"It's iffy, really: It's something that exists, but the ones with the secrets are terribly protective of them. Why allow other creatures to go into space when you and your people keep those possibilities instead? You know, that old superiority chestnut."

She shrugged. "As for the people that ran the circus, they were just the same, but protective only because of the one they'd made a deal with for the ability. Put short, they made a deal with an unpopular goddess. Gets you some stares by 'decent' folk who worship her more popular enemy."