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Dorjan," Songan said, ignoring theOutie's forced humor. Dorjan needed no
further explanation of what his friendmeant. He nodded his approval of
the ship's departure. Then he reached out andthrew his arms about both
men, hugging them close. Dorjan was unashamed of thetears that welled in
his eyes. From a Songan-designed observation bubbleDorjan and Lizina
watched Fleet Return easily slip through the wide corridorthat had been
cleared in the asteroid belt for HOME'S impending departure. Manand
woman held each other tightly. The goodbyes had been said and all
thatremained was to watch Songan and Yuw begin their journey ... a
journey thatwould take the two to the opposite side of the galaxy. "They
will return."
Lizina looked up into the face of the man she loved. The emerald of her
eyeswas misted by tears. "Songan will. When, I don't know. But he will."
Dorjanhugged her closer "I can't say the same for Varn. He's an Outie,
and who canguess what an Outie will do!" "They'll be back. Both of
them," Lizina saidwith certainty. Dorjan merely nodded and squeezed her
tightly. He felt theswell of her stomach pressed against him-his growing
son. He immediatelyreleased her and stepped back, afraid he had hurt
her. Lizina smiled. "I'm
pregnant, not breakable." She pulled him to her again. Her gaze returned
tothe void of space beyond the bubble. Fleet Return was gone, now a
stream oftachyons leaping the parsecs of space on a voyage that would
take two friendsto the limits of the galaxy's boundaries. 224 "Show me
where we'regoing." Dorjan lifted an arm and pointed directly overhead.
"You can't see theKuzih stars from here. But they're in that general
direction." "And we'll begiving them to our son." She smiled, emerald
eyes flashing with pride. "Andwe'll give them to our sons and
daughters!" "Sons and daughters!" Lizinagrinned with delight. Her gaze
moved over the blackness of space and thedistant stars. Her chest
expanded with pride. The vast-ness that stretchedaround her would belong
to her children. Their birthright would be the
spaceways.
