ffice band. "Mike?" said Avis Page's
voice, "You're wanted up front."

"Now?" he objected. "Whatever for?"

"Courtesy visit from the NASS _Altair_. You've lost track of time, my
boy."

"What the ... the jumping blue blazes are you talking about? We've had
our courtesy visit. Jimmy and I both went over to pay our respects,
and we had Rear Admiral Hulse here to dinner. What more do they
expect, for Harry's sake?"

"Don't you remember? Since there wasn't room to entertain his
officers, you promised to take them on a personal guided tour later. I
made the appointment the very next watch. Now's the hour."

"Oh, yes, it comes back to me. Yeah. Hulse brought a magnum of
champagne with him, and after so long a time drinking recycled water,
my capacity was shot to pieces. I got a warm glow of good fellowship
on, and offered--Let Jimmy handle it, I'm busy."

"The party's too large, he says. You'll have to take half of them.
Their gig will dock in thirty minutes."

"Well, depute somebody else."

"That'd be rude, Mike. Have you forgotten how sensitive they are about
rank at home?" Avis hesitated. "If what I believe about the mood back
there is true, we can use the good will of high-level Navy personnel.
And any other influential people in sight."

Blades drew a deep breath. "You're too blinking sensible. Remind me to
fire you after I've made my first ten million bucks."

"What'll you do for your next ten million, then?" snipped his
secretary-file clerk-confidante-adviser-et cetera.

"Nothing. I'll just squander the first."

"Goody! Can I help?"

"Uh ... I'll be right along." Blades switched off. His ears felt hot,
as often of late when he tangled with Avis, and he unlimbered only a
few choice oaths.

"Troubles?" asked Carlos Odonaju.

Blades stood a moment, looking around, before he answered. He was on
the wide end of the Sword, which was shaped roughly like a truncated
pyramid. Beyond him and his half dozen men stretched a vista of pitted
rock, jutting crags, gulf-black shadows, under the glare of
floodlamps. A few kilometers away, the farthest horizon ended, chopped
off like a cliff. Beyond lay the stars, crowding that night which
never ends. It grew very still while the gang waited for his word. He
could listen to his own lungs and pulse, loud in the spacesuit; he
could even notice its interior smell, blend of plastic and oxygen
cycle chemicals, flesh and sweat. He was used to the sensation of
hanging upside