Books In English "City Of Illusions" Ursula K. Le Guin | Page 157

It was curious to hear the Shing answer in his whispering voice and
know, for once to know certainly and absolutely, that he was not lying. "In
the desert northwest of Es Toch."
"Is it guarded?"
"Yes."
"By live guards?"
"No."
"You will guide us there."
"I will guide you there."
"Take the car where he tells you, Orry."
"I don't understand, prech Ramarren; are we—"
"We are going to leave Earth. Now. Take the controls."
"Take the controls," Ken Kenyek repeated softly. Orry obeyed,
following the Shing's instructions as to course. At full speed the aircar shot
eastward, yet seemed still to hang in the changeless center of the
sea-sphere, towards the circumference of which the sun, behind them,
dropped visibly. Then the Western Isles appeared, seeming to float
towards them over the wrinkled glittering curve of the sea; then behind
these the sharp white peaks of the coast appeared, and approached, and ran
by beneath the aircar. Now they were over the dun desert broken by arid,
fluted ranges casting long shadows to the east. Still following Ken
Kenyek's murmured instructions, Orry slowed the ship, circled one of
these ranges, set the controls to catch the landing-beacon and let the car be
homed in. The high lifeless mountains rose up about them, walling them
in, as the aircar settled down on a pale, shadowy plain.
No spaceport or airfield was visible, no roads, no buildings, but
certain vague, very large shapes trembled mirage-like over the sand and
sagebrush under the dark slopes of the mountains. Falk stared at them and
could not focus his eyes on them, and it was Orry who said with a catch of
his breath, "Starships."
They were the interstellar ships of the Shing, their fleet or part of it,
camouflaged with light-dispeller nets. Those Falk had first seen were
smaller ones; there were others, which he had taken for foothills…
The aircar had intangibly settled itself down beside a tiny, ruined,
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