“Please take a seat, Tom.” Nakar motioned to the chair beside
him. “What was it like when you stood on Earth for the first
time?”
Tom looked first at the chair, then at Nakar. Smiling, he
crossed over to the chair and sat. Leaning back, he closed his eyes
and stretched. “The first time I saw her? She caressed me with the
tranquil colors and soft smells of the garden.”
“You saw the Garden?” Nakar asked, leaning forward.
“That’s where we landed,” Tom said, opening his eyes.
Speaking softly, Tom also leaned forward. “I remember well
the feel of her gentle breeze ruffling my hair and kissing my cheeks.
Her sun warmed my back as I soaked in the wonders, her stillness
broken only by the soft music of far-off animals and birds. Earth
was giving birth to spring. It’s so different from here.”
“Tell us what you experienced, Tom.”
Tom leaned back. “The first thing I observed was a small tree
among the many trees. This tree had little green leaves newly bud-
ded. They were much longer than wide, coming to a single point
at the tip as they curled slightly behind themselves. The tree was
half my size and covered with little white flowers, each emitting the
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