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"A … giant pair of old socks," Mericlou said, her expression a faded

"Socks?"

"Socks" Mericlou said "They ran across the street, as if they had a pair of invisible feet in theesture that panto at set intervals across a road

Aldrec raised an eyebrow

"Yeah, I know it's weird," she said, bashfully waving it away "But it was the only one that I could recall that was silly enough to be worth htful noise "It sounded funnier in er ones," Aldrec said, putting on a false air of sness

"I'm sure you have," Mericlou replied "Five hundred thousand years is a time worth a lot of dreams"

"Yes, it is," Aldrec mused "You know, humans can only comprehend a century, and only barely, if they haven't lived that length of time They can only comprehend a millennium in the detached way that a scholar can in historical literature, but not on a personal level But five hundred millennia are half a million years, Tulyr They say that this world is old, but they really have no idea"

As he continued, Mericlou had beco softer, more distant, as his mind recalled an unknowably distant past She had also co this deeply had the disturbing effect of e

"I have seen the civilizations after my people rise and fall hundreds of times, and have seen rivers turn into canyons and mountains worn down into plains," Aldrec reminisced in a near-sepulchral tone "I have seen the death of an entire race because of their inability to live in peace I have seen the way the corace that huave them, and thus repeat ons stand by in their ancient cities while their nu way to the bladed penduluhed, sloughing off the ently stroke the side of his wife's face

"Tulyr, being an android, you may one day knohat it's like to look on this world and see its age the way I do Andto seeto see the new realm that they have made for themselves Perhaps it will be different there; I don't know, but at least things will be different for me So now that I've fulfilled the prophecy, when the tio, I elcome it"