Ken tried to explain as best he could, but there was no way for him to describe how light could be squeezed, or that something could be so massive that if you put a car on its surface and turned on the headlights, they wouldn’t be visible because the light would be too heavy.

“Tell me again,” said Korsek, “what that thing will do to us when it shows up.”

Nobody wanted to answer the question. Finally, Beth stepped in: “It will absorb your world, Korsek. Everything.”

“Does that even include the ocean?”

“Even the sun if it gets close enough.”

“I cannot tell you,” said Droo, “how grateful I am that you have come and offered to help.”

“If you’re willing,” Derek said, “we could go look at your new world.”

“Oh yes, please.”

•  •  •

They were all happy to get away from that distorted sky, to retreat again into the quiet darkness of transdimensional space. The Volarians were getting used to the notion that it was a strange and volatile universe. But they were nevertheless relieved when, not long after they’d left the black hole behind, they emerged into the light of the class-G sun that had been designated Eleven. Its habitable-zone planet, Utopia, was just one glimmer of light in a star-swept sky. “We’re getting low on fuel,” Hutch explained to Derek. “We’ll just cruise from here. It’ll take a few days. But it’ll give us time to work on the language.”

Actually, they spent more time sightseeing from the front porch. But Arin and Kwylla worked with Barry on their English, which, Derek pointed out, would be invaluable in winning over reluctant humans to make whatever investment would be necessary to mount a rescue.

Their passengers were intrigued by Barry, a voice out of nowhere. They loved floating through the cabins when Hutch shut down the artificial gravity system. But probably more than anything, they were overwhelmed not only by the scenic creations but also by the shows on the video display. The problem was, of course, that they were available in human languages only. And the attempt to translate just didn’t work, because drama and comedy both required pacing. Hutch, watching Chuck Causley doing his classic standup, had always understood that comedy was all about timing. Now that was confirmed beyond any doubt.

•  •  •

During those few days, Hutch learned a good deal more about the lives of the Volarians. Many were farmers. Some specialized in fish farms, most grew vegetables. Hutch got the impression there was no meat in their diets.

Others owned shops in the towns, selling clothing, electronic equipment, furniture, and whatever else might be needed. The cars, and presumably ships, were manufactured elsewhere, on several large islands scattered around the planet. When the governor visited Arin’s island, she needed about a week to get there.