"An hour," Nadia corrected. "The effects last an hour. So Villanowski claims."
"An hour, then. What difference does it make? The Nova couldn't have gone that distance in an hour, nor in a thousand hours! Why man, that's faster than the speed of light!"
The chief astrogator grunted. "Impossible or not, that's our position. If you don't think so, go on out on the observation deck and take a look."
Gavin leaped to his feet and plunged through the door. When he came out on the quartzite enclosed deck, he flung his gaze aloft.
The entire aspect of the heavens had changed. The three streaks denoting the pursuing space craft were absent. The sun had diminished to the size of a lemon. And dead ahead loomed the huge banded disc of Jupiter.
It was true. In the space of a few moments the Nova had traversed the void between Venus and Jupiter. Even though the planets were in a superior conjunction, the feat was unthinkable.
No wonder the big corporations were fighting like wildcats to get hold of the Nova's spacedrive!
Gavin dropped weakly in a deck chair, overawed by the possibilities. A new era of space travel was being inaugurated!
VII