He began to set up for astrogation. The coordinates for Trent would go into the computer, and then the coordinates for the ship’s destination. The computer would figure the course between them and its length in parsecs and fractions of parsecs. One would drive on that course. One could, if it was desirable, look for possible ports of call on the way. Link took down the Directory to set up the first figures.

He happened to notice a certain consequence of the Directory’s newness. It was the only un-shabby, un-worn object on the ship. But even it showed a grayish, well-thumbed line on the edge of certain pages which had been often referred to. The grayishness should be a guide to the information about Trent, as the Glamorgan’s latest port of call. Link opened the grayest page, pleased with himself for his acuteness.

But Trent wasn’t listed on that page. Trent wasn’t even in that part of the book. The heading of this particular chapter of listings was, “Non-Cluster Planets Between Huyla and Claire.” It described the maverick solar systems not on regular trade routes and requiring long voyages from commercial spaceports if anybody was to reach them. People rarely wanted to.

Link stared. He found signs that this had been repeatedly referred to by somebody with engine oil on his fingers. One page had plainly been read and re-read and re-read. The margin was darkened as if an oily thumb had held a place there while the item was gloated over.

From any normal standpoint it was not easy to understand.

“SORD,” said the Directory. There followed the galactic coordinates to three places of decimals. “Yel. sol-type approx. 1.4 sols mass, mny faculae all times, spectrum—”

The spectrum symbols could be skipped. If one wanted to be sure that a particular sun was such-and-such, one would take a spectro-photo and compare it with the Directory. Otherwise the spectrum was for the birds. Link labored over the abbreviations that compilers of reference books use to make things difficult.