Hutch took them under but steered well wide of the target area. She did not like black holes. When they emerged, a few minutes later, Barry began taking measurements. “I’ll need some time,” he said. “Unfortunately, we are not really equipped for this kind of analysis, but I can provide a reasonable approximation.”

Hutch stayed on the bridge, watching the blackness and the twisted space and swirling stars with a growing rage. Pointless. It was like getting angry at a heat wave. But the resentment was there nonetheless. She was alone for a while, which was unusual when something was developing. But Derek, who had been in a somber mood since they’d left Arin and his friends, had remained in the passenger cabin, where the hole was on the display. He had no hope for a good outcome. Nor, for that matter, did anyone else. And nobody seemed to have any idea what they should do. Sure: Find a world for the Volarians. Then what? How do you move several million people? There, at least, they’d caught a break. They were guessing about the global population, but it was a world of mostly small islands.

Eventually, Beth joined her. “You okay?” she asked.

“Sure. How’s everything in there?” She glanced at the door.

“Not good. Even Wally’s gone quiet.”

Barry broke in. “In case you were wondering, the black hole is approximately seven billion kilometers from the Volarians.”

“Is that,” said Beth, “a couple of light-years? I hope.”

Hutch shook her head. “It’s a fairly small fraction of a light-year.”

“I suspect,” continued Barry, “the outer sections of the planetary system are already beginning to feel some gravitational effects.”

Beth stayed with it. “Is there any chance it could bypass the center of the system?”

“Without destroying the sun? That appears to be possible but extremely unlikely. I don’t have specific numbers on the total mass of the black hole. But I would guess there’s a remote chance it could fail to tear the sun apart. But whatever happens in that sense, the ocean world will be ripped out of orbit and flung into interstellar space. As the ice world was.”

“Barry, how long do you think it will be before they begin feeling the first effects?”

“Approximately thirty years. Maybe somewhat less.”

Beth stared out at the black disk, wrapped in distorted light. “Not much time for an evacuation.”

Hutch remained silent.

“I know this sounds silly,” Beth continued, “but I hate the damned things. This certainly makes it easy to understand why someone put a sword up near it.”

“I’ve thought the same thing.”

“It’s funny. When your feet are on the ground, you feel safe. I mean, walking around on that beach with those people, the Volarians, it was almost like being at home. And it felt as if the place would be there forever.”

“I know.”