“What’s all the ruckus?” inquired the commander.

“The passengers would like to know when they can resume dancing.” Mindell’s reply went unnoticed by Pirx, whose eyes remained riveted to the loudspeaker.

“It won’t be long now,” answered the skipper, calmly and without inflection. “Switch on the monitor; we’re coming within range. In a couple of minutes we should have a sighting. Mr. Mindell, better sound the alert again—we’re about to brake down to overdrive.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Mindell replied, and he left the room.

A voice came over the loudspeaker.

“Luna Base to Titan Aresterra, Sprite-702! Attention! Attention! Attention! Ballistic-8 reports sighting a flash with a luminosity of minus four in the center of sector sixty-five. No response from Dasher or Albatross. Possibility of a reactor explosion aboard Albatross. For reasons of passenger safety, Titan Aresterra is instructed to stop and report immediately. Ballistic-8 and Sprite-702 are to proceed at their own discretion. I repeat: Titan Aresterra is instructed…”

All eyes were on the commander.

“Mr. Mindell, can we stop within a milliparsec?”

Mindell consulted his wristwatch.

“No, sir. We’re coming in on video. I’d need at least 6g’s.”

“If we changed course?”

“Even then we’d get only 3g’s,” Mindell said.

“Well, that settles it.”

The commander got up and strode over to the microphone.

“Titan Aresterra to Luna Base. Impossible to stop at present velocity. Am altering course with a roll maneuver at half-thrust. Abandoning sector sixty-five for sector sixty-six, on a course of two-hundred-and-two. Clearance requested. Over.”

“Stand by for confirmation,” he said, turning and addressing the man who had been seated next to him earlier. Mindell barked into the intercom, buzzers sounded, lights flickered on the wall panels, and the room seemed to grow darker—a case of “dimout,” caused by a draining of blood from the eyes. Pirx planted his feet squarely on the floor. They were braking and turning at the same time. There were mild vibrations, the long, shrill whine of laboring engines.