The dark landscape dropped away rapidly. Within minutes, Neptune was a great mass on the screen, diminishing in size ... diminishing, diminishing.
He wiped his damp forehead and stared at the instrument panel.
If she came out of it with a memory of the five days, she would be in love with him. Maybe enough in love with him to condone his socking and kidnapping her. If that happened, he would give up this fool freight-hauling. It was nothing but pushing buttons anyhow. He would spit in the fleet admiral's eye. Tell him to fly his own ships. Leyloon and he....
But what if she came out of it without a memory of the five days? He was taking her away before they happened, wasn't he? He was kidnapping a Neptunian girl who had, in fact, never set eyes on him! How would he explain that?
Yes, how! She would probably hate his guts ... and he couldn't blame her if she did. She would probably demand to be taken back. She....
The sweat glistened on his forehead. If that happened, it would be the end. There would be no point to existence now if....
He glued his eyes to the instruments. They were hours away from Neptune now. Nearing the zone. It was time to slow the ship.
There were vibrations. Clawing, clutching vibrations that began to insinuate themselves into the ship, into every cell and atom within that bubble of metal. Vibrations. They were ghastly.
But they couldn't be doing to him what they were doing to Leyloon. She might be undergoing a complete reverse in time. Every particle of her being constricted, twisted and battled over.
If she lived through it, would she know him? Would she know that....