First to Dance (37 page)

He opened up the glass case and climbed inside. His weary bones made the task difficult, but he laid down knowi
ng that the next time he got up his bones wouldn’t be so weary anymore. He would awake as a young man, and beside him would be Etana as a young woman. She would feel what it was like to be young again, and perhaps the reversal of age would remove also some of the bitterness in her heart. He would start again with her, and if he had to, even another time after that. Conquering her heart was the only goal he’d set but never achieved, and he wasn’t willing to die before attaining victory.

“You will love me,
Etana,” he said. “One day, you will.”

He closed the case down over himself, and
with Etana’s hand in his, hefell asleep
.