Ninon said, "But that's three hours, Robert."
"But I haven't slept yet tonight. There's been so much to do. I should rest a little."
"I'll be more than rest for you."
"Yes, Ninon.... Oh, yes."
"Not yet, darling." Again her hands were between them. "First, tell me about the flight tomorrow."
The young spaceman's eyes were puzzled, hurt. "But Ninon, I've told you before ... there is so much of you that I want to remember ... so little time left ... and you'll be gone when I get back...."
Ninon let her gray-green eyes narrow ever so slightly as she leaned away from him. But he blundered on.
"... or very old, no longer the Ninon I know ... oh, all right. But you know all this already. We've had space flight for years, but only rocket-powered, restricting us to our own system. Now we have a new kind of drive. Theoretically we can travel faster than light—how many times faster we don't know yet. I'll start finding out tomorrow, with the first test flight of the ship in which the new drive is installed. If it works, the universe is ours—we can go anywhere."
"Will it work?" Ninon could not keep the avid greediness out of her voice.
Robert said, hesitantly, "We think it will. I'll know better by this time tomorrow."