thing is developing into a duel
between you and those ... those colleagues of yours out there. I guess
the least we ... I ... can do is not to fight you while you're fighting
them."

Paresi said, "You're choosing up sides the wrong way. They're fighting
us, all right. We're only fighting ourselves. I don't mean each other; I
mean each of us is fighting himself. We've got to stop doing that,
skipper."

The Captain gave him a wan smile. "Who has, at the best of times?"

Paresi returned the smile. "Drug addicts ... Catatonics ...
illusionaries ... and saints. I guess it's up to us to add to the
category."

"How about dead people?"

"Ives! How long have you been awake?"

The big man shoved himself up and leaned on one arm. He shook his head
and grunted as if he had been punched in the solar plexus. "Who hit me
with what?" he said painfully, from between clenched teeth.

"You apparently decided the bulkhead was a paper hoop and tried to dive
through it," said Paresi. He spoke lightly but his face was watchful.

"Oooh...." Ives held his head for a moment and then peered between his
fingers at the darkness. "I remember," he said in a strained whisper. He
looked around him, saw the engineer huddled against his chessboard.
"What's he doing?"

They all looked at the engineer as he moved a piece and then sat
quietly.

"Hey, Hoskins!"

Hoskins ignored Ives' bull voice. Paresi said, "He's not talking just
now. He's ... all right, Ives. Leave him alone. At the moment, I'm more
interested in you. How do you feel?"

"Me, I feel great. Hungry, though. What's for chow?"

Anderson said quickly, "Nick doesn't want us to eat just now."

"Thanks," muttered Paresi in vicious irony.

"He's the doctor," said Ives good-naturedly. "But don't put it off too
long, huh? This furnace needs stoking." He fisted his huge chest.

"Well, this is encouraging," said Paresi.

"It certainly is," said the Captain. "Maybe the breaking point is just
the point of impact. After that the rebound, hm?"

Paresi shook his head. "Breaking means breaking. Sometimes things just
don't break."

"Got to pass," said a voice. Johnny, the pilot, was stirring.

"Ha!" Anderson's voice was exultant. "Here comes another one!"

"How sure are you of that?" asked the doctor. To Johnny, he called,
"Hiya, John?"

"I got to pass," said Johnny worriedly. He swung his feet to the deck.
"You see," he said earnestly, "being the head of your class doesn't mak