Then she heard it. A low moan, starting from below the limit of audibility, then climbing, up and up and up and up, until it was a nerve-plucking whine that tore into her brain like a white-hot tuning fork. And still it climbed, up beyond the range of hearing, and up and up still more, till it could no longer be felt. But Ninon, as she stumbled back into the acceleration sling, sick and shaken, knew it was still there. The light drive! She watched through the ports. The motionless, silent stars were moving now, coming toward them, faster and faster, as the ship swept out of the galaxy, shooting into her face like blazing pebbles from a giant slingshot. She asked, "How fast are we going now?" Robert's voice sounded far off as he replied, "We are approaching the speed of light." "Make it go faster!" she cried. "Faster! Faster!" She looked out the ports again; looked back behind them--and saw shining specks of glittering blackness falling away to melt into the sootiness of space. She shuddered, and knew without asking that these were stars dropping behind at a rate greater than light speed. "Now how fast are we going?" she asked. She was sure that her voice was stronger; that strength was flowing back into her muscles and bones. "Nearly twice light speed." "Faster!" she cried. "We must go much faster! I must be young again. Youthful, and gay, and alive and happy.... Tell me, Robert, do you feel younger yet?" He did not answer. * * * * * Ninon lay in the acceleration sling, gaining strength, and--she knew--youth. Her lost youth, coming back, to be spent all over again. How wonderful! No woman in all of time and history had ever done it. She would be immortal; forever young and lovely. She hardly noticed the stiffness in her joints when she got to her feet again--it was just from lying in the sling so long. She made her voice light and gay. "Are we not going very, very fast, now, Robert?" He answered without turning. "Yes. Many times the speed of light." "I knew it ... I knew it! Already I feel much younger. Don't you feel it too?" He did not answer, and Ninon kept on talking. "How long have we been going, Robert?" He said, "I don't know ... depends on where you are." "It must be hours ... days ... weeks. I should be hungry. Yes, I think I am hungry. I'll need food, lots of food. Young people have good appetites, don't they, Robert?" He pointed to the provisions locker, and she got food out and made it ready. But she could eat but a few mouthfuls. _It's the excitement_, she told herself. After all, no other woman, ever, had gone back through the years to be young again.... * * * * *