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with a determination that made it clear she wasn’t going to stop until she reached the end of the world. The Labrador gave her a longing look before turning back to LionWalker.
    “There, there.” He patted the dog’s head. “She’ll be back to give you your supper.”
    They’d almost reached the door when it opened again. This time it was a young man who came out. With his androgynous features, he was almost as beautiful as the girl. If it hadn’t been for the fact he was shirtless, Dudley might even have questioned his gender.
    “Just where does she think she’s going?” he whined.
    “I don’t know,” LionWalker said in a resigned tone. “She didn’t tell me.”
    “Well, I’m not going after her.” The youth set off for the beach, slouching his shoulders and kicking at the sand with his bare feet as he went.
    LionWalker opened the door and gestured Dudley inside. “Sorry about that.”
    “Who are they?” Dudley asked.
    “They’re my current life partners. I love them dearly, but I sometimes wonder if it’s worth it, you know. You married?”
    “Yes. Several times, actually.”
    “Aye, well, you know what it’s like then.”
    The interior of the house was laid out in a classic minimalist style, which suited the location perfectly. A big circular fireplace served as the focal point of the living room. Tall curving windows revealed an uninterrupted view of the bay and the ocean. Air-conditioning provided a relaxing chill.
    “Sit yourself down,” LionWalker said. “I expect you could do with a drink. I’ll take you over to see the telescope in a minute. You can check it out then. I’m confident you’ll be satisfied.”
    “Thanks.” Dudley lowered himself into one of the big sofas. He felt very drab and colorless in such surroundings. It wasn’t just the richness of the house and its setting, but the vivacity of the people who lived here as well.
    “This isn’t what I was expecting,” he admitted a few minutes later, when he’d drunk some of LionWalker’s very agreeable fifty-year-old scotch.
    “You mean you thought I’d be somebody like you? No offense, my man.”
    “None taken. So what are you doing here?”
    “Well, I was born with a reasonable trust fund; then I went and made even more money for myself in the commodities market. That was a couple of rejuvenations ago. I’ve just been loafing ever since.”
    “So why here? Why Tanyata?”
    “This is the edge. This is as far out from our starting point as we’ve got—well, with the exception of Far Away. That’s a wonderful thing, even though everyone regards it as commonplace. I can sit here at night and look where we’re going. You look at the stars, Dudley, you know what marvels there are to be seen out here. And those cretins behind us, they never look. Where we are now, this was what our ancestors thought was heaven. Now I can look out from their heaven and see where our future lies. Do you not think that’s a thing of glory?”
    “Certainly is.”
    “There are stars out here that you cannot see from Earth with the naked eye. They shine down out of the sky at night, and I want to know them.”
    “Me, too.” Dudley saluted him with the crystal tumbler that was a hundred years older than the scotch it held, and gulped it down in one.
             
    The two youngsters returned after a couple of hours cooling off by themselves. LionWalker introduced them as Scott and Chi as they sheepishly greeted Dudley. As a penance, the two of them set about building a bonfire on the beach, using the local driftwood that had a curiously matted texture. They lit it as the sun sank down toward the ocean. Bright orange sparks blew out of the flame tips to swirl high above the sand. Potatoes were pushed into the heart of the fire, while a makeshift barbecue grill was prepared for when the flames died down.
    “Can we see the Dyson Pair from here?” Scott asked as the stars began to appear in the darkening sky.
    “No,” Dudley