За разломом орла

           Lookfurtherout,andtherearemorebubbles,theirwallsintersectingandmerging,formingavastfroth-likestructuretensofthousandsoflight-yearsacross. TherearethestructuresofLoopIandLoopIIandtheLindbladRing. Thereareevensuperdenseknotswherethedustisalmosttoothicktobeseenthroughatall. BlackcaulsliketheTaurusorRho-Ophiuchidarkclouds,ortheAquilaRiftitself. 

           LyingoutsidetheLocalBubble,theRiftisthefurthestpointinthegalaxywe’veevertravelledto. It’snotaquestionofenduranceornerve. Theresimplyisn’tawaytogetbeyondit,atleastnotwithinthefaster-than-lightnetworkoftheaperturelinks. Therabbit-warrenofpossibleroutesjustdoesn’treachanyfurther. Mostdestinations—includingmostofthoseontheBlueGoose’sitinerary—didn’tevengetyoubeyondtheLocalBubble. 

           Forus,itdidn’tmatter. There’sstillalotofcommerceyoucandowithinahundredlight-yearsofEarth. ButSchedarwasrightontheperipheryoftheBubble,wheredustdensitybegantorampuptonormalgalacticlevels, twohundredandtwenty-eightlight-yearsfromMotherEarth. 

           Again:notgood. 

           "Iknowthisisashockforyou,"anothervoicesaid. "Butit’snotasbadasyouthinkitis." 

           *** 

           Ilookedatthewomanwhohadjustspoken. Mediumheight,thekindoffacetheycalled‘elfin’,withslanted,ash-grayeyesandabobofshoulder-length,chrome-whitehair. 

           Thefaceachinglyfamiliar. 

           "Itisn’t?" 

           "Iwouldn’tsayso,Thom."Shesmiled.