swaggered toward the door. He turned and looked back. "Better go along
with me. After six months they can auction off your ship to pay for the
port charges, you know." The door swung shut behind him.

* * * * *

Tee sat down again and bent his head, nursing his drink. His eyes darted
nervously around the room and came to rest on the clock. A shudder ran
through him and he lowered his eyes quickly. As he sipped his drink his
eyes returned to the clock continually, as though drawn there against
their will. As he watched, the minute hand jerked downward and an
involuntary gasp escaped his lips.

The bartender turned quickly. "Anything wrong?"

"N ... no, nothing." As he spoke, the minute hand moved again and Tee
started nervously, upsetting his drink. He sat for a moment watching the
bartender mop up the spreading liquid, then abruptly got up and tossed a
half-credit piece on the bar. He hurried outside, steeling himself to
keep from running. He paused just outside the door.

_Stand still_, he told himself. _Mustn't run! Mustn't run! No use
anyway. If I only knew when. If I just could stop and rest. If I had the
time ... Time! Time! That's what I need. Light-years of time ... But
when? When? If only I could be sure._ He looked up slowly at the murky
canopy of clouds. _If I only knew when!_ He looked indecisively up and
down the field, then squaring his shoulders resolutely, set out for the
administration building.

At this hour the office was deserted except for a wispy-haired little
man who sat at a desk fussing with some papers. He looked up
questioningly as Tee came in.

"Is my ship re-charged and provisioned?" asked Tee.

"Uh, what's the name please?"

"Tee Ormond. I own the _Starduster_."

The clerk pulled a card from a file on the desk and studied it. "Ah,
yes, the _Starduster_."

"I'd like to pay my bill and clear the _Starduster_ for immediate
departure."

"Uh, very good, Mr. Ormond." He consulted the card again. "That'll be
fourteen hundred and eleven credits." He beamed. "We included a case of
Ruykeser's Concentrate, compliments of the management." He handed a
circular to Tee. "This is a list of our ports and facilities on other
planets. Our accommodations are the finest, and we carry a complete line
of parts." He smiled professionally.

"What about my key?" asked Tee, pulling out his wallet.

"Uh, let's see, number thirty-seven." The clerk started for a numbered