"We have no need to, Doctor. Our ship has a drive based on Xeelee principles. Hence it will work."

"Oh, I see. If the Xeelee haven't discovered something, it's not there to be discovered. Right? Well, at least this shows mankind isn't alone in suffering a fracture of the imagination, Wyman."

The Ghost, softly breathing vacuum, said nothing.

"We humans aren't so complacent," snapped Wyman. "The Xeelee aren't omnipotent. That's why we'll have the edge over the likes of you in the end."

"A convincing display of patriotism," said the Ghost smoothly.

"Yeah, that's a bit rich, Wyman."

"You're so damn holy, Luce. Let me tell you, the Ghost's right. This trip is risky. It's stretched me. Unless you come up with the goods I might have trouble paying your fee. Chew on that, holy man."

"Dr. Luce, I urge you not to throw away your life on this venture." The Ghost's calm was terrifying.

There was a moment of silence. Suddenly this world of mirrors seemed a large and strange place, and my own troubled eyes stared out of the Ghost's hide.

"Come on, Luce," said Wyman. "We've finished our business. Let's waste no more time here."

My drive splashed light over the chrome-plated landscape. I kept my eyes on the Ghost until it was lost in a blanket of sparkles.

I soared out of the gravity well of the Ghost world.

"Strap in."

"Disappointed, Wyman?"

"Shut up and do as I say."

The drive cut out smoothly, leaving me weightless. The control screens flickered as they reconfigured. Thumps and bangs rattled the hull; I watched my intrasystem and hyperdrive packs drift away, straps dangling.

The pod was metamorphosing around me.

I locked myself into a webbing of elasticated straps, fumbling at buckles with shaking fingers. There was a taste of copper in my throat.

"Do you understand what's happening?" Wyman demanded. "I'm stripping down the pod. Every surplus ounce will cost me time."

"Just get on with it."

Panels blew out from the black casing fixed to the base of the pod; a monitor showed me the jeweled guts of the Susy drive.

"Now, listen, Luce. You know the conversational inseparability link will cut out as soon as you go into Susy-space. But I'll be -- with you in spirit."

"How cheering."

The pod shuddered once -- twice -- and the stars blurred.

"It's time," Wyman said. "Godspeed, Michael--"

The antique expression surprised me.

Something slammed into the base of the pod; I dangled in my webbing. For as long as I could I kept my eyes fixed on the Ghost world.

I lit up a hemisphere.

Then the planet crumpled like tissue paper, and the stars turned to streaks and disappeared.

Wyman had boasted about his Susy drive. "Hyperspace travel is just a slip sideways into one of the Universe's squashed-up extra dimensions. Whereas with supersymmetry you're getting into the real guts of physics..."