to speak to the chef."

Jasperson pushed his plate away. "I'll remember, Davis." Throwing down
his napkin he stood up. His waiter came running.

"Dessert, sir?"

* * * * *

Without answering, he strode across the room, trying to compose his
mouth into a smile as he reached his goal.

"Miss Taganova, would you care to join me in the bar for a drink?"

They all looked up at him in astonishment.

"But I've just finished dinner," she said.

He waited, uncertainly. At last Professor Larrabee pointed to the
unoccupied chair.

"Perhaps you'd care to join us, instead?"

No one else spoke, and he sat down nervously. Conversation had stopped,
and at last he broke out with explosive force.

"I wish Captain Evans would speed up this ship. It feels as if we'd been
on the way forever. And still three weeks to go!"

"Do you find three weeks so long a time?" asked the professor.

"It seems like eternity. I wish something would happen. Why can't we
have a little excitement?"

"Couldn't you find any more banks to break today?" Alan drawled. "No
gambles on the stock exchange?"

The professor broke in soothingly. "Now, there's an idea! You're
obviously a gambling man, a man of action. Do you play poker? Why don't
you get up a little game among your friends? That ought to provide you
with excitement for one evening at least."

"Would you join the game?"

"No, no, my dear Mr. Jasperson! You and I do not move in the same
circles. I confess, I enjoy the delightful uncertainties of poker, but I
could never afford to play for your stakes."

"Then we'll make the stakes what you can afford. Each raise limited to
five credits?"

"In that case, I might consider it."

"You, Dr. Chase?"

"Too exciting for an invalid, I'm afraid."

"You, Mr. Hall?"

Tom squeezed Dorothy's hand under the table. "No, thank you, Mr.
Jasperson. My wife and I, we have other plans."

"If it's money, young fellow, I'll stake you, and you can have a year to
pay me back."

Tom grinned. "You're very generous. But what makes you so sure you'd be
the winner?"

"I always win. Will you join the game, Miss Taganova?"

He accepted her silent head-shake without protest.

"Then I'll try to round up two or three others. We don't want a big
crowd--too many people make me nervous. Perhaps Willoughby will play,
and I'll get Captain Evans. He doesn't like the game, but he'll sit in
if I insist. See you in my suite in half a