"All out, sir," the pilot said.

Harris nodded. He took hold of his two suitcases and stepped carefully
down. The ground was hot underfoot, and he blinked in the bright
sunlight. Jupiter was in the sky, and the vast planet reflected
considerable sunlight down onto the asteroid.

Harris started across the field, carrying his suitcases. A field
attendant was already busy opening the storage compartment of the patrol
ship, extracting his trunk. The attendant lowered the trunk into a
waiting dolly and came after him, manipulating the little truck with
bored skill.

As Harris came to the entrance of the signal tower the gate slid back
and a man came forward, an older man, large and robust, with white hair
and a steady walk.

"How are you, Doctor?" he said, holding his hand out. "I'm Lawrence
Watts, the Garrison Chief."

They shook hands. Watts smiled down at Harris. He was a huge old man,
still regal and straight in his dark blue uniform, with his gold
epaulets sparkling on his shoulders.

"Have a good trip?" Watts asked. "Come on inside and I'll have a drink
fixed for you. It gets hot around here, with the Big Mirror up there."

"Jupiter?" Harris followed him inside the building. The signal tower was
cool and dark, a welcome relief. "Why is the gravity so near Terra's? I
expected to go flying off like a kangaroo. Is it artificial?"

"No. There's a dense core of some kind to the asteroid, some kind of
metallic deposit. That's why we picked this asteroid out of all the
others. It made the construction problem much simpler, and it also
explains why the asteroid has natural air and water. Did you see the
hills?"

"The hills?"

"When we get up higher in the tower we'll be able to see over the
buildings. There's quite a natural park here, a regular little forest,
complete with everything you'd want. Come in here, Harris. This is my
office." The old man strode at quite a clip, around the corner and into
a large, well-furnished apartment. "Isn't this pleasant? I intend to
make my last year here as amiable as possible." He frowned. "Of course,
with Deutsch gone, I may be here forever. Oh, well." He shrugged. "Sit
down, Harris."

"Thanks." Harris took a chair, stretching his legs out. He watched Watts
as he closed the door to the hall. "By the way, any more cases come up?"

"Two more today," Watts was grim. "Makes almost thirty, in all. We have
three hundred men in this station. At the rate it's going--"

"Chief, yo