The ports on one side were shielded against the sun, so he couldn't see it. Earth was behind, or below them, so he couldn't see that either. All he could see was nothing, an infinity of it, without top or bottom, front or back, beginning or end. The stars floated in it, by the millions and billions, like shoals of fiery fish gleaming red and gold and blue and green, white and violet, orange and dull crimson. They were not crowded. There was plenty of room between them. The eye was drawn farther and farther into those distances and the body unconsciously tried to follow, until the mind recoiled from the edge of some psychic calamity and screamed for solidity. Birrel spun away from the port and grabbed hold of a stanchion and stood with his eyes shut, sweating and shaking as though he had just run a race. Kara said, "It gets you, doesn't it?" He indicated that it did, beyond words. She nodded. "It's no different with us. We look up at our summer skies just as you have, and dream about what it's like. We read books and we see pictures. But you can't know until you actually get out into space and see it for yourself. And I don't think you ever get over being awed. I never have." Birrel opened his eyes again, but kept them firmly fixed on the inside of the bridge. Thile and Vray were still hanging over their instruments, looking grim. "That ship," said Birrel. "It'll try and catch us, I suppose. Stop us from getting word to Ruun." "I can't imagine Vannevan letting us go without a fight." Her voice was not exactly frightened, but it had a sort of clipped tightness about it that was far from carefree. "Can he? Catch us, I mean?" "The Irrians are good spacemen, and their ships are about as fast as ours. But Thile is a wizard. He can outfly anything in space." Thile heard her and looked up. He said sourly, "Thanks. But you might as well tell him the truth. Vannevan is not going to rely on speed and skill alone, but on weapons. And we're not carrying any atomic armaments. The government brains didn't think it was wise, considering that we were trespassing on a strange world and might conceivably have an accident, such as falling into a city. They're thoughtful that way." "As an Earthman, I appreciate it," said Birrel. "You have conventional weapons, don't you? That's at least an equal footing." "We're not used to them," Thile said. "They are. But we'll do our best. Believe me." He glanced at Vray and nodded. "Stand by for translation." Birrel looked at Kara. "That only means," she said, "that we're going faster." "How much faster?" "Well, just at first," she said, "about double the speed of light." Birrel stopped trying to go along intelligently with any of it. He just let it happen.