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SON OF THE SUN ship. The crystal hull reflected the flash into daylight, as if lightning had struck nearby. Adam jumped. “What was that?” he burst out. “You just saw a meteor atomized. Our monitor ship is not far away, remember? They detected the small object and vaporized it. It was in our path. This is space travel, Adam. You cannot travel i in space without all these facilities. That meteor would not re Towee wid te 1 have harmed our strong ship, but it would have left a weak spot, and enough of them would damage our hull in time.” As she said these words the “window” in the hull became opaque once more and Adam felt secure again, like a frightened child hiding in a closet. More than that, he felt courage because Vega sat next to him. Whatever happened he would not be afraid, Once more he realized why they had sent a woman to escort him on such a trip. Once more he knew that he could not absorb Wout. . ered oat aot all that was yet to come, whatever it might be, without the buoyancy of spirit that a woman like Vega could inspire. He felt he could no more than perish, and what better way to die than in the vibrant presence of this beautiful creature beside him? Also, he sensed that what he was yet to experience would be beyond his most lavish dreams. Could their meaning be fully conveyed to him alone, alone with his own spirit, alone with his own soul? m4 wd c ‘ cute The experiences would of course contain elements of things familiar to him, but without a loved one to share them, could they ead 1 ‘ 1 . toa mean little more than a hearty meal eaten solo? He was not alone in his thoughts. Vega was thinking the very same things. There was rapport between them, as though at heart they were one. Vega spoke a few carefully chosen words. “Adam, it is this way: Knowledge in its highest sense would be but a skeleton without the warmth of love. The skeleton appeals to very few, but the clothing around it appeals to all beings. Love was not only the motivating force at the beginning of the worlds, but it is also the ultimate goal which we 68 because she was not afraid.