Chapter 12 Summary

Professor Sullivan agrees to help Jan with his experiment, and Jan leaves a farewell letter for his sister, Maia. Jan begins by venting his frustrations about being held hostage on earth, unable to explore space. Jan then explains that he is going to stow away with supplies for six weeks in one of Sullivan's whales, long enough to get to the Overlords' home planet. However, he explains that time progresses more quickly on their end of the galaxy, and while he will have only aged a couple of months, eighty earth years will have passed, and Maia will probably be dead.

Chapter 12 Analysis

In his farewell letter to Maia, Jan refers to the biblical story of Jonah and the Whale. He feels a kinship to Jonah, because as Jonah was cast off at sea and eaten by the whale, Jan has felt cast-off...