Elsewhere(66)

After a moment, Owen answers, "I remember."

"I wonder," says Liz, "I wonder what was so . . . hard?"

"It was just a dumb game, Liz."

"It was a dumb game," Liz agrees. "Let's not play it anymore."

Owen nods. "We won't."

"I think I was ... I think I was ... I was dead." Liz begins to cry.

Owen can't stand to see Liz cry. He takes Liz in his arms. She is so small now. When had that happened? he wonders. "Don't be scared, Liz," he says, "it was just a game, remember."

"Oh, right," she says, "I forgot."

"May I continue your story now?" Owen asks, picking up the book.

Liz nods, and Owen begins to read again.

" ' "But you see, Winnie Foster, when I told you before I'm a hundred and four years old, I was telling the truth. But I'm really only seventeen. And, so far as I know, I'll stay seventeen till the end of the world." ' " Owen sets down the book. "That's the end of the chapter. Should I read the next one?"

"Please," says Liz, sticking her thumb happily into her mouth.

Owen sighs and continues to read. " 'Winnie did not believe in fairy tales. She had never longed for a magic wand, did not expect to marry a prince, and was scornful most of the time of her grandmother's elves. So now she sat, mouth open, wide-eyed, not knowing what to make of this extraordinary story. It couldn't not a bit of it be true . . .' "

Liz closes her eyes, and it isn't very long before she falls into a sweet, untroubled sleep.

Birth

On a mild January morning just before dawn, Betty delivers Liz to the launch nurse.

"You look familiar," Dolly says, gently taking the baby from Betty. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Betty shakes her head.

"The baby, she looks familiar, too." The nurse holds Liz up to get a better view. "She looked just like you, I bet."

"Yes," Betty says, "yes."

Dolly tickles Liz under the chin. "Pretty baby," she coos. The nurse lays Liz on the table and begins swaddling her.

"Please." Betty places her hand on the nurse's. "Not too tight."

"Don't worry," Dolly says pleasantly. "I've done this before."

Many more people attend Liz's second Release than had her first.

In addition to Betty, there is Aldous Ghent who looks much the same as when Liz first met him.

He has more hair now.

And Shelly carries Thandi in a bassinet. Thandi will be making her own journey very soon. She, of course, has less hair now.

And Curds wears a dark suit, although the custom is to wear white at births.

And, of course, Owen is there, too. He is accompanied by Emily Reilly (formerly Welles), who now acts as his occasional babysitter. She tries to interest Owen in the proceedings, but he prefers to play with his toy boat in a puddle. "Don't run off, O," Emily tells him before joining the others to watch the Release.

Owen doesn't watch when they place Liz in the River, next to all the other babies who would be born that day. Nor does he watch when the launch nurse pushes Liz away from the shore into the current that leads back to Earth. To the untrained observer, it seems as if Liz's departure has no effect on Owen whatsoever.

Curtis Jest watches Owen before deciding to go over to him.

"Owen," Curtis asks, "do you remember who that was?"

Owen looks up from playing with the boat. He appears to find Curtis's question very difficult.

"Lizzie?"

"Yes," says Curtis, "that was Lizzie. She was my friend. She was your . . . your friend, too."

Owen continues playing with the boat. He begins singing Liz's name in the unaffected way children will sometimes sing a name. "Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie," he sings. Owen stops singing abruptly and looks up at Curtis. A horrified expression crosses Owen's face. "Is she . . . gone?"

"Yes," says Curtis.

Owen nods. "Gonegonegonegonegone." Owen begins to cry in an undignified manner, although he isn't entirely sure why he is crying. Curtis takes Owen's hand, leading Owen away from the puddle.

"You know," says Curtis, "you may see her again someday."

"Cool," says Owen, and with that, he stops crying.

From across the parking lot, Betty claps her hands. "Cigars and champagne back at the house!"

At Curtis and Betty's house, a pink and white "It's a girl!" banner hangs on the door. Curtis passes out cigars with pink ribbons tied around them. A "Happy Birthday, Liz" sheet cake is served in addition to champagne and punch.

Aldous Ghent eats a forkful of cake and begins to cry. "Birthday cake always depresses me," he says to no one in particular.

Everyone stops talking when Betty clinks a spoon against a champagne flute. "If you wouldn't mind indulging me, I'd like to say a few words about Liz," she says. "Liz was my granddaughter, of course. But if she hadn't come to Elsewhere, I never would have known her at all. I died before she was born.

"Liz was my granddaughter, but also a good friend. She was just a girl when she got here, but she grew into a fine woman. She liked to laugh and she loved spending time with her dogs and her friends. I never would have met my husband if Liz hadn't come into my life." Betty takes Curtis by the hand.