It was easy to pick out the constellation all Canadian children learn first, the edge of its ladle pointing the way to the North Star. The door below shut with a muffled thud, then she heard steady footsteps mounting the ladder. A voice at her ear said, “Amazing, isn’t it.” Without turning her head, she smiled. “Easy to forget how many stars there are, when you spend too much time in the city.” He stood at her side, his shoulder brushing hers, silently gazing at the cosmos. “Makes me wonder about those people who won’t even discuss the possibility of intelligent life out there.” He rested on his palms against the window sill, and glanced sideways at her. “You must admit, it’s a very uncomfortable concept. Especially if they find us first.” “I guess that’s one way to think of it. Me, I wonder what they might be like.” He turned to her. For a moment the romance of the scene filled her senses: a man, a woman, as alone as Adam and Eve. The scent of pine trees and wildflowers.
