him, "and that was
enough. Maybe to Harkaway it's eschatology, but to me it's just plain
scatology!"

"But--"

"Why in Zubeneschamali," Iversen said patiently, "should I waste my time
reading a book devoted to a theory which has already been proved
erroneous? Answer me that!"

"I think you should have a look at the whole thing," the first officer
persisted.

"Baham!" Iversen replied, but amiably enough, for he was in rare good
humor these days. And he needed good humor to tolerate the way his
officers and men were behaving. All right, they had made idiots of
themselves; that was understandable, expected, familiar. But it wasn't
the chu-wugg's fault. Iversen had never seen such a bunch of soreheads.
Why did they have to take their embarrassment and humiliation out on an
innocent little animal?

For, although no one actually mistreated the chu-wugg, the men avoided
him as much as possible. Often Iversen would come upon the little fellow
weeping from loneliness in a corner with no one to play with and, giving
in to his own human weakness, the captain would dry the creature's
tears and comfort him. In return, the chu-wugg would laugh at all his
jokes, for he seemed to have acquired an elementary knowledge of Terran.

* * * * *

"By Vindemiatrix, Lieutenant," the captain roared as Harkaway, foiled in
his attempt to scurry off unobserved, stood quivering before him, "why
have you been avoiding me like this?"

"I didn't think I was avoiding you any particular way, sir," Harkaway
said. "I mean does it appear like that, sir? It's only that I've been
busy with my duties, sir."

"I don't know what's the matter with you! I told you I handsomely
forgave you for your mistake."

"But I can never forgive myself, sir--"

"Are you trying to go over my head?" Iversen thundered.

"No, sir. I--"

"If I am willing to forgive you, you will forgive yourself. That's an
order!"

"Yes, sir," the young man said feebly.

Harkaway had changed back to his uniform, Iversen noted, but he looked
unkempt, ill, harrowed. The boy had really been suffering for his
precipitance. Perhaps the captain himself had been a little hard on him.

Iversen modulated his tone to active friendliness. "Thought you might
like to know the chu-wugg turned into a hoop-snake this morning!"

But Harkaway did not seem cheered by this social note. "So soon!"

"You knew there would be a fourth metamorphosis!" Iversen was
disa