om, which they found in meticulous order and
spotless in its cleanliness--there is neither dust nor dirt in space.
Nadia glanced about the formal little room and laughed up at her
husband.

"Funny, isn't it, sweetheart, how little we know what to expect? Just
think how surprised I would have been, when I left this room, if I had
been told that I would have a husband before I got back to it!"

Breckenridge's first thought was for his precious triplex automatic
chronometer, which he found, of course, "way off"--six and three-tenths
seconds fast. Having corrected the timepiece from that of the _Sirius_,
he immersed himself in the other delicate instruments of his
department--and he was easy to find from that time on.

Overcrowded as the _Sirius_ already was, it was decided that the
original complement of the _Arcturus_ should occupy their former
quarters aboard her during the return trip. To this end, corps of
mechanics set to work upon the salvaged hulk. Heavy metal work was no
novelty to the Callistonian engineers and mechanics, and the _Sirius_
also was well equipped with metal-working machines and men. Thus the
prow was welded; armored, insulating air-breaks were built along the
stern, which was the plane of hexan cleavage, electrical connections
were restored; and lastly, a set of the great Vorkulian wall-screen
generators, absorbers, and dissipators was installed, with sufficient
accumulator capacity for their operation. Director Newton studied this
installation in silence for some time, then went in search of Brandon.

"I hadn't considered the possibility of being attacked again
between here and Tellus, but there's always the chance," he admitted.
"If you think that there is any danger, we will crowd them all into the
_Sirius_. It will not be at all comfortable, but it will be better than
having any more of us killed."

"With that outfit they'll be as safe as we will," the scientist assured
him. "They can stand as much grief as we can. We'll do the fighting for
the whole outfit from here, and anything we meet will have to take us
before they can touch them. So they had better ride it there, where
they'll have passengers' accommodations and be comfortable. As to
danger, I don't know what to expect. They may all be gone and they may
not. We're going to expect trouble every meter of the way in, though,
and be ready for it."

Everything ready and thoroughly tested, and stream of power flowing
into the _Arcturus_