Tea and coffee were provided in a luxurious silver service that had
been in Richard's family for generations-one of the few heirlooms that
had been preserved through the Collapse. On the silverware was engraved
the letter "R," the only clue to Richard's surname that still existed.
Nearly a century earlier, before founding Starlight Enterprise
Richard's father Thomas had changed his name to "Starlight" and
destroyed all records that spoke of his past.
After the three Starmen had finished recounting their adventures, no
one spoke for a long time. Joe poured himself a fresh cup of tea. Most
of them gazed out of the panoramic window at the desolate beauty of the
lunar landscape.
At length Richard said, "Starmen, you've had some exciting adventures,
and in them you've gained something valuable and lasting: you are now a
team. You've learned how to work together, how to think like Starmen
and act like Starmen. You're experienced, proven Starmen now! You
managed to escape from the clutches of the most dangerous, crazed
maniac our century has ever seen. And you've had contact, however
fleeting, with the second intelligent extra-terrestrial race that Earth
has met-certainly ahead of the Titanians and far ahead of us!
"But as far as Starman's work goes, keep in mind that your adventures
were the exception, not the rule.
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