all right with me. I can
stand it if you can."

"Don't you want to know where we're going, and why?"

"I've been thinking about that. Before we started I didn't want to know
anything, because what a man doesn't know he can't be accused of
spilling in case of a leak. Now that we are on our way, though, maybe I
should know enough about things to act intelligently, if something
unforeseen should develop. If you'd rather keep it dark and give me
orders when necessary, that's all right with me, too. It's your party,
you know."

"I brought you along because one man can't stay on duty twenty-four
hours a day, continuously. Since you are in as deep as you can get, and
since this trip is dangerous, you should know everything there is to
know. You are one of the higher-ups now, anyway: and we understand each
other thoroughly, I believe?"

"I believe so."

Back in the bow control-room DuQuesne applied more power, but not enough
to render movement impossible.

"You don't have to drive her as hard all the way, then, as you did last
night?"

"No, I'm out of range of Seaton's instrument now, and we don't have to
kill ourselves. High acceleration is punishment for anyone and we must
keep ourselves fit. To begin with, I suppose that you are curious about
that object-compass?"

"That and other things."

"An object-compass is a needle of specially-treated copper, so activated
that it points always toward one certain object, after being once set
upon it. Seaton undoubtedly has one upon me; but, sensitive as they are,
they can't hold on a mass as small as a man at this distance. That was
why we left at midnight, after he had gone to bed--so that we'd be out
of range before he woke up. I wanted to lose him, as he might interfere
if he knew where I was going. Now I'll go back to the beginning and tell
you the whole story."

* * * * *

Tersely, but vividly, he recounted the tale of the interstellar cruise,
the voyage of the _Skylark of Space_. When he had finished, Loring
smoked for a few minutes in silence.

"There's a lot of stuff there that's hard to understand all at once. Do
you mind if I ask a few foolish questions, to get things straightened
out in my mind?"

"Go ahead--ask as many as you want to. It is hard to understand a lot of
that Osnomian stuff--a man can't get it all at once."

"Osnome is so far away--how are you going to find it?"

"With one of the object-compasses I mentioned.