“No!” George croaked in horror. “It can’t be!” He took a step back.

“What’s wrong?” said his father, sudden concern etched across his face.

“Don’t you see them?” said George in a voice that he could hardly keep under control. “It’s the Grak!”

“Oh,” said George’s father, in sudden comprehension. Then incredibly, he broke into a huge grin, and started to laugh. Several of the Grak laughed with him.

George stared at them, his eyes so wide they were about to pop. What had they done to his father? He wasn’t acting normal at all!

“Don’t worry, George,” said his father reassuringly. “I should have realized, and told you sooner. These aren’t the Grak.” He pointed at several of the Grak-like creatures, who were all still looking at George and smiling. “These are the Glosh.”

George just stared at his father in confusion. Seeing the terror that was still in George’s eyes, his father motioned him over to a side door in the ship. “Come on in here, and I’ll explain everything,” he said calmly. George hesitated. Had they done something to his father? A voice seemed to turn itself on in his head: ‘Things are not always what they seem …’

George turned back to the outer door of the spaceship, ready to bolt out of it and back into the night air. But again he hesitated. Where would he go? Back to the teddy bear prison?

His father came over to him and raised his hand, as if he were going to put it reassuringly on George’s shoulder. Then he thought better of it, and let the hand drop to his side. He said simply in a soft voice, “I know this all seems crazy, George, but I can explain. These really aren’t the Grak. They won’t hurt you. None of them are trying to stop you from going back outside.”

That much was true. None of the Grak—or Glosh—or whatever they were—had moved. They still stood there smiling. He could easily bolt out the door and back to the teddy bear city, and no one would stop him.

“I promise, it’s all right,” said George’s father gently. “You had a terrible ordeal at the hands of the Grak, so what you’re feeling is very understandable. Believe me, I was put through a lot from them too.”

George turned suddenly toward his father. His face turned scarlet in shame.

“I’m sorry,” he said, embarrassed. “I should have realized that if you trust them, then …” his voice trailed off. If his father trusted these Glosh after being held prisoner by the Grak for over a year, then George was just being silly. What George had experienced from the Grak was nothing compared to what his father had been through!

“Come on in, and we’ll talk about it,” said his father again, in reassuring tones. “Maybe the Glosh will bring us a bite to eat. Meanwhile, you can ask all the questions you want. We’re safe now, and we have time …”

Slowly, George followed his father into a little side room. The Glosh seemed to come unglued and started to move around their ship, not paying any more attention to the father and son.

Once inside the room, George’s father closed the door softly behind them. It was a small room, not much bigger than a broom closet. But it was shiny and clean. And best of all, his father was there!

His father sat down on one of two chairs that sat next to a little table in the room. “I was being held by the Grak on their home planet,” he said before George could start asking questions. As George looked at him, he saw a flicker of pain cross his father’s weathered face. “It was a horrible place. A place I hope I can forget someday …”

His father shook himself suddenly, as if trying to throw off a dead memory. “After their attempt to destroy earth failed,” he continued, “they were very angry. They took out their anger on me and the other two men that were with me. You probably don’t know anything about these other two men, I guess?”

“Actually, I do,” said George. His father’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “One of them is from Portugal and his name is Jose. The other is from China, and I don’t know his name.”

“How did you know that?” said George’s father in wonder.

“With the help of the Protector,” said George simply. “We found out what their plan was, and made contact with the Chinese guy’s daughter and Jose’s wife.”

“You’ve got to tell me lots more about this Protector,” said his father curiously. "He sounds pretty amazing."

Before George could answer he felt a sudden jolt, as if the space ship had been hit by something.

“Nothing to worry about,” said his father reassuringly. “That just means we’re underway. See?” He went over and passed his hand over a tiny light in the wall. Instantly, a panel George hadn’t noticed before opened up, revealing a window. Through it, George saw a thick sprinkling of stars that sparkled brightly. He could also see the teddy bear city swiftly dropping away below them. They were leaving the teddy bear planet!

“Anyway,” continued his father, taking a seat at the table again, “the Grak were very angry. They said they were going to take us to some horrible work planet, and make us slave for the rest of our lives. Then in the middle of the night, they came and took me away, leaving the other two men. They put me on a spaceship, and before I knew it, we were out among the stars, going somewhere. None of them would tell me where we were going, or even speak to me at all.”

Glancing out the window, George saw that the teddy bear planet was shrinking away behind them. It was amazing how fast the ship was moving. In no time at all, the planet would be out of sight.

“We finally landed on a planet that looked very red as we were coming up to it. I was taken off and put in a cell, and left alone. But when I woke up the next morning, I heard what sounded like gunfire. The building I was in shook as if it were going to fall apart. Suddenly my door burst open, and a Grak came racing in. Only he said he wasn’t a Grak, but was something called a ‘Glosh’ instead.”

“Just like you, I didn’t believe him. He looked just like a Grak to me. But instead of cuffing or hitting me like the Grak always did, he lifted me up gently and told me we had to go quickly. His people, the Glosh, had made a surprise raid on the Grak. There was fierce fighting. He said we had to leave quickly. I didn’t argue. I figured if he was just another Grak, I’d be no worse off. So I followed him.”

“He led me to his ship—this ship—and we took off. I could see out the window that the Grak tried to follow in ships of their own. But this ship was too fast for them, and they were soon left behind.”

“I didn’t trust the Glosh at all, even though they treated me with kindness, and kept reassuring me they were Glosh, not Grak. They told how they have been at war with the Grak for decades. It was a war the Grak started, when they began kidnapping Glosh to use as slaves. The Glosh tried to rescue the ones who had been kidnapped. They have been fighting the Grak ever since. The Glosh raided the red planet I had been taken to, because they saw the ship come in with me on it. They thought it had brought some kidnapped Glosh instead of an earth man like me.”

“How do you know they’re really not Grak, and are simply tricking you?” said George quietly.

His father smiled. “I know it’s hard to trust them. But believe me, I know the Grak. I lived among them for a year. I could tell rather quickly that the Glosh are nothing like them. There are lots of subtle ways I could tell—things that I can hardly describe.” He paused. “George, you’ll just have to trust me on this. I know the Grak. And I know these are not the Grak. Trust me.”

George looked at his father earnestly. How could he not trust him? Of course, maybe trust was irrelevant, since they were already in space on the Glosh ship, and there was no way off.

Yet, in spite of everything, that little voice kept coming back into his mind, “Things are not always what they seem …” George shook his head to make the voice go away. How could things possibly be any different than he was seeing them?

“What was it like being held by the Grak?” asked George. “They took you prisoner a year ago. How did you survive?”

His father’s eyes suddenly looked very sad. There was a long pause. “I suppose,” he said slowly, “it was hope … of seeing you and Janet and your mother again. A hope that is finally coming true!”

“As for living with the Grak,” said his father standing up and going over to the window, “that’s something I don’t know if I can describe. Not now, anyway.” He turned to look at George. “Maybe someday.”

George was dying to know the details, but knew he couldn’t ask anymore. It was understandable that his father didn’t want to talk about it. It must have been a horrible experience. George couldn’t imagine how anyone could live through it.

There was silence in the room for a moment. Finally his father said, “Anyway, as we were traveling through space, I happened to be watching the Viziscreen here on this ship. It’s kind of like an intergalactic TV set. I saw a special show on a new zoo specimen at a place called the Kroban zoo—and then I saw you! The Kroban are the teddy bear creatures that captured you. I talked the Glosh into coming to rescue you, and they were more than willing. With their locating instruments and immobilizing powder that knocked out the Kroban, I was able to get you away from there.”

George looked at his father curiously. “You mentioned earlier something about the Glosh taking us to the planet Uth before going to earth,” said George. He felt uneasy at the thought of going there, even though he knew it was such a beautiful, joyous place.

“That’s right,” said his father. “When I told the Glosh my story, they wondered if they could use some Uth stones in their war with the Grak—purely to help them locate and rescue the slaves the Grak have taken, of course.”

“But they can’t use the Uth stones!” said George. “The Uth stones are … well…” his voice trailed off. What words could he possibly use to describe the sheer power and purity of the planet Uth and its stones? Taking stones away from that place was unthinkable.

“I know the stones are very powerful,” said his father. “I knew that when they had me deliver one next to the fallen star where you would find it, then later gave one to me on that terrible night when they captured you and tried to use us both in their scheme to hurt the earth. Those are the only two times I saw one, so I don't know much about them. I also don’t know how they ever got them.” He looked at George curiously. “Why don’t you think it’s right to take the stones from the planet?”

“Well, because I’ve been there,” said George quietly. “And it just doesn’t seem right to take stones away from that planet.”

His father’s eyes opened wide in wonder. “You’ve been to the planet Uth? How? When? It’s not possible! Did you learn how to control our stone, and then have it take you there? How did you learn to do so?”

“They can't really be controlled,” said George slowly, “but I did learn about them, and I did go to their planet."

"Maybe it's best if you tell me your story from the beginning," said his father, sitting down next to George.

"Well," George started, "it kind of all started the night I saw a falling star near our house. I went out to the star the next day, and found a clear stone. I didn’t know then that it was an Uth stone. But I soon found out that it had strange powers …”

George’s father listened attentively as George told his story. And slowly, George told exactly what had happened—about how he had met the Protector. About how he had been visited by the strange, leathery Ziphon that had warned him that earth was in danger. About how the Protector had discovered what the Grak were up to. And finally, how he had been captured by the Grak that fateful night, not really that long ago, and had been forced to use the Uth stone to help the Grak destroy earth by stopping its rotation.

And then of course, he told what happened next. About how suddenly he and the Uth stone had seemed to go far out into space. About how they had jointly decided to cast themselves into the black hole to stop the Grak’s plan—but had suddenly been pulled to the planet Uth instead. And about the incredible joy George had felt there, and the homecoming his Uth stone had experienced after being away so long …

When George had finished, his father sat pondering quietly for a long time. Then he got up and paced to the window, looking out into the emptiness of space. George also sat silently, not knowing what more to say.

Finally, his father turned to George. “I can understand now why you don’t want to go to Uth and get some of the stones there for the Glosh. It’s just not right somehow. It’s like kidnapping almost, since the way you’ve described it, the Uth stones are alive.”

“That’s right,” said George. “I just can’t imagine doing it.”

“I’ll talk to them and explain,” said his father. “Hopefully they’ll just take us home and forget about the Uth stones.”

“What happened to yours?” asked George curiously. “The one they had you use on their ship, to make a beam of energy between yours and mine.”

“Well, as you know, the Grak can’t touch the Uth stones, being evil creatures,” said his father with a faint smile. “Although, I didn’t know that at first. That’s why I say, I have no idea how they ever got the stones in the first place. All I know is that they had me and the other two men each hold a stone in one hand, while holding onto a metal ring on their ship with our other hand. They told us if we didn’t do it, they’d kill our families.”

“I could feel energy shooting out from the stone, down toward the earth. But I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know there was an energy link between your stone and mine, and that they planned to stop the earth's rotation with this energy. All I know is that suddenly the energy stopped flowing. That must have been when you and your stone disappeared, and the energy link was broken. The stone in my hand just turned grey, and looked like an ordinary pebble. It seemed to have lost its power somehow. The Grak made me give it back to them—putting it in a special box, since they wouldn’t touch it. Then they took the box away. That’s all I know.”

Suddenly the door to the little room they were in opened. A Glosh—which still looked terrifyingly like a Grak to George—brought in a steaming tray with a plate of food on it. It looked like mashed potatoes, chicken and green beans. Seeing the food, George suddenly realized he was terribly hungry.

“I sure hope this food has some taste to it,” said George, his mouth watering as the Glosh set the tray down on the table. Then the Glosh went out and shut the door again.

“Taste?” asked his father curiously.

“The teddy bear food was all bland, and tasted like glue,” said George, his face screwing up in disgust at the memory. “I haven’t had anything decent to eat since they captured me.”

“I thought you looked like you’d lost a little weight,” said his father with a laugh. “This food tastes pretty good, I can assure you. It’s a lot better than the stuff the Grak used to feed me—when they bothered to feed me at all.”

With no further preliminary, George dug into the food as if he hadn’t eaten in months. It was delicious! After all that time of bland food, he felt like he was in heaven! When he had finished half his plate, he suddenly looked up in embarrassment.

“What about you?” he said curiously. “Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

“Actually, I ate right before I went to rescue you,” said his father. “And because of my sickness, I can’t eat much anyway. At least not right now. So no, I'm not going to have any.”

“What kind of sickness do you have?” asked George, that same uneasy feeling stealing back into his stomach.

“It’s hard to say, really,” said his father. “The Grak would never tell me, of course. All I know is that I developed diarrhea and other unpleasant symptoms. Maybe it was the lack of decent food that caused it. After the Glosh rescued me, they did a complete test, and told me what it’s called, but I don’t remember the name. They just said it’s very contagious, and so I hadn’t better touch you. As long as we don’t make any physical contact, you won’t get it. Believe me, you don’t want it. It’s no fun. But it’s not life threatening, and it will go away in time.”

Suddenly there was a gentle tapping at the door. A Glosh entered slowly. As George looked at it’s dog-like, cruel face he couldn’t help but have the same repulsed feeling he had always experienced around the Grak.

“Excuse me,” said the creature. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but it’s time for your medication. After that, you need to get some rest. It’s the quickest way to overcome your illness, you know.”

George’s father shrugged his shoulders, and reluctantly stood up to leave. “Well, I’d better do as he says. He’s the doctor. He knows how to cure this sickness better than I do.”

His father turned at the door, and looked back at George. “You can use this room as your own. Why don’t you try and get some rest? There’s a bed in the wall.”

“A bed?” said George curiously. He didn’t see anything that looked like a bed.

“It’s that tiny red light, over there,” said his father, pointing. “Just pass your hand in front of it, and a bed will come out of the wall. It should have bedding and everything. Try and get some rest.”

“Sure,” said George simply. But secretly he knew he was far too excited to sleep.

“See you tomorrow,” said his father with a wave of his hand. “Wish we could talk more tonight, but if I don’t take this medication right on schedule, the sickness gets worse. We’ll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow.”

And then he was gone. George turned back to his dinner, which only took him another two minutes to gulp down. After that, he went over to the window and stared out into the black, starlit expanse of space.

Were the Glosh to be trusted? Had they done anything to his father? What about the Protector? Would he know where to find George?

And what about the planet Uth? Would the Glosh agree to not go there and get the stones? Or would they insist on it, taking George and his father prisoners if they refused to cooperate? Even if they were different from the Grak, their war might drive them to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.

There were no answers—just questions. At long last, George went over to the light in the wall, and passed his hand in front of it. A bed promptly popped out, which almost filled the entire room.

George lay down, but turned to stare out the window at the passing stars. Would tomorrow bring a return to earth, and a wonderful reunion between his father and mother and Janet? Or would something happen to spoil the reunion, and force him and his father to be whisked off to some other strange place in the galaxy?

George closed his eyes. Sleep was going to be a long time coming tonight.