now?"

"He is maintaining," said von Liegnitz with deliberate dignity, "peace
and order around here. He is now performing the duty of
Answerman-in-Chief. He's very good at it."

Mike grinned. "Snookums?"

Von Liegnitz scooped the cards off the table and began shuffling them.
"Exactly. As long as Snookums gets his questions answered, he keeps
himself busy. Our young boot ensign has been assigned to the duty of
keeping that mechanical Peeping Tom out of our hair for an hour. By
then, it will be lunch time." He cleared his throat. "We still need a
fourth."

"If you ask me," said Lieutenant Keku, "we need a fifth. Let's play
poker instead."

Jakob von Liegnitz nodded and offered the cards for a cut.

"Deal 'em," said Mike the Angel.

A few minutes less than an hour later, Ensign Vaneski slid open the door
to the wardroom and was greeted by a triune chorus of hellos.

"Sirs," said Vaneski with pseudo formality, "I have done my duty,
exhausting as it was. I demand satisfaction."

Lieutenant Keku, upon seeing Mike the Angel dealt a second eight,
flipped over his up cards and folded.

"Satisfaction?" he asked the ensign.

Vaneski nodded. "One hand of showdown for five clams. I have been
playing encyclopedia for that hunk of animated machinery for an hour.
That's above and beyond the call of duty."

"Raise a half," said Mike the Angel.

"Call," said von Liegnitz.

"Three eights," said Mike, flipping his hole card.

Von Liegnitz shrugged, folded his cards, and watched solemnly while Mike
pulled in the pot.

"Vaneski wants to play showdown for a fiver," said Keku.

Mike the Angel frowned at the ensign for a moment, then relaxed and
nodded. "Not my game," he said, "but if the Answerman wants a chance to
catch up, it's okay with me."

The four men each tossed a five spot into the center of the table and
then cut for deal. Mike got it and started dealing--five cards, face up,
for the pot.

When three cards apiece had been dealt, young Vaneski was ahead with a
king high. On the fourth round he grinned when he got a second king and
Mike dealt himself an ace.

On the fifth round Vaneski got a three, and his face froze as Mike dealt
himself a second ace.

Mike reached for the twenty.

"You deal yourself a mean hand, Commander," said Vaneski evenly.

Mike glanced at him sharply, but there was only a wry grin on the young
ensign's face.

"Luck of the idiot," said Mike as he pocketed the twenty. "It's time