strange feeling of unreality which persisted
until the girl returned.

* * * * *

"My name is Raima," the girl said solemnly. She wore tight-fitting
trousers, a loose blouse and had a silver colored air car with room in
back for the tiger.

Kirk knew it was an air car when the craft lifted from the ground from
no apparent means of acceleration and skimmed along just above the
trees. He sat beside Raima and asked, "About that ship I came here in?
How fast does it travel and how far is it from Mythox to Earth?"

"The distance is around two hundred thousand light years but the ship
doesn't really travel at all."

"Maybe you could go into a little more detail," Kirk said wearily.

"It's very simple. Distance, as you Earthlings regard it, is not
distance at all. Space bends to a greater or lesser degree depending
upon its immediate function in whatever time-space equation you are
using."

"Thank you very much," Kirk replied and silently added: Keep to the
line. Hold to your own values. On Earth, wherever it is, a man is
waiting to go to the chair for a murder he didn't commit. Use whatever
equation you want to--that still adds up the same. These people may be a
lot smarter than you are, but they can't twist that one and make you
believe it comes out any different.

A strange city of graceful flying spirals was coming over the horizon.
It moved closer and the air car arced in to a halt on a huge cement
landing area punctuated with small circles of a different material.

Raima jumped from the cockpit and Kirk followed to hear the soft thud
of the cat's four paws landing beside him. The cat went over and sat
down on one of the circles. Raima followed, stood beside the animal and
called, "Don't you want to go down to street level?"

"Of course. How stupid of me not to know how."

The circle dropped silently beneath them in a bright metal tube in which
a door soon appeared to let them out into a broad street filled with
casually moving pedestrians. Kirk noted that none of them seemed in any
hurry; that here and there was an individual dressed like himself.
Watchers on furlough or vacation, he thought a trifle bitterly. This
picture was far from complete but enough of it added up to furnish a
name for them. Quizling was a good one. Perhaps traitor was better.

All in all, he found one satisfaction. He could travel about as he
pleased.

A short walk brought them to a huge four or five