Last Son of Krypton (27 page)

I
inferred
from
Jor-El's
telepathic
message
that
he
put
great
store
in
virtue,
and
also
that
the
greatest
virtue,
to
a
Kryptonian,
was
intelligence.
I
learned
that
as
a
matter
of
course
Krypton
was
ruled
by
a
council
of
esteemed
scientists,
that
the
most
revered
individuals
on
your
native
world
were
those
whose
lives
were
concerned
with
creativity.
The
theorists,
the
artists,
the
poets,
the
inventors.
It
is
not
quite
that
way
here
on
Earth,
I
realized.
Our
ethical
system
places
kindness
and
honesty
above
all,
not
achievement.
Simply
by
being
who
you
were,
your
life
was
certain
to
be
one
of
great
achievement.
I
reasoned
that
if
you
were
to
grow
to
manhood
among
us
it
would
be
a
much
better
idea
for
your
greatest
influences,
you
foster
parents,
to
be
individuals
who
were
wealthy
not
in
achievement
and
intellect
necessarily,
but
in
the
kindness
and
honesty
and
unshakable
goodness
which
we
here
on
Earth
have
valued
so
highly
in
the
scant
years
of
our
civilization.
 

I
thought
of
my
children
as
I
received
Jor-El's
message
and
I
gave
thanks
that
they
had
a
fine
mother
rich
in
those
virtues.
So
I
determined
to
go
to
Smallville
as
your
father
requested,
but
not
to
adopt
you
myself...
 

As he read the story of how Einstein happened upon the Kents in Sam Culler's hardware shop, the Man of Steel refused to recognize the existence of some moisture around his eyes. That was a trait he had picked up on Earth.

He realized how directly the events of his life came to this time and place. He realized that for the first time he now knew the whole story of his own life. He realized how much his father had done for him, how Jor-El had with deliberation and brilliance given the Universe a superman.

I
have
read
that
orphans
like
yourself
are
often
plagued
with
self-doubt,
wondering
if
their
parents
would
really
approve
of
the
way
they
conduct
their
lives.
Occasionally,
I
understand,
people
such
as
yourself
even
resent
their
parents
for
not
being
there
to
guide
them.
I
hope
that
this
little
note
helps
to
assuage
whatever
of
those
doubts
you
may
feel.
 

For
myself,
I
am
content.
I
have
learned
that
as
I
have
always
suspected,
there
are
miraculous
doings
across
the
Universe
and
that
there
is
much
yet
to
be
discovered.
I
confess
that
before
your
father's
navigational
device
disintegrated
several
days
ago
I
could
not
begin
to
understand
its
mechanism.
That
is
just
as
well,
it
would
be
best
for
us
to
make
our
discoveries
in
order
one
at
a
time.
I
thank
you
for
joining
us
on
Earth,
Kal-El,
and
I
will
always
regard
you
as
an
almost
son.
 

Best,

A.
Einstein
 

The man with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men sometimes wondered why he was so attached to this small world and its scurrying inhabitants. In moments like these, though, he understood. Nowhere had he seen greater valor than in these four billion humans who cried as easily as they laughed, who cheated as they were cheated, who seemed bound unbreakably to a tiny clump of water and dirt careening endlessly around a dwarf star, yet dared to dream of God.

T
he scribe recorded the words of Sonnabend the prophet. Words that would be preserved for eternity by the immortal Guardians, a collection of verses to guide the righteous across the eons.
 

Not for billions of years, by earth measure, would the words of the particular verses he now recorded apply. But when the time came, they would certainly prove true:

Star Child will leave a deathworld
For the System of the Rings;
Where the child will grow to legend
As his life the singer sings.
When the conqueror wants his secret
With the Star Child he'll contend;
As the legend strains all glory
An arm's freedom he'll defend.

As he recorded these particular verses a small shudder rattled the time around the scribe....