"Maybe Darling, then ..." and he held his breath to hear the answer.
"Darling left us," said the man. "I'm Cartwright. Burton Cartwright."
On the top of the tiny plateau in front of the laboratory, they stopped to catch their breath. The dim starlight painted the valley below with silver tracery.
West pointed. "That ship!"
Cartwright chuckled. "You recognize it, eh? The Alpha Centauri."
"They're still working on the drive, back on Earth," said West. "Someday they'll get it."
"I have no doubt of it," said Cartwright.
He swung back toward the laboratory. "Let's go in. Dinner will be ready soon."
The table was set with white cloth and shining silver that gleamed in the light of the flickering dinner tapers. Sparkling wine glasses stood in their proper places. The centerpiece was a bowl of fruit—but fruit such as West had never seen before.