The eyepiece array clangs into place and Azwel smiles. "By all means," he says solicitously.

Once positioned at the eyepiece, Felih would be able to see a circular patch of sky, bright stars piercing the fading glow of sunset and, in the darker portion, the round glow of a far-off planet. The colours of the sunset seemed almost to have a depth to them, the stars and the little planet clearly behind them.