Much later the aroma of coffee drew Urushkidan back into the forward cabin. A disheveled and weary-looking Ray Ballantyne was puttering around the hotplate while Dyann sat polishing her sword and humming to herself.
"Now," said Ray, turning with what seemed like relief to the Martian, "just how does this new drive of yours work?"
"It is not a dribe and it does not work—it is a structure of pure matematics," said Urushkidan. "Anyway, te teory is beyond te comprehension of anybody but myself. Gibe me some coffee."
"But you must have an idea how it would work in practice."
"Oh, no doubt if I wanted to take te time I could debise someting. But I am engaged in debeloping a new teory of cosmic origins." Urushkidan slurped coffee into himself.
"We've got to build it and escape."
"I told you you are of neiter beauty nor importance. Why should I take time wit you?"
"But look, if the Jovians capture you they'll force you to build it for them. They have ways. And then they'll overrun Mars along with all the other planets. The only thing that's held them back so far is the difficulty of interplanetary logistics. But when you have ships that can cross the orbit of Pluto in a matter of hours or minutes that isn't a problem any longer."
"Tat would be unfortunate, yes. But I am in te midst of a bery new and important train of tought. It would be more unfortunate if tat were lost tan if a few ephemeral Jobians conquered te System. Tey wouldn't last a tousand years, but a genius like me is born once in a million."
Dyann hefted her sword. "Do as Ray says," she advised.