set about the purpose of his
three-week journey in overdrive.
His purpose was a routine checkup on public health on Tallien Three.
Calhoun had lately completed five such planetary visits, with from one
to three weeks of overdrive travel between each pair. When he left
Tallien Three he'd head back to Sector Headquarters for more orders
about the work of the Interstellar Medical Service.
Murgatroyd zestfully licked his empty cup to get the last least drop
of coffee. He said hopefully:
"_Chee?_" He wanted more.
"I'm afraid," said Calhoun, "that you're a sybarite, Murgatroyd. This
impassioned desire of yours for coffee disturbs me."
"_Chee!_" said Murgatroyd, with decision.
"It's become a habit," Calhoun told him severely. "You should taper
off. Remember, when anything in your environment becomes a normal part
of your environment, it becomes a necessity. Coffee should be a
luxury, to be savored as such, instead of something you expect and
resent being deprived of."
Murgatroyd said impatiently:
"_Chee-chee!_"
"All right, then," said Calhoun, "if you're going to be emotional
about it! Pass your cup."
He reached out and Murgatroyd put the tiny object in his hand. He
refilled it and passed it back.
"But watch yourself," he advised. "We're landing on Tallien Three.
It's just been transferred to us from another sector. It's been
neglected. There's been no Med Service inspection for years. There
could be misunderstandings."
Murgatroyd said, "_Chee!_" and squatted down to drink.
Calhoun looked at a clock and opened his mouth to speak again, when a
taped voice said abruptly:
"_When the gong sounds, breakout will be five seconds off._"
There was a steady, monotonous _tick, tock, tick, tock,_ like a
metronome. Calhoun got up and made a casual examination of the ship's
instruments. He turned on the vision screens. They were useless in
overdrive, of course, Now they were ready to inform him about the
normal cosmos as soon as the ship returned to it. He put away the
coffee things. Murgatroyd was reluctant to give up his mug until the
last possible lick. Then he sat back and elaborately cleaned his
whiskers.
Calhoun sat down in the control chair and waited.
* * * * *
"_Bong!_" said the loud-speaker, and Murgatroyd scuttled under a chair. He
held on with all four paws and his furry tail. The speaker said,
"_Breakout in five seconds ... four ... three ... two ... one
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