"Got it," I said.
"Yoicks!" Sid said, and went back to the fine controls. After a long time, and lots of patience, we were hanging about fifty feet out from our bird. We were farther out in space so that the dark bulk of the satellite was silhouetted against the crescent light of Earth. I turned off the spot and switched on the floodlight.
"Here goes nothing, Sid," I said, and undid the dogs that held the canopy above our heads.
My earphone spoke to me: "This is Cleary. Do you read me, Mike?"
I fumbled around to find the right jack and plugged myself into the radio. "Yes, Paul. Loud and clear."
"Watch yourself. Think first. You've got all the time in the world."
"Sure."
"Sylvia would miss you," he added.
I hoped he was right.