crew are to be at the disposal of Inverness and his group. Is that
clear, Commander?"

"Perfectly, sir." Nothing could have been clearer. I was to run the
ship, and Inverness and his crew were to run me. I could just imagine
how Correy, my fighting first officer, would take this bit of news.
The mental picture almost made me laugh, disgusted as I was.

"Written orders will, of course, be given you before departure. I
believe that's all. Good luck, Commander!" The Chief offered his hand
briefly, and then hurried back to the other room where the
Silver-sleeves had gathered to make more rulings for the confusion of
the Service.

* * * * *

"Since when," asked Correy bitterly, "are we running excursions for
civilians? We'll be personally conducting elderly ladies next thing."

"Or put on Attached Police Service," growled Hendricks, referring to
the poor devils who, in those days, policed the air-lanes of the
populated worlds, cruising over the same pitiful routes day after day,
never rising beyond the fringe of the stratosphere.

"Perhaps," suggested the level-headed Kincaide, "it isn't as bad as it
sounds. Didn't you, say, sir, that this Inverness was rather a decent
sort of chap?"

I nodded.

"Very much so. You'd scarcely take him for a scientist."

"And our destination is--what?" asked Kincaide.

"That I don't know. Inverness is to give us that information when he
arrives, which will be very shortly, if he is on time."

"Our destination," said Correy, "will probably be some little ball of
mud with a tricky atmosphere or some freak vegetation they want to
study. I'd rather--"

A sharp rap on the door of the navigating room, where we had gathered
for an informal council of war, interrupted.

"Party of three civilians at the main exit port, Port Number One,
sir," reported the sub-officer of the guard. "One sent his name:
Carlos Inverness."

"Very good. Admit them at once, and recall the outer guards. We are
leaving immediately."

As the guard saluted and hurried away, I nodded to Correy. "Have the
operating room crew report for duty at once," I ordered, "and ask
Sub-officer Scholey to superintend the sealing of the ports. Mr.
Kincaide, will you take the first watch as navigating officer? Lift
her easily until we determine our objective and can set a course; this
is like shoving off with sealed orders."

"Worse," said Hendricks unhappily. "Sealed orders promise something
i