"Such things seem to be universal," he said thoughtfully, preparing a cup of tea for himself. "Such a pity."

He took a sip, thoughtful. There were short stories he saw occasionally in magazines, speculating about a time when people would live on the moon or Mars, or what meeting life from beyond the stars might entail. Some were optimistic, others painted a bleaker picture.

It seemed, in this man's case, the latter was more accurate.

"How does one travel to another planet? With the magic?"