"On your head be it. The _Comet_ could hold three or four in a pinch,
and I have plenty of provisions. If you really want to take the
chance--"
"It won't be the first we've taken together."
"All right. We'll start in ten minutes." He went inside the ship.
* * * * *
"Don't go," Kelvar whispered, coming into the _Comet's_ shadow. "Tell
him anything, but don't go."
"I've got to. I can't go back on my word. He'd think I was afraid."
"Haven't you a right to be?"
"Garth is my friend and I'm going with him."
"All right. But I wish you wouldn't."
From inside came the throb of engines.
"Kelvar," I said, "you didn't worry when only Garth was going."
"No."
"And there's less danger with two to keep watch."
"I know, but still...."
"You are afraid for _me_?"
"I am afraid for you."
My arm slipped around her, there in the shadow.
"And when I come back, Kelvar, we'll be married?"
In answer, she kissed me. Then Garth was standing in the doorway of the
_Comet_.
"Dunal, where are you?"
We separated and came out of the shadow. I went up the plank to the
door, kicking it out behind me. Kelvar waved, and I called something or
other to her. Then the door clanged shut. Seated before the control
board at the front of the room, Garth held the switch for the two
projectors.
"Both turned up," he yelled over the roar of the generators. His hands
swung over and the noise died down, but nothing else seemed to have
happened. I turned back again to look out the little window fixed in the
door.
* * * * *
Down far below, I could see for a moment the city of Nardos with its
great white bridge, and a spot that might be Kelvar. Then there was only
the ocean, sparkling in the Earth-light, growing smaller, smaller. And
then we had shot out of the atmosphere into the glare of the sun and a
thousand stars.
On and up we went, until the moon was a crescent with stars around it.
Then Garth threw the power forward.
"Might as well turn in," he told me. "There'll be nothing interesting
until we get out of the solar system and I can put on real speed. I'll
take the first trick."
"How long watches shall we stand?"
"Eighteen hours ought to match the way we have been living. If you have
another preference--"
"No, that will be all right. And I suppose I might as well get in some
sleep now."
I was not really sleepy, but only dazed a little by the adventure. I
fixed some things on the floor by one of the windows and lay down,
switching out the light. Through a top window the sunlight slanted down
to fall around Garth, at his instrument board, in a bright glory. From
my window I could see the Earth and the gleaming stars.
The Earth was smaller than I had ever seen it before. It seemed to be
moving backward a little[TN-2], and even more, to be changing phase. I
closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, sleepily, the bright area
was perceptibly smaller. If I could stay awake long enough, there would
be only a crescent again. If I could stay awake--But I could not....
* * * * *
Only the rattling of dishes as Garth prepared breakfast brought me back
to consciousness. I got to my feet sheepishly.
"How long have I slept?"
"Twenty hours straight. You looked as if you might have gone on forever.
It's the lack of disturbance to indicate time. I got in a little myself,
once we were out of the solar system."
A sandwich in one hand, I wandered over the vessel. It was reassuringly
solid and concrete. And yet there was something lacking.
"Garth," I asked, "what's become of the sun?"
"I thought you'd want to know that." He led me to the rear telescope.
"But I don't see anything."
"You haven't caught on yet. See that bright yellowish star on the edge
of the constellation Scorpio. That's it."