blue dressing gown with nothing under it. I want to set down
what happened in case there's ever a kickback although I don't think
there ever will be.

I was sitting in a chair and she came up behind me and it was very
unfortunate because I saw the blue dressing gown first. By sheer
chance it was almost exactly like the one Melody wore that first
night. I was thinking of Melody. Melody was all around me and inside
me. In my mind, in my heart, in all my aching regrets.

So when that dressing gown brushed me, something electric happened
inside and I got up and took Jane Kelvey in my arms. It wasn't more
than three or four seconds but in that time the gown had been brushed
aside. Then I came to my senses and pushed her away.

The dressing gown stayed parted. She stepped back, confused. She said,
"What's the matter? Are you scared?"

"I'm disgusted. Button your gown. Get out of here!"

"What are you? Not one of those noble creatures I hope--who wouldn't
touch a man's wife."

"I said get out! I wouldn't touch you regardless."

"But you just did."

"It was a mistake. I--"

"Look--I'm a woman. You're a man--I think. We're alone in space and
life is short. Let's have fun and then forget about it."

I slapped her across the mouth. A skipper can be jailed for life for
striking a passenger. Even with cause. But I slapped her and I'm
setting it down in the log....

* * * * *

Kennedy looked up from his reading. "Jane Kelvey--she is the dead
one?"

Mason nodded.

Kennedy looked at Holloway with marked severity. "Are you sure you
only slapped her?"

Mason exploded. "Good God, man. Did you see the body? You're not
implying he did that to her, are you?"

"I'm not implying anything," Kennedy said within a restrained grimness
that infuriated Mason.

"Why don't you finish the log before you start passing judgment?"

Kennedy leafed through the pages. "I--wait a minute! This log doesn't
cover the whole cruise! It breaks off in the middle of a sentence!"

"Read what's there, man! Read what's there."

"Very serious--very serious," Kennedy muttered. "Not completing a log.
No license should have been issued this man. Lax! Very lax." He sat
back to make himself more comfortable and prepared to go on with his
reading.

_June 30th--3 hours_

Course 29.341 by the Virgo angle. I think that's the course. The
instruments are acting funny. In fact a lot of things seem to be
wrong. Some of