DUST

Alone...

All his life he'd been alone,

and now he must be alone again,

and this infinitely precious being

that had come to him must be taken away

almost at once...

H e found himself gasping, shaking

and crying aloud with more anger and pain

than he had ever felt in his life...

She sat down slowly, he sat down beside her...

"what can we do?" said she.

"Whatever can we do?

I want to live with you forever.

I want to kiss you,

and lie down with you,

and wake up with you

everyday of my life till i die,

years and years away.

I don't want a memory,

just a memory..."

"No," he said,

"memory's a poor thing to have.

It's your own real hair

and mouth and arms

and eyes and hands I want.

I didn't know I could love anything so much.

If only we could stay here like this,

and the world could stop turning,

and everyone else could fall asleep..."

"Everyone except us!

And you and I could live here forever

and just love each other."

"I will love you forever,

whatever happens.

Till I die and after I die,

and when I find my way

out of the land of the dead,

I'll drift about forever,

all my atoms,

till I find you again..."

"I'll be looking for you," said she

"Every moment, every single moment.

And when we do find each other again,

we'll cling together so tight

that nothing and no one'll

ever tear us apart."

"I love you more than anyone has ever been loved..."

-The Amber Spy Glass-