two hours, and you could see
it and the stars move against the spire of the ship.

I made it to the air lock in one long jump.

Jack Ravenhurst had gone into the ship through the tube that led to
the passenger lock. She might or might not have her vac suit on; I
knew she had several of them on Ceres. It was probable that she was
wearing it without the fishbowl.

I used the cargo lock.

It took a few minutes for the pumps to cycle, wasting more precious
time. I was fairly certain that she would be in the control cabin,
talking, but I was thankful that the pumps were silent.

Finally, I took off my fishbowl and stepped into the companionway.

And something about the size of Luna came out of nowhere and clobbered
me on the occiput. I had time to yell, "Get away!" Then I was as one
with intergalactic space.

* * * * *

_Please!_ said the voice. _Please! Stop the drive! Go back! McGuire!
I_ demand _that you stop! I_ order _you to stop! Please! PLEASE!_

It went on and on. A voice that shifted around every possible mode of
emotion. Fear. Demand. Pleading. Anger. Cajoling. Hate. Threat.

Around and around and around.

_Can't you speak, McGuire? Say something to me!_ A shrill, soft,
throaty, harsh, murmuring, screaming voice that had one basic
characteristic. It was a female voice.

And then another voice.

_I am sorry, Jack. I can speak with you. I can record your data. But I
cannot accept your orders. I can take orders from only One. And he has
given me his orders._

And the feminine voice again: _Who was it? What orders? You keep
saying that it was the man on the couch. That doesn't make sense!_

I didn't hear the reply, because it suddenly occurred to me that
Daniel Oak was the man on the couch, and that I was Daniel Oak.

My head was throbbing with every beat of my heart, and it felt as if
my blood pressure was varying between zero and fifteen hundred pounds
per square inch in the veins and arteries and capillaries that fed my
brain.

I sat up, and the pain began to lessen. The blood seemed to drain away
from my aching head and go elsewhere.

I soon figured out the reason for that; I could tell by the feel that
the gravity pull was somewhere between one point five and two gees. I
wasn't at all used to it, but my head felt less painful and rather
more hazy. If possible.

I concentrated, and the girl's voice came back again.

"... I knew you when you were McGuire One,