ase? I'd like to sit inside a minute."

"That's out," he said. "Only pilots and technicians."

"All right, if you won't, I'll get up myself." She marched over to the
hangar wall and pulled over boarding steps, which were braced on three
pivotal tires.

"Bridget, Security says pilots and mechanics."

"And you're forgetting why I'm here, and besides that you're supposed to
cooerdinate. Right now you're uncooerdinating."

* * * * *

Before Grant's eyes flashed the memory of her orders with the signatures
at the bottom. She was already climbing the steps.

"Just don't touch anything, that's all," he conciliated, following her
up. Her seams were straight, he noted.

Bridget thudded into the narrow pilot's seat and wiggled herself into a
comfortable position.

"Awful crowded," she smiled up at Grant.

"I hope you tore your nylons," he groused.

"Now, if you'll just explain these gadgets," she said, moving her hand
over the panel embedded with digit-rimmed dials.

"Hands off, please."

"By your reaction, I would say you don't know what some of them are,"
she counter-fired, and tossed her protruding bunch of curls.

Grant took the bait. He leaned into the canopy and with an
over-stiffened index finger pointed forcefully at each gauge. For more
than a quarter-hour this went on, with Bridget pitching questions--most
of which he juggled.

She seemed to show more interest in the radar screen, the navigational
equipment, and the communications system. About these, she milked
Grant's available knowledge until he felt like reaching down and
throwing open the reactor valve and fuel switch.

"Lieutenant, if you don't mind, my back is paralyzed. Let's go back to
the club and I'll answer anything you want."

"Just one more," she coaxed. "This crosshair sight with the little black
circle in the middle. How does that work again?"

Grant straightened up and carefully massaged the small of his back.
"It's for precise manual navigation if you need it. You sit up straight
and sight through it."

"And what do you sight at?"

"A star, of course."

"Put it in the little black circle?"

"An A for you. Then you snap in Automatic Navigational and you're in
business. Or you can navigate manually by using Gyroscopic Navigational
if you want."

"I'm ready to get out now." Bridget lifted her hands where Grant stood
on the platform of the boarding device.

Back or no back, Grant couldn't resis