A doorway to the stars. Bart had crossed that doorway once, frightened
and alone. Dad, if you could only know! The first interstellar ship of
Eight Colors was to bear the name Rupert Steele, but that was years in
the future.
Now, looking at the Swiftwing, at Ringg and Tommy, at Raynor Three and
Vorongil, who would all be his shipmates in the new world they were
building, he felt suddenly very lonely again.
"Come in, Bart. It's your party," Meta said softly, and he felt her hand
lying in his. He looked down at the pretty Mentorian girl. She would be
with him, too. And suddenly he knew he would never be lonely again.
His arm around Meta, his friends--man and Lhari--at his shoulder, he
went back to the celebration, to plan for the first intergalactic voyage
to the stars.