returned dully. He was frowning.

_Chapter Three_

The _Valhalla_ touched down on Earth at 1753 on the nose, to nobody's
very great surprise. Captain Mark Donnell had not missed schedule once
in his forty ship years in space, which covered a span of over a
thousand years of Earth's history.

Landing procedure was rigidly set. The Crew debarked by family, in order
of signing-on; the only exception to the order was Alan. As a member of
the Captain's family--the only other member, now--he had to wait till
the rest of the ship was cleared. But his turn came eventually.

"Solid ground again, Rat!" They stood on the jet-fused dirt field where
the _Valhalla_ had landed. The great golden-hulled starship was reared
up on its tail, with its huge landing buttresses flaring out at each
side to keep it propped up.

"Solid for _you_, maybe," Rat said. "But the trip's just as wobbly as
ever for me, riding up here on your shoulder."

Captain Donnell's shrill whistle sounded, and he cupped his hands to
call out, "The copters are here!"

Alan watched the little squadron of gray jetcopters settle to the
ground, rotors slowing, and headed forward along with the rest of the
Crew. The copters would take them from the bare landing field of the
spaceport to the Enclave, where they would spend the next six days.

The Captain was supervising the loading of the copters. Alan sauntered
over to him.

"Where to, son?"

"I'm scheduled to go over in Copter One."

"Uh-uh. I've changed the schedule." Captain Donnell turned away and
signalled to the waiting crew members. "Okay, go ahead and fill up
Copter One!"

They filed aboard. "Everyone get back," the Captain yelled. A tentative
_chugg-chuff_ came from the copter; its rotors went round and it lifted,
stood poised for a moment on its jetwash, and shot off northward toward
the Starmen's Enclave.

"What's this about a change in schedule, Dad?"

"I want you to ride over with me in the two-man copter. Kandin took your
place aboard Copter One. Let's go now," he shouted to the next group.
"Start loading up Number Two."

The Crewmen began taking their places aboard the second copter, and soon
its pilot signalled through the fore window that he was loaded up. The
copter departed. Seeing that he would be leaving the field last, Alan
made himself useful by keeping the younger Crew children from wandering.

At last the field was cleared. Only Alan and his father remained, with
the l