Maskull continued to ponder. "You inquire if I am satisfied. I don't
know, Krag. It's miraculous, and that's all I can say about it....
But I'm satisfied of one thing. There must be very wonderful
astronomers at Starkness and if you invite me to your observatory I
will surely come."

"I do invite you. We set off from there."

"And you, Nightspore?" demanded Maskull.

"The journey has to be made," answered his friend in indistinct
tones, "though I don't see what will come of it."

Krag shot a penetrating glance at him. "More remarkable adventures
than this would need to be arranged before we could excite
Nightspore."

"Yet he is coming."

"But not con amore. He is coming merely to bear you company."

Maskull again sought the heavy, sombre star, gleaming in solitary
might, in the south-eastern heavens, and, as he gazed, his heart
swelled with grand and painful longings, for which, however, he was
unable to account to his own intellect. He felt that his destiny was
in some way bound up with this gigantic, far-distant sun. But
still he did not dare to admit to himself Krag's seriousness.

He heard his parting remarks in deep abstraction, and only after the
lapse of several minutes, when, alone with Nightspore, did he realise