"That statement is rather at odds with some of your earlier pronouncements," Re-l said, not looking at him. The stars still held her attention.

Her nose was cold, and when she exhaled little white plumes appeared and vanished in the dark, but she continued to look up.

"No sun means no stars, you know." She wasn't even really talking to Gabriel. More thinking out loud. "I never saw stars before."

The endless galaxies whorled away into space, swallowing her up. She felt herself to be very small and very large at the same time, insignificant and connected to everything all at once.