She looked around. "This isn't the Orionad. Why did you bring me here?"
"I ... we—"
"Guy!" she came from the table, put her hands on his shoulders, and looked up into his face. "It's been long, hasn't it?"
He nodded.
She searched his face understandingly, comprehended the suffering and worry there, and said: "Tell me."
It came then, all in a burst of words. The entire tale from start to finish with nothing withheld. It took an hour solid, and when Guy finished, Joan looked up and asked:
"You're still going on?"
He nodded, but asked: "Should I?"
"You must. First off, Guy, you are a man alone. That might be fine for you, but life demands that you do your utmost to progress. You know what will happen."