by the colors, until you see some guy go past
with the braid all faded and frazzled at the edges, and then you realize
that you're just the latest greenhorn in a squad of two hundred thousand
men."

"It's still good to be wearing it," Dal said. "I couldn't really believe
it until Black Doctor Arnquist turned the collar and cuff over to me."
He looked suspiciously at Tiger. "You must have known a lot more about
that interview than you let on. Or, was it just coincidence that we were
assigned together?"

"Not coincidence, exactly." Tiger grinned. "I didn't know what was going
to happen. I'd requested assignment with you on my application, and then
when yours was held up, Doctor Arnquist asked me if I'd be willing to
wait for assignment until the interview was over. So I said okay. He
seemed to think you had a pretty good chance."

"I'd never have made it without his backing," Dal said.

"Well, anyway, he figured that if you _were_ assigned, it would be a
good idea to have a friend on the patrol ship team."

"I won't argue about _that_," Dal said. "But who is the Blue Service
man?"

Tiger's face darkened. "I don't know much about him," he said. "He
trained in California, and I met him just once, at a diagnosis and
therapy conference. He's supposed to be plenty smart, according to the
grapevine. I guess he'd have to be, to pass Diagnostic Service finals."
Tiger chuckled. "Any dope can make it in the Medical or Surgical
Services, but diagnosis is something else again."

"Will he be in command?"

"On the _Lancet_? Why should he? We'll share command, just like any
patrol ship crew. If we run into problems we can't agree on, we holler
for help. But if he acts like most of the Blue Doctors I know, he'll
_think_ he's in command."

A jitney stopped for them, and then zoomed out across the field toward
the ship. The gantry platform was just clanging to the ground, unloading
three technicians and a Four-bar Electronics Engineer. Tiger and Dal
rode the platform up again and moments later stepped through the
entrance lock of the ship that would be their home base for months and
perhaps years.

They found the bunk room to the rear of the control and lab sections. A
duffel bag was already lodged on one of the bunks; one of the foot
lockers was already occupied, and a small but expensive camera and a
huge pair of field glasses were hanging from one of the wall brackets.

"Looks like our man has already arrived," Tiger said