could forget.

* * * * *

There had been some trouble, Mason recalled, in clearing Holloway's
first cruise. A party of five. Not to any established hunting ground
but a D. U. thing. _Destination Unknown_, and they were always
trouble. Clearance had been made, though, and now--here was Holloway
back again--dramatically of course--with one of his party dead and the
other four in trance-like stupors. Strange.

And stranger still, Holloway's reason for wanting to talk immediately;
with no rest--no medical attention:

"It will help keep me awake. I mustn't go to sleep. Can't I make you
understand? _I've got to stay awake._"

Mason pitied the man. He turned to Kennedy. "I have the log here, sir.
Perhaps you could go over it now--"

Holloway leaned forward. "I'll tell you what's in the log. Every word
of it. If I just sit here waiting--"

Mason laid a hand on his knee. "It's all right, old chap. I won't let
you go to sleep. You and I will talk while Mr. Kennedy goes through
the log. It won't take long."

Mason handed the book to Kennedy. He was almost apologetic. "It's a
strange log, sir, It--"

"Strange?" Kennedy frowned. Logs had no right to be strange. There
were regulations--rules stating exactly how a log should be kept.

"Well sir, the lad is young. His first trip. I just meant there's
perhaps a little more in the log than should appear there."

"We'll see," Kennedy said. There was a slight frost on his words. If
disciplinary measures were in the offing it would pay not to get too
cozy with Holloway and the Resident.

Kennedy opened the log. The first entry was dated June 3rd, 4:10 p. m.
Earth time. Kennedy frowned. Permissible of course, but sloppy, very
sloppy. The better skippers computed from Orion immediately after
blast-off. Kennedy set back and began to read:

_June 3rd, 4:10 p. m._

We blasted at 2:18 p. m. A good getaway. Course 58.329 by the polar
angle. No blast sickness among the passengers. They are old hands. I
put the automatic board into control at 3:50 p. m. I checked the
tubes. Pressures balanced and equal.

I don't like this cruise. I don't like Murdo. He's a domineering slob.
The other four, well--Keebler is an alcoholic, Kelvey an empty-headed
opportunist. I don't particularly dislike them. They're just a
worthless pair who would rather fawn on Murdo and take his insults
than work for a living. The two wives are both young. Martha Keebler
has a ch