"I know the question in your mind," the woman who called herself Shellon said softly. "You wish news of Eiler Guelf, your father."
Rik Guelf nodded, feeling excited, trying not to show his feelings.
"He is well, and with his command. His Perseid I had to destroy. But I built your father another ship." She smiled. "He is placed with his new craft and his new assignment."
He stared at her, amazement filling him now.
"Where is he? And what is his new assignment? Why did he desert Galactic?"
Shellon considered his questions. There was a faraway look in her eyes. Finally she said, "He is so far away that your hyper space drive cannot reach him. He is beyond the reach of Galactic Service."
Anger gripped Rik suddenly. "He took the oath to serve Galactic unto death. And my father is no deserter."
Shellon regarded him thoughtfully. "Your mind tells me that Eiler Guelf was your hero, and after your mother died both of you were lonely. Would it hurt if I told you he has mated with a woman of my race, that he is now a Titan?"
Rik gasped. It was incredible. Yet Eiler Guelf had believed in such a race as the Titans. Wherever spacemen met, sooner or later talk of a giant race would crop up. But until the crystal ship had appeared, there had been no real evidence of such a race. Unless they were Vegans, Rigellians. "How could my father become a Titan?" he said.
"Between your world and ours there stands a barrier," she explained. "Where the Markab is docked there is a barrier which is within my touch, but is your dimension. This side of the barrier, where I am sitting is our dimension—what you call 'Titan' world.