the Dirbanu planet. Upon arriving at the Dirbanu homeworld, Rootes reports that the Loverbirds died of natural causes in transit, and the Earth ship is abruptly dismissed, leaving future interactions between the two worlds questionable. On the return trip, with Rootes again fallen unconscious, Grunty ponders him lovingly. The reader realizes that Grunty is gay and secretly in love with Rootes. Earlier in the story, the omniscient narrator had noted that the only way to destroy the pair's working bond would be to attempt "to explain it to Rootes". The story's conclusion clarifies the full meaning of this statement. References 1953 short stories LGBT speculative fiction LGBT short stories Science fiction short stories Short stories by Theodore Sturgeon Works originally published in Other Worlds (magazine) 1950s LGBT literature LGBT literature in the United States