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A space expedition finds a long lost traveller. Holman has set up a home among the locals, even taking a bride from the evasive natives. After being alone on the planet for 22 years, the crew plan on offering Holman the utmost in courtesy. Holman greets the crew, but his wife is said to be shy, and won’t come around to show herself until after dark. In the meantime, he has a picture he made of her.
Holman tells how he met his wife, and the crash landing that led to his being alone with Celia for the long recovery. The locals seem to have a mysterious power to evade being seen. The happy and peaceful people just give Holman and the humans the cold shoulder.
A horrible race of slimy snake like creatures encroach on the human settlement. Despite defending himself from the hideous monsters, Holman seems to have caused Celia’s people to get shy, and hide themselves from him. Now that a crew has come to rescue him, he asks their help in eradicating the snake creatures.
On a snake hunt, Holman ends up shooting himself. To solve the mystery, Celia comes to the crew to explain the bouts of insanity Holman experienced over the years. What manner of illusions has he suffered? How will the crew explain what they found about the delusional man, and the natives on the planet? Will they ever find other humans to reunite with in their travels?
