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“Steady on,” said Peron. “Don’t get carried away. Sol is eighteen light-years from here. I know that’s only a few weeks travel in S-space, but it’s nearly two centuries back on Pentecost. Everyone we know there would be long dead before we even reached Earth, let alone came back to Cass.”
Rosa
“I’ve been thinking of that,” said Lum. “I’m not like you, Rosa
“That’s why I’d like to know what we want,” said Lum. “We each have our own desires and priorities — but what are they?”
“Why don’t you start?” said Rosa
“Fair enough.” Lum took a deep breath. “I’ve known what I want ever since the moment when I found out there are other planets and colonies, and a way to reach them in a reasonable time. Ferranti mentioned at least seven inhabited planets, and I’ll bet there are more. I want to move to S-space, and see everything. I’d like to visit every planet, and every arcology, and every headquarters. If I could do it, I’d like to see every planet in the Galaxy — even if most of them prove to be like Glug.”
Rosa
“Wandering around forever isn’t for me.” Sy was smiling, but there was something in his look that suggested his disdain for Lum’s travel plans. “I want to visit Immortal Headquarters — whichever one is the most appropriate, wherever their science is farthest developed. What we learned on Pentecost is probably generations out of date. After that, I’d like to visit the galactic center.” “That’s thirty thousand light-years!” said Peron.
“Sure it is. I don’t mind. If I have to go back to cold sleep for a while to get there, I’ll do it. The rest of us have all been under once, and it wasn’t a bad experience.”
Rosa
He gri
“Well…” She hesitated. “I like the Cass system, and I liked Pentecost. But I agree with Elissa, they wouldn’t let us go back there for a long time. So forget that. I’d certainly like to see Earth — who wouldn’t? Apart from that I suppose I’m a lot like Lum. I want to see lots of other places, wander around the colonies and the habitable planets, see what’s there…”
Elissa winked at Peron. I told you so, said her look. I win that bet. Rosa
“What about you, Peron?” she said loudly.
Peron looked as perplexed as he felt. “I’m not at all sure, and I just wish I knew. I want it all — to be back home on Pentecost, to travel, and to take a really close look at the Immortals.”
“You’re not much help!”
“I know. I suppose the best answer is that I can’t say for the long term. But for the moment I want to know more about S-space, and the only way to do that is to move there for a while. Olivia Ferranti makes me feel like a child in the cradle. She didn’t exactly say it, but she must think we’re upstart babies. When I think of all that she has seen and done, and the things she told us about…”
“Not to mention all the things she has seen and done, and not told us about,” said Sy drily. “Kallen, it’s your turn.”
The tall youth nodded. He stood silent for a while, as though organizing his words.
“Rosa
“At least one thing,” said Peron. “There’s still one person we’ve not heard from. What about you, Elissa — what do you want to do?”
She gave him a peculiar stare. “You mean, where will I go? Peron, you’re a bone-headed idiot and a blind tardy. Are you trying to embarrass me?” To Peron’s surprise there was a burst of laughter and incoherent comments from the other four.
“You name it, Peron!” said Lum.
“Name it. Name what?”
“Anything you like.”
“Lum’s right,” said Elissa. She moved across to Peron and hugged him, while the others cheered.
“You name it.” She ran her knuckles along his ribs. “Shake me loose — if you can. I’m going where you’re going, and it would be kind of nice if you’d make up your mind and tell me where that is. But you don’t have to do it now, because it looks like we all agree on the next step. We go to S-space, then to Earth. Think it’s feasible?”
“We’ll have to do some arm-twisting,” said Lum. “But we have an awful lot of power so long as one of us is here in normal space. Do you realize that a tiny boost from the engines of this ship, one we wouldn’t notice, would make it impossible for anyone in S-space to stand up? You can bet that they all know it — they must be wondering what we might do next.”
“So let’s tell them we’re ready for the next round of bargaining,” said Peron. “And let’s insist that it be done here, not in S-space. That’s going to make any of them uncomfortable, and eager to get back to their usual environment. Agreed?”