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Adam resumed his story. “I was thrilled, Orfeo, to put it mildly. There was no doubt in my mind that I had seen a real space ship. I wanted to shout out to the world about it, but only the creatures of the desert would have heard me. Tonight there must be angels all around, I thought, and I could shout it to them, but they knew it better than I. I could not remain suspended like this. Perhaps I should rush back to town, and ask if anyone else saw it. “Before I could do anything, the music increased in volume. This could not last. In all my rapture there seemed to be a depthless emptiness, almost unendurable. I was in some way being swept emotionally into this emptiness. Then a voice filled it completely, and the emptiness vanished. It was a feminine voice, sweet, musical. It strummed my taut nerves gently back to quiet and comfort. “The reason,” he interrupted himself, “I have asked you to call me Adam, Orfeo, is because that is what she herself called me.” He looked at me a little accusingly, and asked, “Orfeo .. . are you believing me? You have a little grin.” “Well, is it a ‘must’ that I believe you? If I said I did not believe you, would you stop telling me the story?” I asked him. “No. No, I would go on just the same, so long as you listened.” “All right, then, Adam. Now I should like to ask you: As far as you know, is it all just as you experienced it? You are making none of it up?” “As heaven is my witness, it is all true. If anything, I may need to leave out some things which are of little consequence,” he said, tad . “Then what difference does it make, Adam, who believes you or who does not? Naturally, I myself believe you. Do you forget? You are talking to a veteran, not a recruit.” “That's right, Orfeo. I forgot for a moment,” he smiled, and eagerly went back to his story. 47 THE DANCE IN A GLASS that the nectar still had the strength to keep us awake and alert. with conviction.