le ends were even. "Ladies
first," he said. There was no expression on his face or in his voice.

Jenny didn't giggle, but neither did she balk. She picked a straw, and
then shrieked faintly. It was obviously a long one. Eve reached for
hers--

And Wilcox yelled suddenly. "Captain Muller, protest! Protest! You're
using all long straws for the women!" He had jumped forward, and now
struck down Muller's hand, proving his point.

"You're quite right, Mr. Wilcox," Muller said woodenly. He dropped his
hand toward his lap and came up with a group of the straws that had
been cut, placed there somehow without our seeing it. He'd done a
smooth job of it, but not smooth enough. "I felt some of you would
notice it, but I also felt that gentlemen would prefer to see ladies
given the usual courtesies."

He reshuffled the assorted straws, and then paused. "Mr. Tremaine,
there was a luxury liner named the _Lauri Ellu_ with an assistant
engineer by your name; and I believe you've shown a surprising
familiarity with certain customs of space. A few days ago, Jenny
mentioned something that jogged my memory. Can you still perform the
duties of an engineer?"

Wilcox had started to protest at the delay. Now shock ran through him.
He stared unbelievingly from Muller to me and back, while his face
blanched. I could guess what it must have felt like to see certain
safety cut to a 50 per cent chance, and I didn't like the way Muller
was willing to forget until he wanted to take a crack at Wilcox for
punishment. But....

"I can," I answered. And then, because I was sick inside myself for
cutting under Wilcox, I managed to add, "But I--I waive my chance at
immunity!"

"Not accepted," Muller decided. "Jenny, will you draw?"

It was pretty horrible. It was worse when the pairs compared straws.
The animal feelings were out in the open then. Finally, Muller,
Wilcox, and two crewmen dropped out. The rest of us went up to measure
our straws.

It took no more than a minute. I stood staring down at the ruler,
trying to stretch the tiny thing I'd drawn. I could smell the sweat
rising from my body. But I knew the answer. I had three hours left!

* * * * *

"Riggs, Oliver, Nolan, Harris, Tremaine, Napier and Grundy," Muller
announced.

A yell came from Grundy. He stood up, with the engine man named
Oliver, and there was a gun in his hand. "No damned big brain's
kicking me off my ship," he yelled. "You guys know