iery dialogue ensued when the computer questioned
the accuracy of the location of the station and refused point-blank to
correct his course.

"Well, Breck, old onion, that tears it," Stevens declared as he
unplugged. "No use going any further on these bum reference points.
I'm going to report to Newton--he'll rock the Observatory on its
foundations!" He plugged into the telegraph room. "Have you got a free
high-power wave?... Please put me on Newton, in the main office."

Moving lights flashed and flickered for an instant upon the communicator
screen, settling down into a white glow which soon resolved itself into
the likeness of a keen-eyed, gray-haired man, seated at his desk in the
remote office of the Interplanetary Corporation. Newton smiled as he
recognized the likeness of Stevens upon his own screen, and greeted him
cordially.

"Have you started your investigation, Doctor Stevens?"

"Started it? I've finished it!" and Stevens tersely reported what he
had learned, concluding: "So you see, you don't need special computers
on these ships any more than a hen needs teeth. You've got all the
computers you need, in the observatories--all you've got to do is make
them work at their trade."

"The piloting was all x, then?"

"Absolutely--our curve so far is exactly flat ever since we cut
off the starting power. Of course, all the pilots can't be as good as
Breckenridge, but give them good computation and good check points and
you shouldn't get any humps higher than about half a centimeter."

"They'll get both, from now on," the director assured him. "Thanks. If
your work for the trip is done, you might show my little girl, Nadia,
around the _Arcturus_. She's never been out before, and will be
interested. Would you mind?"

"Glad to, Mr. Newton--I'll be a regular uncle to her."

"Thanks again, Operator, I'll speak to Captain King, please."

"Pipe down that guff, you unlicked cub, or I'll crown you with a
proof-bar!" the chief pilot growled, as soon as Stevens had unplugged.

"You and who else?" retorted the computer, cheerfully. "Pipe down
yourself, guy--if you weren't so darn dumb and didn't have such a
complex, you'd know that you're the crack pilot of the outfit and
wouldn't care who else knew it." Stevens carefully covered and put away
the calculating machine and other apparatus he had been using and turned
again to the pilot.

"I didn't know Newton had any kids, especially little ones, or I'd have
got acq