"I fear that we will be caught," said Celia tonelessly, like a voice dissociated from body.
Our ship's nose wavered slowly between Procyon and Pollux, Canis Minor and Gemini, back and forth, droning on in the blackness.
"I fear for our little boy," said Celia like a soul lost in a maze of warped space. "What will they do to him?"
"They'll never lay hands on him," I said softly.
The Serpent writhed and Charioteer rocked as Twins dueled the Crab and Hunter pursued Bull.
"That was a fine gesture you made," Celia whispered.
"What?"
"Giving them the money. I'm proud of you."
The lights of Spaceport glowed on the horizon. It was a vast complex of launching sites, covering a hundred square miles. But only one ship could blast off at a time, and that ship would be flooded by searchlights. I singled out the Venus rocket and we descended.
It was eleven-thirty-two. I handed Celia her two tickets.