The voice sounded hollow and echoing, which shouldn’t come as any surprise, coming from the bottom of a… what was that you said again… Bucket?

What do you mean you hold things? Lem asked, imagining various meanings for the statement.

I hold things he repeated. I could hold this book for you. He picked up the Ololian book from where it lay next to Poikani and put it inside himself. It looked nice and neat, the pages even. The room looked tidier, too. I could hold this Wizzzer, he said, and placed that in him, too. One less thing laying around.

Well, hello little one, Bucket said, picking up the cup from the frozen planet like a doll and laying it gently inside.

You’d better not start that racquet again, or you’ll wake the baby, Lem said with a sneer.

Oh, I’m sorry about that, Bucket explained, no one had come near me for I don’t know how long. I got used to making loud sounds hoping someone would find me.

I can hold this.

He deposited the joke book prize and wrapper with the other items.

What will you do with all that stuff now that you’ve got it? Lem asked. I’ll hold it for you until you need it, Bucket replied, and then I’ll hold something else.

Flash thought of the cat he had had back on earth. That cat was always taking any object small enough to carry. Sponges were a favorite item, and they would always go missing, to be found later under a bed. At least, he thought, they would know where to look for things with Bucket aboard. And what was the harm? He cleared the clutter, and one could argue that he added no clutter with his own presence, since he never touched down.

Bucket seemed to be good natured and helpful. Not only that, he seemed grateful to be rescued from a solitary life of drifting in space. He brought comic relief to the ship which, let’s face it, had become rather dull. Still, Lem had her reservations. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Bucket, she just sensed that there was more to the story. There was a mystery yet to be revealed. She tried to talk to Flash about her premonition.

Just look at him, Lem! Clearly he is a life form which is very different from you or me, just as we are different from each other. We can’t expect to understand all about him yet. This is why I came here. To see the different ways the universe put pieces together to make life. We’re made of the same stuff. Does he make you feel unsafe?

No, not unsafe, Lem answered.

Then why not try to be tolerant? Keep an open mind.