That evening set the pattern for their evening stops. After getting the fire started, they laid out their sleeping blankets, filled a pot with some water, and heated up a meal of beans and bread and a bit of fruit. By the time they finished all of these activities and settled down on their blankets near the fire, it was fully dark. They could smell the rich aroma of the wood fire as the smoke curled around them on its journey. They could hear a few birds rustling in trees as they, too, settled in for the night.
Ham lay back on his blankets and looked up at the sky. As always the sky was somewhat overcast and dim. There was a momentary break in the clouds, just enough for a couple of stars to be seen, like tiny bits of glass nestled in cotton. Ham found himself wondering about the stars. In spite of his differences and his curiosity, he had never wondered about the stars before.
“Hal?”
“Mmhmm?”
“Have you ever wondered about the stars?”
“Waddayamean?”
“Look – see them up there?”
“Yup.”
“What are they doing up there?”
For a time, there was a bit of buzzing and rustling and smoke swirling while Hal considered.
“Dunno.”
Ham looked at the sky and thought some more.
“Do you wonder?”
“Never have, until now.”
“I think that the stars have something to do with my dreams.”
Hal was quiet, once again, while he thought over what Ham had said.
“May… be.”
And they went to sleep.
