It took a week to improvise a braking system. By that time they were no longer very sure where they were.
"This is all my fault," said Dyann contritely. "If I had brought Ormun along she vould have looked after us."
"One thing that worries me," said Ray, "is the Jovians. They aren't fools, and they won't be sitting on their hands waiting for us to come back and give the star drive to Earth."
"First," said Urushkidan snappishly, "tere is te problem of finding our sun."
Ray looked out the port. The ship was braked and, in the normal space-time state of matter, was floating amidst a wilderness of unfamiliar constellations. "It shouldn't be too hard," he said thoughtfully. "Look, there are the Magellanic Clouds, I think, and we should be able to locate Rigel or some other bright star. That way we can get a fix and locate ourselves relative to Sol."
"Tere are no astronomical tables aboard ship," pointed out Urushkidan, "and I certainly don't clutter my brain wit mere numerical data."
"Vich star is Rigel?" asked Dyann.
"Why—uh—well—that one—no, it might be that one over there—or perhaps—how should I know?" growled Ray.
"We will simply habe to go back te way we came, as nearly as we can judge it," said Urushkidan.