“Not especially,” said Izairis.

Naecia yanked herself away from Patton. “There they are,” she said, pointing out across the expanse. “Hit the thrusters, Izairis. Just get us off the deck. Leave the ramp down.” She trudged the rest of the way inside.

I gazed out across the rotunda just in time to see the Scythin converge from four consolidated groups into two behind Aptat, who was galloping toward the Child, articulated arm spitting out dozens of rounds per second. Not that it had any effect. I couldn’t believe we were about to let the fucking kidnapper back on the ship.

“Are we really going to let that asshole back on board?” said Patton, echoing my sentiment.

“I guess so,” I answered, glaring at Naecia, who had put some doodad on her head. Is that the axon diadem?

Thrusters fired and we hovered up from the deck of the Timelance.

“There’s nowhere to go!” I yelled.

“Just let me know when Aptat’s inside!” said Naecia.

“Why?” I said, to no answer.

Aptat came nearer, but so did the beast. Two masses slammed together, becoming one thing – a thick, flexible, snake-missile that charged from behind with the rage of a harpooned whale. Aptat tossed another grenade over their shoulder, which the goliath easily dodged. I cheered the move, rooting for the Scythin in this particular conflict.

“Say when!” Naecia screamed.

Aptat leapt from twenty feet out and made the ramp.

I turned to Naecia and dryly said, “when.”

Suddenly the ship was decompressing. Air blasted out the ramp into hard space. I grabbed a railing and screamed silently as the air was sucked from my lungs. Aptat marched right by us and over to the ship’s console. Then the ramp was closing and the cabin repressurized. I exhaled and checked on Patton, who was flat against the ramp, one hand in a foothold, the other clutching Pickles to his bosom.

“!happened just what me tell Someone,” I asked. “?we are Where”

“.Aszerat from two about and Timelance the from gilleys two about ,Oh,” said Naecia.

“?Gilley a is fuck the What ?what Two”

“.years light Earth two than less little A ?remember ,years light Galactic” answered Aptat.

“Holy–” Patton began.

Naecia removed the axon diadem.

“What did you just do?” I asked.

“Check the map, guy.”

I did. There was the Silent Child, sitting outside of a star system with two stars in it. They were labeled “Effelox Binary”. We’d jumped another two light years and I hadn’t even noticed. Shown in an orbit much farther starward was a notation pointing to an expanded view of what looked like an asteroid belt that said: EFFELOX FREE CITIES. There were thousands of spherical satellites. Just like Jezzer had said.

“Aszerat’s in there?” I asked.

“It is indeed,” said Aptat wistfully. “A city of pure commerce. Buy, sell, trade, steal.”

“Sounds like your kind of place,” said Izairis.

“Hmm, yes,” Aptat confirmed.