the
disintegrator-ray, however, he delved into with that frenzied ardor of
which only a scientist, I believe, is capable.

Questions poured out of him, and I answered them as best I could:
sometimes completely, and satisfactorily, so that he nodded and said,
"I see! I see!" and sometimes so poorly that he frowned, and
cross-questioned me insistently until he obtained the desired
information.

In the big, sound-proof navigating room, I explained the operation of
the numerous instruments, including the two three-dimensional charts,
actuated by super-radio reflexes, the television disc, the attraction
meter, the surface-temperature gauge and the complex control system.

"Forward," I added, "is the operating room. You can see it through
these glass partitions. The navigating officer in command relays his
orders to men in the operating room, who attend to the actual
execution of those orders."

"Just as a pilot, or the navigating officer of a ship of my day gives
his orders to the quartermaster at the wheel," nodded Harbauer, and
began firing questions at me again, going over the ground we had
covered, to check up on his information. I was amazed at the uncanny
accuracy with which he had grasped such a great mass of technical
detail. It had taken me years of study to pick up what he had taken
from me, and apparently retained intact, in something more than an
hour, Earth time.

* * * * *

I glanced at the Earth-time clock on the wall of the navigating room
as he triumphantly finished his questioning. Less than an hour
remained before the time set for our return trip.

"I'm sorry," I commented, "to be an ungracious host, but I am
wondering what your plans may be? You see, we are due to start in less
than an hour, and--"

"A passenger would be in your way?" Harbauer smiled as he uttered the
words, but there was a gleam in his long eyes that rather startled me,
and I wondered if I only imagined the steeliness of his voice. "Don't
let that worry you, sir."

"It's not worrying me," I replied, watching him closely. "I have
enjoyed a very remarkable, a very pleasant experience. If you should
care to remain aboard the _Ertak_, I should like exceedingly to have
you accompany us to our Base, where I could place you in touch with
other laboratory men, with whom you would have much in common."

Harbauer threw back his head and laughed--not pleasantly.

"Thanks!" he said. "But I have no time