth seized Linnia by the arm. “Jeepers,
what’s going on! Where are you taking me?”</p>
<p>Linnia pointed to the white beacon of Sirius
in the blue-black sky.</p>
<p>“You’re from Sirius?” Beth asked in amazement.</p>
<p>“Yes, from Tata Moori, one of its planets.
Our work on earth is through for right now
and my father and I are returning home to
make a report.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_20">20</div>
<p>Linnia went on to say that her father’s space
ship was only one of many which were studying
the earth to see how the people here lived.
Her father’s assignment had been to make an
analysis of the soil. The visitors intended no
harm and in time they planned to meet the
people of earth face to face.</p>
<p>“Well, I have already met you,” Beth said
boldly, “and I’m ready to go back!”</p>
<p>Linnia shook her flame-topped head. “We
tried to keep our ship hidden, but you found
it, Beth, and so there is nothing to do but take
you back with us for awhile. When you came
close, the electric eye opened the door and let
you inside before it was time for any earth
person to see one of our ships.”</p>
<p>“But my father and mother,” Beth said
desperately, “and my friends! They’ll be worried
to death! You must not take me, Linnia!
Please, isn’t there something you can do?”</p>
<p>Linnia studied Beth’s pleading face. Then
she replied, “I’ll talk to my father. He’s busy
running the ship, but I’ll do what I can for
you. While I’m gone, you can see what it’s like
on our world by pushing the button on that
cabinet against the wall. Father and I look at
the film sometimes to keep from getting homesick.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_21">21</div>
<p>Beth was in no mood for looking at pictures.
She was feeling worse by the minute as
she considered what it would be like to be
parted from her family and friends. As she sat
in the chair, dreading and wondering, suddenly
it became too much for her and she
began to cry.</p>
<p>“Jeepers, why did I ever wander off from
Daddy?” she moaned.</p>
<p>The tears made her feel better and presently
she was calm enough to go over to the cabinet
and turn it on. A large screen brightened and
she saw a strange land unfolding before her
eyes.</p>
<p>There were winding highways raised into
the sky and skyscrapers like tall crystal columns.
She saw motorcars of tear-drop design
and helicopters filling the air. The people
looked much like Linnia, with phosphorescent
clothing, and all had hair as flaming red as
Linnia’s own.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_22">22</div>
<div class="fig"> id="pic1"> <ANTIMG src="images/i02.jpg" alt="She saw a strange land unfolding before her eyes" width-obs="500" height-obs="673" /> <p class="caption"><i>She saw a strange land unfolding before her eyes</i></p> </div>
<div class="pb" id="Page_23">23</div>
<p>Yes, Tata Moori looked like an exciting
place to visit, but it was not a visit Beth would
want to make without another person from her
own planet. As she thought about her predicament,
she began to be scared again and the
tears filled her eyes once more. Why, Sirius
was <i>trillions</i> of miles from Earth!</p>
<p>She went to the window. The dwindling
earth was becoming a green ball against the
black deeps of space. The stars were dazzling
and seemed as countless as the sands of the
seashore. The view made Beth terribly homesick.</p>
<p>Finally Linnia returned.</p>
<p>Beth looked at her anxiously, trying to read
her fate in the foreign girl’s eyes.</p>
<p>“What did your father say?” Beth asked,
with fluttering heart. “Did he say he’d take me
back? Please tell me he did!”</p>
<p>Linnia smiled. “Yes, Beth. He said that we
are not supposed to take younger persons to
Tata Moori. He was angry with me for not
telling him you were aboard, but I told him
you came in just before we blasted off.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_24">24</div>
<p>“Gee, I’m so relieved!” Beth said happily.
“I don’t mean I wouldn’t like your company,
Linnia, but you know how it is.”</p>
<p>“Yes, I know,” Linnia replied wistfully. “I
have missed my mother and friends too. I had
to take my brother’s place on this trip when
he became sick. You see, everyone on Tata
Moori learns science when they are very
young.”</p>
<p>“I’ve been wondering how it is that you
speak English, Linnia.”</p>
<p>“We keep tuned in on your radio and television,”
Linnia answered. “That’s how we
learned your language and so many other
things about you.”</p>
<p>“You people seem to be ahead of us in
progress,” Beth said. “I believe there is much
we can learn from you.”</p>
<p>“We can learn much from you too,” Linnia
spoke. “I hope the people of our planets are
permitted to meet very soon.”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_25">25</div>
<p>The girls had to belt down on their couches
again because of the mounting speed at which
they were returning to earth. Beth felt herself
sinking deeply into her cushion once more
and she grew breathless again. Minutes later,
the ship stopped moving.</p>
<p>Beth hurriedly unbuckled and ran over to
the window. Through a break in the <i>paloverde</i>
thicket she could see her father’s station wagon
parked at the roadside. She was back at the
same place she had started from.</p>
<p>“Thank goodness!” she breathed.</p>
<p>Linnia walked with her to the outer door.</p>
<p>“My father said he’d like to have met you,”
Linnia said, “but he is too busy preparing for
our blast off again. We must hurry because we
are behind schedule. Before you leave, Beth,
Father has said that you must promise never
to speak a word about all this to anyone. I
have searched your mind and I know you to
be honest.”</p>
<p>Beth was disappointed that she could not
make known her fabulous journey, but she
promised that she would never tell.</p>
<p>Linnia waved her hand at the door and the
electric eye opened it.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_26">26</div>
<p>“Goodbye, Beth,” Linnia said.</p>
<p>“Goodbye, Linnia.”</p>
<p>Beth heard the sighing of the door as it
closed behind her.</p>
<p>Suddenly her head began aching and she remembered
the fall she had taken earlier. As
she made her way out of the thicket, she began
to have a queer feeling about her adventure.
It made her wonder if perhaps she might not
have been unconscious and imagined the
whole thing.</p>
<p>When she reached the car, her father said
with some concern, “You were gone so long I
started to come for you, Beth. What happened
to your forehead?”</p>
<p>She told him about her fall but did not
mention the space ship.</p>
<p>“Did you see something land a few minutes
ago, Daddy?” Beth asked.</p>
<p>Mr. Harrison grinned. “You mean, maybe,
a Flying Saucer? No, I’m afraid I didn’t. Are
you sure your imagination isn’t working overtime
again, Beth?”</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_27">27</div>
<p>As they were about to get into the car, Beth
saw a dark object in the distance rise from the
ground and move off into the deepening twilight.
She was certain she did not imagine this.</p>
<p>“You saw that, didn’t you, Daddy?” Beth
asked.</p>
<p>Mr. Harrison nodded. “Probably a hawk.
Hmm, it looks like it’s heading right for the
Evening Star, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>Beth gazed at the brilliant light of Sirius,
gorgeously bright now with darkness closing
in.</p>
<p>“I wish I knew if it really was,” Beth murmured.</p>
<div class="pb" id="Page_28">28</div>
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