ps are being spread thin. Also, until now, we never thought
there was anything in the Hole worth looking at. So we have never gone
into the Hole. Your ship will be the first."

"Yes, _sir_," Beauclaire said, eyes shining.

"A few weeks ago," the Commandant said, "one of our amateurs had a
lens on the Hole, just looking. He saw a glow. He reported to us; we
checked and saw the same thing. There is a faint light coming out of
the Hole--obviously, a sun, a star inside the cloud, just far enough
in to be almost invisible. God knows how long it's been there, but we
do know that there's never been a record of a light in the Hole.
Apparently this star orbited in some time ago, and is now on its way
out. It is just approaching the edge of the cloud. Do you follow me?"

"Yes, sir," Beauclaire said.

"Your job is this: You will investigate that sun for livable planets
and alien life. If you find anything--which is highly unlikely--you
are to decipher the language and come right back. A Psych team will go
out and determine the effects of a starless sky upon the alien
culture--obviously, these people will never have seen the stars."

* * * * *

The Commandant leaned forward, intent now for the first time.

"Now, this is an important job. There were no other linguists
available, so we passed over a lot of good men to pick you. Make no
mistake about your qualifications. You are nothing spectacular. But
the ship will be yours from now on, permanently. Have you got that?"

The young man nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

"There is something else," the Commandant said, and abruptly he
paused.

He gazed silently at Beauclaire--at the crisp gray uniform, the
baby-slick cheek--and he thought fleetingly and bitterly of the Hole
in Cygnus which he, an old man, would never see. Then he told himself
sternly to leave off self-pity. The important thing was coming up, and
he would have to say it well.

"Listen," he said. The tone of his voice was very strong and
Beauclaire blinked. "You are replacing one of our oldest men. One of
our best men. His name is Billy Wyatt. He--he has been with us a long
time." The Commandant paused again, his fingers toying with the
blotter on his desk. "They have told you a lot of stuff at the
Academy, which is all very important. But I want you to understand
something else: This Mapping Command is a weary business--few men last
for any length of time, and those that do are