HEIR APPARENT
By Alan E. Nourse
What drives a man to the stars on a life
of high adventure and grave peril? Even more
important—can a girl's love keep him home?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy
October 1953
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
We watched in silence as grim-faced, uniformed guards carried thesmall bronze casket down from the space ship. There were thousands ofus standing there in the pouring rain, soaked to the skin. Yet somehowwe didn't notice the rain or the discomfort. We had waited years forthis moment, to honor a great man's triumphal return to Earth.... Hehad waited too long. The odds he faced had finally cancelled out luck,skill, and the guts a brave man needs to face space alone....
They carried his casket by us, across the sopping field, boots suckingnoisily in the heavy mud. Instead of smiles there were tears that eventhe rain couldn't hide. And many a woman sobbed openly now ... perhapsthinking of her own son or husband up there someplace....
I couldn't find any tears. And that was strange. For of all thethousands of people watching his casket move slowly by, I should havefelt the deepest remorse.
At least, when you kill a man you're supposed to feel that way....
It had been so hot that I was soaked through when I finished at thehospital, and could think of nothing more enticing than a hot bath anda long night's sleep. An interne's life isn't his own, and the eveningsI could call mine came so seldom I couldn't remember the last timeI'd been free. Still, there were those evenings, and tonight seemedto be one of them, when I used to think I'd been foolish to keep fromentanglements that would interfere with my professional progress,and begin to envy guys like Bart, with their black haired, blue eyedgirls. I was pleased when I saw the light on under my door, and foundBart and Marny there. Marny was at the refrigerator pouring some beer,and Bart was pacing back and forth like a tiger, his eyes bright withexcitement. "You should get another hospital," he exploded when Iopened the door. "Thought you'd never get here."
"Can't tell women when to have babies," I growled. "Nobody's passed anylaws yet." I stripped off my shirt and disappeared toward the shower,winking at Marny as I went. "And as for using my flat for immoralpurposes—"
"Fat chance," she grinned, jerking a thumb at Bart. "The boy's ona jag. He won't come near me." I heard the glasses clinking as Ishowered, and slipped on a cool, fresh shirt. I found them both withtheir noses in beer, Marny on the couch, Bart staring out at the darkstreet. And I noticed the suppressed excitement in Bart's eyes as Isank down in a chair.
"Ok," I said. "So you've got news. Spill it."
"I passed the test, Ben!"
I squinted at him, puzzled. Something tried to clink down into place inmy mind. Test? It seemed to me I had heard something about a test."That's nice," I said. "What test?"
"What test! Dillon's engineering competition, stupid! I told you aboutthat—"
My eyes widened, and I sat bolt upright. "You mean the competition forcrews?"
Bart nodded excitedly. "That's right. Dillon got the government to backhis contracts and research, and he'll be tripling the number of shipsin space within the next five years. He needs men—the best men hecan get to man those ships! And the