and he did have magnificent shots of dramatic terrain on the
planet now twenty light-years behind.

Cochrane watched the show in a mingling of jealousy and relief. It was
not as good as he would have done. But fortunately, Bell and Jamison had
stuck fairly close to straight travelogue-stuff, and close-up shots of
vegetation and animals had been interspersed with the remoter pictures
with moderate competence, if without undue imagination. An audience
which had not seen many shows of the kind would be thrilled. It even
amounted to a valid change of pace. Anybody who watched this would at
least want to see more and different pictures from the stars.

Halfway through, he heard the now-muffled noise of rockets. He knew the
ship was descending through atmosphere by the steady sound, though he
had not the faintest idea what was outside. He ground his teeth as--for
timing--he received the commercial inserted in the film. The U. S.
commercials served the purpose, of course. He could not watch the other
pictures shown to residents of other than North America in the
commercial portions of the show.

He was counting seconds to resume transmission when he felt the slight
but distant impact which meant that the ship had touched ground. A very
short time after, even the lessened, precautionary rocket-roar cut off.

Cochrane ground his teeth. The ship had landed on a planet he had not
seen and in whose choice he had had no hand. He was humiliated. The
other members of the ship's company looked out at scenes no other human
eyes had ever beheld.

He regarded the final commercial, inserted into the broadcast for its
American sponsor. It showed, purportedly, the true story of two girl
friends, one blonde and one brunette, who were wall-flowers at all
parties. They tried frantically to remedy the situation by the use of
this toothpaste and that, and this deodorant and the other. In vain! But
then they became the centers of all the festivities they attended, as
soon as they began to wash their hair with Rayglo Shampoo.

Holden and Johnny Simms came clattering down from the control-room
together. They looked excited. They plunged together toward the
stair-well that would take them to the deck on which the airlock opened.

Holden panted,

"Jed! Creatures outside! They look like men!"

The communicator-screen faithfully monitored the end of the commercial.
Two charming girls, radiant and lovely, raised their voices in grateful
song,