Part One Leshem entered the Common-room with a light step, almost floating; the spaceship power supplied no more than half Earth's gravity, and the sense of physical lightness ruled all her movements. She swept her mates with her discerning look, noticed Nogah helping Lyish to be released from his bonds; he rose on his feet, his eyes shining.
"It's years I haven't felt my body so light! Thank you, Lilit!" He bowed toward the dark woman who was supporting Mira. Her eyes shone toward him.
"You're missing the sights!" Leshem cried and stretched her arm in direction of the transparent viewing wall; Nan and Ofer were already standing there, exchanging words of admiration.
"How long it will take us to leave the solar system, Leshem?" asked Lyish. He collected Nogah on his way to the viewing window, Mira and Lilit coming after them. "Look, Mira," he added, "this sight can give a new aspect of inspiration, can't it?"
The Moon, larger than all their dreams, covered almost the whole window. There was a clear division between its lighted and dark parts, which cause the surface to be more prominent, all the hill and craters, making it more concrete, less spiritual or romantic to look or sense it.
"I don't think I'll have anything to say about that," Mira murmured. Leshem hoped she did not really hear the depression in her voice.
She approached Ben, who was the last to get out of the seat belt. "Come, Ben, I'm sure this will interest you - look how different it is from the sight of Earth."
The man nodded, approached the window and found a clear space not far from Nan. Leshem noticed the woman was moving away a little more than necessary to give him room, as if recoiling from his company. She shook her head but refrained from interfering. She was happy personal affairs were not going to be her responsibility, especially now that Lilit was back in the Family.
Leshem went back to the Control room, sighing sitting beside Ziv. "What're thinking?" she asked, giving a look to the controls. His eyes were not directed forward, to the space in front of them; his head was turned aside, his gaze glued to the window showing the Moon.
"Where is the spiritual beauty? Where is the magic of the mysterious?" he asked, whispering.
Leshem gave him a look. Without the air diffusing the light on Earth, causing the heavenly bodies to appear flickering and undefined, Space's emptiness sharpened the picture; for Leshem, however, it did not reduce the magic in the close appearance of these bodies. "I didn't know you were such a romantic, Ziv," she jested, but he shook his head and did not answer.
