“Depending on the size of the star,” Tlön says with a twinkle in his eyes, “there is a certain speed of entry into its gravitational field that lets you careen past its planets at an ever-greater speed.” He pauses and looks around. “If the alignment of the planets is just right, you can shoot through the system without a glitch.” Swaying now to one side and now to the other, he pauses again. “But everything ultimately depends on your sensors, for there are swarms of rocks around any star, and even the tiniest one can be your last.” As his mates listen dreamily, he closes his eyes and shakes his head: “I have been lucky so far—very, very lucky.” Everyone laughs, and Tlön joins them.