‘You assume.’

‘It's a reasonable assumption. They assure us it's safe.’

‘And they never lie, I suppose.’

‘They'll be going, too. Besides, I'm sure they experimented.’

He looked at her out of narrowed eyes. ‘Now you're sure . The Far Probe was your baby. Did they have life-forms aboard?’

‘I was not involved with the actual procedures. I only dealt with the astronomical data that was gained.’

‘You're not answering my question about the life-forms.’

Insigna lost her patience. ‘Look, I don't feel like being grilled endlessly, and the baby is beginning to be restless. I have a question or two myself. What do you plan to do? Are you coming along?’

‘I don't have to. The terms of the vote are that anyone who doesn't want to come along doesn't have to.’

‘I know you don't have to, but will you? Surely you don't want to break up the family.’

She tried to smile as she said this, but it didn't feel convincing.

Fisher said, slowly and a little grimly, ‘I also don't want to leave the Solar System.’

‘You would rather leave me? And Marlene?’

‘Why would I have to leave Marlene? Even if you want to risk yourself on this wild scheme, must you risk the child?’

She said tightly, ‘If I go, Marlene goes. Get that through your head, Crile. Where would you take her? To some half-finished asteroidal Settlement?’

‘Of course not. I'm from Earth and I can return there if I wish.’

‘Return to a dying planet? Great.’

‘It's got some years of life left to it, I assure you.’

‘Then why did you leave it?’

‘I thought I'd be improving myself. I didn't know that coming to Rotor would mean a one-way ticket to nowhere.’

‘Not to nowhere,’ Insigna burst out, tormented past endurance. ‘If you knew where we were going, you wouldn't be so ready to turn back.’

‘Why? Where is Rotor going?’

‘To the stars.’

‘To oblivion.’

They stared at each other, and Marlene, opening her eyes, emitted a soft mew of wakefulness. Fisher looked down at the baby and, with a softening of his tone, said, ‘Eugenia, we don't have to split up. I certainly don't want to leave Marlene. Or you either. Come with me.’

‘To Earth?’

‘Yes. Why not? I have friends there. Even now. As my wife and child, you'll have no trouble getting in. Earth doesn't worry much about ecological balance. We'll be on a whole giant planet out there; not on a little stinking bubble in space.’

‘Just on a whole giant bubble, enormously stinking. No, no, never.’

‘Let me take Marlene, then. If you find the voyage worth the risk because you are an astronomer and want to study the Universe, that's your business, but the baby should stay here in the Solar System, and be safe.’

‘Safe on Earth? Don't be ridiculous. Is that what this whole thing has been for? A device to take my baby?’

‘Our baby.’

‘My baby. You leave. I want you to leave, but you can't touch my baby. You tell me I know Pitt, and, yes, I do. That means I can arrange to have you sent to the asteroids whether you want to go or not, and then you can find your own way back to your decomposing Earth. Now get out of my quarters and find your own place to sleep till you are sent away. When you let me know where you'll be, I'll send along your personal possessions. And don't think you can come back. This place will be under guard.’

At the moment that Insigna said this, with the bitterness in her heart overflowing, she meant it. She might have pled with him, cajoled him, begged, argued. But she hadn't. She had turned a harsh, unforgiving eye upon him and had sent him away.

And Fisher did leave. And she did send along his things. And he did refuse to come with Rotor. And he was sent away. And she supposed he had gone to Earth.

He was gone for ever from her and from Marlene.

She had sent him away and he was gone for ever.