the viewscreen and brought Earth
into sharper focus. He tried to pick out the continents on the planet
below, struggling to remember his old history lessons. Tutor Henrich
would not be proud of him, he thought.

_That's South America down there_, he decided, after rejecting the
notion that it might be Africa. They had pretty much the same shape, and
it was so hard to remember what Earth's continents looked like when
there were so many other worlds. _But that's South America. And so
that's North America just above it. The place where I was born._

Then the 0800 alarm went off, the four commanding gongs that Alan always
heard as _It's! Time! Wake! Up!_ The starship began to stir into life.
As Alan drew out his Tally and prepared to click off the start of a new
day, he felt a strong hand firmly grasp his shoulder.

"Morning, son."

Alan turned from the viewscreen. He saw the tall, gaunt figure of his
father standing behind him. His father--and the _Valhalla's_ captain.

"Good rising, Captain."

Captain Donnell eyed him curiously. "You've been up a while, Alan. I can
tell. Is there something wrong?"

"Just not sleepy, that's all," Alan said.

"You look troubled about something."

"No, Dad--I'm not," he lied. To cover his confusion he turned his
attention to the little plastic gadget he held in his hand--the Tally.
He punched the stud; the register whirred and came to life.

He watched as the reading changed. The black-on-yellow dials slid
forward from _Year 16 Day 365_ to _Year 17 Day 1_.

As the numbers dropped into place his father said, "It's your birthday,
is it? Let it be a happy one!"

"Thanks, Dad. You know, it'll feel fine to have a birthday on Earth!"

The Captain nodded. "It's always good to come home, even if we'll have
to leave again soon. And this will be the first time you've celebrated
your birthday on your native world in--three hundred years, Alan."

Grinning, Alan thought, _Three hundred? No, not really._ Out loud he
said, "You know that's not right, Dad. Not three hundred years. Just
seventeen." He looked out at the slowly-spinning green globe of Earth.

"When on Earth, do as the Earthers do," the Captain said. "That's an old
proverb of that planet out there. The main vault of the computer files
says you were born in 3576, unless I forget. And if you ask any Earther
what year this is he'll tell you it's 3876. 3576-3876--that's three
hundred years, no?" His eyes twinkled.

"Stop playing