Aurinel said, ‘Your mother sent me.’

(Oh well.) ‘Why?’

‘She said you were in a bad mood and every time you felt sorry for yourself, you came up here, and I was to come and get you because she said it would just make you grumpier to stay here. So why are you in a bad mood?’

‘I'm not. And if I am, I have reasons.’

‘What reasons? Come on, now. You're not a little kid any more. You've got to be able to express yourself.’

Marlene lifted her eyebrows. ‘I am quite articulate, thank you. My reasons are that I would like to travel.’

Aurinel laughed. ‘You've traveled, Marlene. You've traveled more than two light-years. No-one in the whole history of the Solar System has ever traveled even a small fraction of a light-year - except us. So you have no right to complain. You're Marlene Insigna Fisher, Galactic Traveler.’

Marlene suppressed a giggle. Insigna was her mother's maiden name and whenever Aurinel said her three names in full, he would salute and make a face, and he hadn't done that in a long time. She guessed it was because he was getting close to being a grown-up and he had to practice being dignified.

She said, ‘I can't remember that trip at all. You know I can't, and not being able to remember it means it doesn't matter. We're just here, over two light-years from the Solar System, and we're never going back.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Come on, Aurinel. Do you ever hear anyone talk about going back?’

‘Well, even if we don't, who cares? Earth is a crowded world and the whole Solar System was getting crowded and used up. We're better off out here - masters of all we survey.’

‘No, we're not. We survey Erythro, but we don't go down there to be its masters.’

‘Sure we do. We have a fine working Dome on Erythro. You know that.’