 Why does Martha seem so calm when Terry's death is confirmed?
"Is Terry really way up there all alone, Martha?" "Aren't you scared , Martha?" Martha fixed herself a light supper, then donned an old suede jacket of Terry's and went out into the garden to wait for the sun to go down. According to the time table the general had outlined in his first telegram, Terry's first Tuesday night passage wasn't due to occur till 9:05. Tremulously she faced the southern horizon ... and saw her Terry appear in his shining chariot, riding up the star-pebbled path of his orbit, a star in his own right, dropping swiftly now, down, down, and out of sight beyond the dark wheeling mass of the Earth ...
 Martha made peace with Terry's death in the hours since the general's last telegram.
 Martha made peace with Terry's death in the hours since the general's last telegram.  After communing with the stars in the afternoon, Martha realizes that this is the way Terry would want to go.  Martha is very angry with the general and is doing everything in her power to not yell at him.  Martha is in shock. The reality of Terry's death has yet to set in.