I walked away from Darla, transfixed, holding the cube as if it were about to explode in my hand. I don't know how long I stared at it. Presently, I was aware of being near Winnie and the others.
Roland came over to me, an excited look on his face.,
"Jake, it's fantastic!" he bubbled. "Winnie's map, I mean. There's a beltway, Jake. A beltway that circles the galaxy, spiraling in to the core. And as near as I can tell, about ten thousand light-years from here on the outer arm, there's a junction with a route that connects up the Local Group." He seized my shoulder. "The Local Group! Jake, can you believe it? The damn road goes all the way to Andromeda!" He squinted at the dark cube in my hand. "What the hell's that?"
I didn't answer, and walked away.
The sun was halfway up now, painting the sky with rosy promise, and the black road ran straight into it.