that the world was
about to come to an end; that NASA was purposely inviting the wrath of the cosmos down upon mankind with their expedition to Mars. One banner
read: only servants of the beast do the beasts bidding. Terry was uncertain of The Paul's origin, but their theology seemed to revolve around a
morbid interpretation of Revelations. Had he felt better, they probably would have angered him. As it was, they just made him feel more miserable.
Jennifer pointed at the demonstrators. 'Are they bad people, Terry?' she asked.
Her voice was grave, as was the expression on her face. Those were her first words in a while. Terry hadn't felt much like conversation, either. 'No,'
he said. 'They're just people who have been misled by a man more powerful than themselves.'
'They're saying bad things about what Lauren's doing.'
'Because they're afraid. They don't know that it's good for man to explore new planets. They're afraid of things changing.'
'Would they be afraid if Lauren was going somewhere else beside Mars?' Jennifer asked.
'Yes. It wouldn't matter to them.'
'Are you sure?'
'Yes,' Terry said.
'Positive?'
'Yes.'
Jennifer nodded, but appeared unconvinced. The previous night had been dreadful for her. The rooms Terry had booked had been unavailable
when they arrived in Florida. Cape Canaveral was jammed. Only by begging and bribing a motel manager was he able to get a seedy room in a
place thirty miles away. They had been there a week now. He had slept on the floor while Jennifer tossed and turned on the bed. Her nightmares
had returned in force. Neither of them had told Lauren, although Terry suspected she knew. Sleep was a time of battle for Jennifer. He had never
seen anything like it. She jerked uncontrol ably, mumbled words and phrases in nonsense language, and even had something akin to asthma
attacks. Yet it was seldom she actual y woke up, though morning always found her drained. When he asked her what she dreamed about, she just
shook her head and said she couldn't remember. For some reason, he didn't believe her.
Just prior to meeting Terry, Lauren had taken Jennifer to a psychiatrist in Houston to try to discover the source of her nightmares. It was the doctor's
belief that Jennifer suffered from guilt over her parents' dying so close to the time of her birth, which Terry felt was a stab in the dark. Jennifer had
hardly reached the age when she could talk when her mom and her dad had had their car accident. The psychiatrist had tried hypnotizing Jennifer,
and had been unsuccessful, which had surprised the doctor; children were notoriously easy to hypnotize. In fact, Lauren, who had witnessed the
procedure, had said the psychiatrist ended up accidental y hypnotizing himself.
'He sat right in front of Jenny, using a pendulum and talking real slow and soft, counting down from a hundred to one, making a variety of relaxing
suggestions. He did this for about twenty minutes, trying to put her under, but nothing happened. Jennifer just sat there with her eyes closed and
listened. Final y he asked her to open her eyes. I thought he was giving up. It was then he suddenly jerked in his seat, as if he had been shocked
with electricity. His head fel on his chest and he passed out. For a moment I thought he'd had a heart attack and died. I had a hard time waking him.
I think Jennifer scared him. He didn't want to see us again.'
Terry thought of last night and a shiver ran up his spine. For hours he had lain listening to Jennifer convulse in her sleep, when suddenly she had
grown stil , and her breathing had softened. With relief, he began to doze - he couldn't remember when he had felt so exhausted. But when he was
on the verge of slipping off, he heard Jennifer start to weep, the sound so ful of anguish he could hardly bear it. He got up and sat beside her on the
bed. At first he assumed she must be awake, but when he cal ed her name she didn't answer. For a long time he stayed near her,
about to come to an end; that NASA was purposely inviting the wrath of the cosmos down upon mankind with their expedition to Mars. One banner
read: only servants of the beast do the beasts bidding. Terry was uncertain of The Paul's origin, but their theology seemed to revolve around a
morbid interpretation of Revelations. Had he felt better, they probably would have angered him. As it was, they just made him feel more miserable.
Jennifer pointed at the demonstrators. 'Are they bad people, Terry?' she asked.
Her voice was grave, as was the expression on her face. Those were her first words in a while. Terry hadn't felt much like conversation, either. 'No,'
he said. 'They're just people who have been misled by a man more powerful than themselves.'
'They're saying bad things about what Lauren's doing.'
'Because they're afraid. They don't know that it's good for man to explore new planets. They're afraid of things changing.'
'Would they be afraid if Lauren was going somewhere else beside Mars?' Jennifer asked.
'Yes. It wouldn't matter to them.'
'Are you sure?'
'Yes,' Terry said.
'Positive?'
'Yes.'
Jennifer nodded, but appeared unconvinced. The previous night had been dreadful for her. The rooms Terry had booked had been unavailable
when they arrived in Florida. Cape Canaveral was jammed. Only by begging and bribing a motel manager was he able to get a seedy room in a
place thirty miles away. They had been there a week now. He had slept on the floor while Jennifer tossed and turned on the bed. Her nightmares
had returned in force. Neither of them had told Lauren, although Terry suspected she knew. Sleep was a time of battle for Jennifer. He had never
seen anything like it. She jerked uncontrol ably, mumbled words and phrases in nonsense language, and even had something akin to asthma
attacks. Yet it was seldom she actual y woke up, though morning always found her drained. When he asked her what she dreamed about, she just
shook her head and said she couldn't remember. For some reason, he didn't believe her.
Just prior to meeting Terry, Lauren had taken Jennifer to a psychiatrist in Houston to try to discover the source of her nightmares. It was the doctor's
belief that Jennifer suffered from guilt over her parents' dying so close to the time of her birth, which Terry felt was a stab in the dark. Jennifer had
hardly reached the age when she could talk when her mom and her dad had had their car accident. The psychiatrist had tried hypnotizing Jennifer,
and had been unsuccessful, which had surprised the doctor; children were notoriously easy to hypnotize. In fact, Lauren, who had witnessed the
procedure, had said the psychiatrist ended up accidental y hypnotizing himself.
'He sat right in front of Jenny, using a pendulum and talking real slow and soft, counting down from a hundred to one, making a variety of relaxing
suggestions. He did this for about twenty minutes, trying to put her under, but nothing happened. Jennifer just sat there with her eyes closed and
listened. Final y he asked her to open her eyes. I thought he was giving up. It was then he suddenly jerked in his seat, as if he had been shocked
with electricity. His head fel on his chest and he passed out. For a moment I thought he'd had a heart attack and died. I had a hard time waking him.
I think Jennifer scared him. He didn't want to see us again.'
Terry thought of last night and a shiver ran up his spine. For hours he had lain listening to Jennifer convulse in her sleep, when suddenly she had
grown stil , and her breathing had softened. With relief, he began to doze - he couldn't remember when he had felt so exhausted. But when he was
on the verge of slipping off, he heard Jennifer start to weep, the sound so ful of anguish he could hardly bear it. He got up and sat beside her on the
bed. At first he assumed she must be awake, but when he cal ed her name she didn't answer. For a long time he stayed near her,
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