She nodded, then leaned and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Apollo. Good luck."
He opened the door and stepped out of her landcar. "You'll do just fine," he said, stepping back from it.
"Sure," she said. "Sure." She started the car and, without looking at him again, drove away.
The viper sat in the clearing where he'd left it.
Leaning against the broad trunk of a nearby tree was John.
"We did quite a nice job," he said to Apollo.
"Very impressive," said Apollo, walking to his ship. "I think we managed to scare all the sides involved in this fracas."
"For now," said John, brushing a bit of fallen leaf off his elbow. "You'll find that even the most impressive lessons have to be reinforced now and again."
Apollo opened the hatch. "I suppose I'll be seeing you again, John?"
"I wouldn't be at all surprised."
"One thing," requested Apollo, "before you go vanishing again. A question I'd like answered."
"That's not allowed."
Apollo pointed at him. "Look, John old buddy, you have to do this," he said. "I mean, I risked my neck along with Starbuck's and the entire fleet's. You owe me a favor."
John looked away, head cocked as though listening. Turning again toward Apollo he said, "Very well. Ask."
"Is this Earth?"
"No, it isn't," answered John. "Your journey is not over."
Apollo let out the breath he'd been holding. "Thanks," he said to John.
But the man in the white suit was no longer in the clearing.
Apollo climbed into his ship.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT