e hear for yourself, sir!"

Despite himself, Coffin whistled. "But that's why the e Eridani colony
was being founded," he said. His words fell flat and silly into silence.

Hallmyer said, with the alien hiss in his English that Coffin hated, for
it was like the Serpent in a once noble garden:

"Apparently the colony has no more reason to be started. But how shall
we consult with three thousand would-be pioneers lying in deepsleep?"

"Shall we?" Coffin did not know why--not yet--but he felt his brain move
with the speed of fear. "We've undertaken to deliver them to Rustum. In
the absence of definite orders from Earth, are we even allowed to
consider a change of plans ... since a general vote can't be taken?
Better avoid possible trouble and not even mention--" He broke off.
Mardikian's face had become a mask of dismay.

"But, sir!" bleated the Com officer.

A chill rose up in Coffin. "You have already told," he said.

"Yes," whispered Mardikian. "I met Coenrad de Smet, he had come over to
this ship for some repair parts, and ... I never thought--"

"Exactly!" growled Coffin.

The fleet numbered fifteen, more than half the interstellar ships
humankind possessed. But Earth's overlords had been as anxious to get
rid of the Constitutionalists (the most stubborn ones, at least; the
stay-at-homes were _ipso facto_ less likely to be troublesome) as that
science-minded, liberty-minded group of archaists were to escape being
forcibly absorbed by modern society. Rustum, e Eridani II, was six
parsecs away, forty-one years of travel, and barely habitable: but the
only possible world yet discovered. A successful colony would be
prestigious, and could do no harm; its failure would dispose of a thorn
in the official ribs. Tying up fifteen ships for eight decades was all
right too. Exploration was a dwindling activity, which interested fewer
men each generation.

* * * * *

So Earth's government co-operated fully. It even provided speeches and
music when the colonists embarked for the orbiting fleet. After which,
Coffin thought, the government had doubtless grinned to itself and
thanked its various heathen gods that that was over with.

"Only now," he muttered, "it isn't."

He free-sat in the _Ranger's_ general room, a tall, bony, faintly
grizzled Yankee, and waited. The austerity of the walls was broken by a
few pictures. Coffin had wanted to leave them bare--since no one else
would care fo