ly
admitted. He returned my salute crisply, and wasted no time in getting
to the point.

"How's your ship, Commander? Good condition?"

"Prime, sir."

"Supplies?"

"What's needed could be taken on in two hours." In the Service, Earth
time was an almost universal standard except in official documents.

"Good!" The Chief picked up a sheaf of papers, mostly standard charts
and position reports, I judged, and frowned at them thoughtfully. "I've
some work cut out for you, Commander.

"Two passenger ships have recently been reported lost in space. That
wouldn't be so alarming if both had not, when last reported, been in
about the same position. Perhaps it is no more than a coincidence, but,
with space travel still viewed with a certain doubt by so many, the
Council feels something should be done to determine the cause of these
two losses.

"Accordingly, all ships have been rerouted to avoid the area in which
it is presumed these losses took place. The locations of the two ships,
together with their routes and last reported positions, are given here.
There will be no formal orders; you are to cruise until you have
determined, and if possible, eliminated the danger, or until you are
certain that no further danger exists."

* * * * *

He slid the papers across his desk, and I picked them up.

"Yes, sir!" I said. "That will be all?"

"You understand your orders?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Very well. Good luck, Commander!"

I saluted and hurried out of the room, back to my impatient first
officer.

"What's up, sir?" he asked eagerly.

"Can't say that I know, to be truthful about it. Perhaps nothing;
perhaps a great deal. Give orders to take on all necessary supplies--in
double-quick time. I've promised the Chief we'll be ready to shove off
in two hours. I'll meet you in the navigating room, and give you all the
information I have."

Correy saluted and rushed away to give the necessary orders.
Thoughtfully, I made my way through the narrow, ethon-lighted
passageways to the navigating room, where Correy very shortly joined me.

Briefly, I repeated the Chief's conversation, and we both bent over the
charts and position reports.

"Hm-m!" Correy was lost in thought for a moment as he fixed the location
in his mind. "Rather on the fringe of things. Almost anything could
happen out there, sir. That would be on the old Belgrade route, would it
not?"

"Yes. It's still used, however, as you k