‘How far are we from Mirrindale?’ Ralph asked Pran.
Pran smiled tiredly in response. ‘You ask such odd questions sometimes, that I must remind myself that things must be done very differently in your world. We should arrive at the gates of Mirrindale in the morning, two days hence. The actual distance has never been reckoned, at least not to my knowledge. Were the road somewhat straighter, and the view ahead unobscured, I could make a guess as to how many leagues.’
Doc smiled at this exchange, was about to say something, when Ralph abruptly broke away and left them for a time. He returned shortly, alone. ‘I put her in the wagon with Theuli,’ he explained. ‘She goes so limp when she’s asleep that she’s difficult to keep hold of.’
He looked skyward and frowned. ‘There’s something else.’ Doc and Pran, to his right, looked at him, waiting for him to continue. He nodded skyward. The sky was black and crystal clear, and more full of stars than Ralph had ever seen.
‘Notice anything, Doc?’
Doc Wallace looked upward and frowned. ‘Beautiful night sky, if that’s what you mean. Lots of stars. There’s the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, Orion’s Belt . . . that’s Mars over there.’ He gestured to a glowing band which stretched across the heavens. ‘You can even see the Milky Way. Why, is there something unusual about that?’