In the Main, after a long and fruitless discussion, Garlock called Governor Atterlin, who did not know anything about a faster-than-light drive, either. There was one, of course, since it took only a few days or a few weeks to go from one system to another; but Hodell didn't have any such ships. No ordinary planet did. They were owned and operated by people who called themselves "Engineers." He had no idea where the Engineers came from; they didn't say.
Garlock then tried to get in touch with the Arpalone Inspector who had checked the Pleiades in, and could not find out even who it had been. The Inspector then on duty neither knew or cared anything about either faster-than-light drives or Engineers. Such things were none of his business.
"What difference would it make, anyway?" James asked. "No drive that takes 'a few weeks' for an intra-galaxy hop is ever going to get us back to Tellus."
"True enough; but if there is such a thing I want to know how it works. How are you coming with your calculations?"
"I'll finish up tomorrow easily enough."
Tomorrow came, and James finished up, but he did not find any familiar pattern of Galactic arrangement. The other three watched James set up for another try for Earth.
"You don't think we'll ever get back, do you, Clee?" Belle asked.
"Right away, no. Some day, yes. I've got the germ of an idea. Maybe three or four more hops will give me something to work on."
"I hope so," James said, "because here goes nothing," and he snapped the red switch.