dn't the ship come
back? What happened?"

"I'm afraid he ran off with it."

"He?"

"The Old Man. Professor Thomas." Kramer explained what had happened.

Dolores listened intently. "How strange. And you think he planned it
all in advance, from the start?"

"I'm certain. He asked for the plans of construction and the
theoretical diagrams at once."

"But why? What for?"

"I don't know. Look, Dolores. What do you remember about him? Is there
anything that might give a clue to all this?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. That's the trouble."

On the vidscreen Dolores knitted her brow. "I remember he raised
chickens in his back yard, and once he had a goat." She smiled. "Do
you remember the day the goat got loose and wandered down the main
street of town? Nobody could figure out where it came from."

"Anything else?"

"No." He watched her struggling, trying to remember. "He wanted to
have a farm, sometime, I know."

"All right. Thanks." Kramer touched the switch. "When I get back to
Terra maybe I'll stop and see you."

"Let me know how it works out."

He cut the line and the picture dimmed and faded. He walked slowly
back to where Gross and some officers of the Military were sitting at
a chart table, talking.

"Any luck?" Gross said, looking up.

"No. All she remembers is that he kept a goat."

"Come over and look at this detail chart." Gross motioned him around
to his side. "Watch!"

Kramer saw the record tabs moving furiously, the little white dots
racing back and forth.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"A squadron outside the defense zone has finally managed to contact
the ship. They're maneuvering now, for position. Watch."

The white counters were forming a barrel formation around a black dot
that was moving steadily across the board, away from the central
position. As they watched, the white dots constricted around it.

"They're ready to open fire," a technician at the board said.
"Commander, what shall we tell them to do?"

Gross hesitated. "I hate to be the one who makes the decision. When it
comes right down to it--"

"It's not just a ship," Kramer said. "It's a man, a living person. A
human being is up there, moving through space. I wish we knew what--"

"But the order has to be given. We can't take any chances. Suppose he
went over to them, to the yuks."

Kramer's jaw dropped. "My God, he wouldn't do that."

"Are you sure? Do you know what he'll do?"

"He wouldn't do that."

Gr