had to be performed with
the stealth of sneak-thieves.

* * * * *

What seemed a long time passed. Then one ship turned slowly upon some
unseen axis. It wavered back and forth, seeking a point of aim. A second
twisted in its place. A third put on the barest trace of solar-system
drive to get clear of the rest. The fourth ...

One ship vanished. It had gone into overdrive, heading for Dara at many
times the speed of light. Another. Two more.

That was all. The remainder of the fleet hung clumsily in emptiness. And
Calhoun worriedly went over in his mind the lessons he'd given in such a
pathetically small number of days. If the four ships reached Dara, their
pilots would be heroes. Calhoun had presented them with that estate over
their bitter objection. But they would glory in it, if they reached
Dara.

Maril looked at him with very strange eyes.

"Now what?" she asked.

"We hang around," said Calhoun, "to see if anybody comes up from Weald
to find out what's happened. It's always possible to pick up a sort of
signal when a ship goes into overdrive. Usually it doesn't mean a thing.
Nobody pays any attention. But if somebody comes out here--"

"What?"

"It'll be regrettable," said Calhoun. He was suddenly very tired. "It'll
spoil any chance of our coming back and stealing some more food--like
interstellar mice. If they find out what we've done they'll expect us to
try it again. They might get set to fight. Or they might simply land the
rest of these ships."

"If I'd realized what you were about," said Maril, "I'd have joined in
the lessons. I could have piloted a ship."

"You wouldn't have wanted to," said Calhoun. He yawned. "You wouldn't
want to be a heroine."

"Why?"

"Korvan," said Calhoun. He yawned again. "I've asked about him. He's
been trying very desperately to deserve well of his fellow blueskins.
All he's accomplished is develop a way to starve painlessly. He wouldn't
feel comfortable with a girl who'd helped make starving unnecessary.
He'd admire you politely, but he'd never marry you. And you know it."

She shook her head, but it was not easy to tell whether she denied the
reaction of Korvan--whom Calhoun had never met--or denied that he was
more important to her than anything else. The last was what Calhoun
plainly implied.

"You don't seem to be trying to be a hero!" she protested.

"I'd enjoy it," admitted Calhoun, "but I have a job to do. It's got to
be