26

The hotel was not nearly as nice as Timbella's flat, but it took cash and asked no questions. Deeter was beginning to calm down, so he flopped down onto the bed, belly first. Timbella joined him, and began rubbing his shoulders. He made a happy little noise.

"So you met that guy before?"

"Mmmm, can we not talk about this?"

She stopped rubbing his shoulders. "Sure."

He sighed. "I'll talk if you keep on?"

"Start talking."

"My first few jumps were to planets more advanced than even this one. Ahhh. Mmmm. There I was often noticed quickly for what I was, and warned away. That's how I learned what I told you. But I didn't believe it at first, till I met Mynog.

"I had just replenished some supplies and was sitting in a small tree-lined area, on the ground, eating. He was dressed in what appeared to be local fashions, except more conservative, and wearing dark glasses. I remember being confused about that. He's quite tall, as you saw, and doesn't exactly blend in. So I noticed him from rather far away. I wasn't certain he was heading straight for me, but I had this feeling. I mean, I'll be honest, I thought he was simply another man I'd caught the eye of, so I just started to gather things up normally, and head towards more people."

"You get a lot of guys hitting on you?"

"Probably fewer than you would."

She laughed aloud. "Was that a compliment?"

It wasn't meant to be, but he said "It certainly sounded like one, didn't it?"

"So when did you figure it out?"

"Well, he must have seen me getting up, because he started to run, very fast, straight towards me. I still didn't understand then, and I stood extremely still with all my things at my feet. I managed to estimate his speed, and then right before he came upon me, I launched downward, as prone as I am now."

"Oh man. How many times have you made this guy fall down?"

"He didn't fall this time, just kept running, a little surprised. I went the other way towards a path, as I said, towards more people. But by then I had guessed that he was a Watcher. I still didn't really understand what that meant, though.

"He finally caught up with me, but I was in a crowd, and he simply talked to me as I walked quickly away.

"'You've already figured it out? Or did your father warn you as a child?'

"'You know my father?'

"'He sent me to bring you back. One missing son is enough.'

"'A pity I am not fit to take my brother's place.'

"'That's for him to decide, not me. I just do my job.'

"'A pity, then, that you have no free will or empathy.'

"This must have upset him, for he grabbed my hand. 'Don't you dare. I've lived over a century before you were born. I've wept tears for your people before your grandmother did. You're a child, even for a human.'

"His voice was soft, but a man dressed as he was, acting as he did, caught the attention of passers-by. A few people were gathered around staring, and he noticed, and he let go. 'Remember me. Mynog,' he said. 'The next time you're alone, I'll take you back.'"

"Creepy."

"Yes, I think people were staring more because he was speaking my own language, though. He didn't know about the translator, you see."

"Oh, that makes sense. He probably thought you wouldn't be able to cope anyway."

"Something like that. As soon as I could, I found a toilet enclosure and went to a new world."

"Did he follow you?"

"No, it was a different Watcher. The next time I saw him was on a world about forty million miles away. I think."

"Like four light-years?"

"Light year?"

"Oh man. Another physics lesson. Light doesn't travel instantaneously, just really really fast. Um, I think I learned it as a billion miles an hour."

"That seems quite fast. How can you tell the difference?"

"Oh there's lots of experiments and stuff. In school we timed it by using a gear with teeth set a certain distance apart from a beam of light at the other side of the school gymnasium. Since we knew all the distances we could calculate it. And of course you can use shadows from farther planets and stuff."

He almost thought he understood. "And a light-year is how far light travels in a year?"

"Yep. I never remember what it is though. Anyway. Nothing can go faster than light. At least not in this realm, I guess you are proof that there's another one."

He shrugged a bit. "You can stop if you like. It does seem the Watchers can go faster than light, if planets are light-years away from each other, and I've seen Mynog multiple times."

"I may have had it wrong. I'm pretty sure our nearest star is 5 light-years away, though."

"I've only been on the run ninety or so days."

She frowned. "I guess they can then. But still seems like they can't go that much faster. Wonder what the deal is."