take to get adjusted to--and accept--such a chance?
Thoughts like that began to disturb Nelsen. Out here, in all this
enormous freedom, the shift from peaceful routine to tragedy could be
quicker than ever before.

But is wasn't thinking about such grim matters that actually threw Frank
Nelsen--that got him truly mixed up. In Parnay's attack, ten men and two
women had been killed. There were also twenty-seven injured. Such facts
he could accept--they didn't disturb him too much, either. Yet there was
a curious sort of straw that broke the camel's back, one might have
said.

The incident took place quite a while after the assault. Out on an
inspection tour in his Archer, he happened to glance through the
transparent wall of the sundeck of a prefab he was passing...

In a moment he was inside, grinning happily. Miss Rosalie Parks was
lecturing him: "... You needn't be surprised that I am here, Franklin.
'O, tempora O, mores!' Cicero once said. 'O, the times! O, the customs!'
But we needn't be so pessimistic. I am in perfect health--and ten years
below retirement age. Young people, I suspect, will still be taught
Latin if they choose... Or there will be something else... Of course I
had heard of your project... It was quite easy for you not to notice my
arrival. But I came with the latest group, straight from Earth..."

Nelsen was very pleased that Miss Parks was here. He told her so. He
stayed for cakes and coffee. He told her that it was quite right for her
to keep up with the times. He believed this, himself...

Afterwards, though, in his own quarters, he began to laugh. Her presence
was so incongruous, so fantastic...

His laughter became wild. Then it changed to great rasping hiccups. Too
much that was unbelievable by old standards had happened around him.
This was delayed reaction to space. He had heard of such a thing. But he
had hardly thought that it could apply to him, anymore...! Well, he
knew what to do... Tranquilizer tablets were practically forgotten
things to him. But he gulped one now. In a few minutes, he seemed okay,
again...

Yet he couldn't help thinking back to the Bunch, the Planet Strappers.
To the wild fulfillment they had sought... So--most of them had made it.
They had become men--the hard way. Except, of course, Eileen--the
distaff side... They had planned, callowly, to meet and compare
adventures in ten years. And this was still less than seven...

How long had it been since he had eve