* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"You sure everything's programmed right? I don't trust your technicians in the Dragon's computer banks."
"I am quite certain those are the correct coordinates for your travel. We have them from the best possible source."
"Who?"
"Confidential, my boy, but someone I'm certain you would trust."
Wilson snorted. "Then you don't know me. I don't trust anyone but myself." He frowned. "While I was being debriefed, I heard from a little secretary that something much like my Dragon was launched a couple of days ago. You're not keeping something from me, are you?"
"Do you think there is another Dragon anywhere in this universe?"
"Of course not!" said Wilson emphatically.
"Well, there you go. And don't forget, once you find a good place for colonization, mark it and then take a look around the system. It's just as vital that we know about the system as the specific planet. This is not the time for nasty surprises. God knows we've had enough of them. Take your time, but not too long. As we didn't provide you with any liquor, I expect you'll be back."
"This had better be worth it. Hell, this had better not be just a way of getting rid of me."
"Don't worry, Wilson. I have no doubt, none, you'll find your way back. I believe with all my heart. I just wish I could go with you. You're the lucky one."
"Well, damned if I know why I'm the lucky one, or even why you picked me, but if I am the lucky one, it's the first bit of good luck I've seen in as long as I can remember."
"They do say luck changes. I wonder, if given the right circumstances, men do too."
Conjuring Dreams or Learning to Write by Writing Page 13