nodded and there was a flashing interchange of thought among
the four. Temple licked her lips and nodded, and Kincaid spoke.

"Yes, I'm afraid it's our baby. By leaning very heavily on Temple, we
can do it. Remember, Jarve, what you said about the irresistible force?
We'll need it."

"As I said once before, Mrs. Hilton, I'm very glad you're along,"
Hilton said. "But just how sure are you that even you can stand up under
the load?"

"Alone, I couldn't. But don't underestimate Mrs. Carroll and the Messrs.
Together, and with such a goal, I'm sure we can."

* * * * *

Thus, after four-fifths of his own group and forty-one Navy men had been
converted, Hilton called an evening meeting of all the converts. Larry,
Tuly and Javvy were the only Omans present.

"You all knew, of course, that we were going to move to Fuel Bin
sometime," Hilton began. "I can tell you now that we who are here are
all there are going to be of us. We are all leaving for Fuel Bin
immediately after this meeting. Everything of any importance, including
all of your personal effects, has already been moved. All Omans except
these three, and all Oman ships except the _Orion_, have already gone."

He paused to let the news sink in.

Thoughts flew everywhere. The irrepressible Stella Wing--_now_ Mrs.
Osbert F. Harkins--was the first to give tongue. "What a _wonderful_
job! Why, everybody's here that I really like at all!"

That sentiment was, of course, unanimous. It could not have been
otherwise. Betty, the ex-Ames, called out:

"How did you get their female Omans away from Cecil Calthorpe and the
rest of that chasing, booze-fighting bunch without them blowing the
whole show?"

"Some suasion was necessary," Hilton admitted, with a grin. "Everyone
who isn't here is time-locked into the _Perseus_. Release time eight
hours tomorrow."

"And they'll wake up tomorrow morning with no Omans?" Bernadine tossed
back her silvery mane and laughed. "Nor anything else except the
_Perseus_? In a way, I'm sorry, but ... maybe I've got too much stinker
blood in me, but I'm very glad none of them are here. But I'd like to
ask, Jarvis--or rather, I suppose you have already set up a new Advisory
Board?"

"We have, yes." Hilton read off twelve names.

"Oh, nice. I don't know of any people I'd rather have on it. But what I
want to gripe about is calling our new home world such a horrible name
as 'Fuel Bin,' as though it were a wood-