e
it any easier. You've got to keep that and pass the examinations too.
You've got two jobs. Now, the guy who stands fourth, say--he has only
one job to do."

Anderson turned a blank face to Paresi, who made a silencing gesture.
Johnny put his head in his hands and said, "When one variable varies
directly as another, two pairs of their corresponding values are in
proportion." He looked up. "That's supposed to be the keystone of all
vector analysis, the man says, and you don't get to be a pilot without
vector analysis. And it makes no sense to me. What am I going to do?"

"Get some shuteye," said Paresi immediately. "You've been studying too
hard. It'll make more sense to you in the morning."

Johnny grinned and yawned at the same time, the worried wrinkles
smoothing out. "Now that was a real educational remark, Martin, old
chap," he said. He lay down and stretched luxuriously. "_That_ I can
understand. You may wear my famous maroon zipsuit." He turned his face
away and was instantly asleep.

"Who the hell is Martin?" Ives demanded. "Martin who?"

"Shh. Probably his roommate in pre-pilot school."

Anderson gaped. "You mean he's back in school?"

"Doesn't it figure?" said Paresi sadly. "I told you that this situation
is intolerable to him. If he can't escape in space, he'll escape in
time. He hasn't the imagination to go forward, so he goes backward."

Something scuttled across the floor. Ives whipped his feet off the floor
and sat like some cartoon of a Buddha, clutching his ankles. "What in
God's name was that?"

"I didn't see anything," said Paresi.

The Captain demanded, "What was it?"

From the shadows, Hoskins said, "A mouse."

"Nonsense."

"I can't stand things that scuttle and slither and crawl," said Ives.
His voice was suddenly womanish. "Don't let anything like that in here!"

From the quarters aft came a faint scratching, a squeak. Ives turned
pale. His wattles quivered.

"Snap out of it, Ives," said Paresi coldly. "There isn't so much as a
microbe on this ship that I haven't inventoried. Don't sit there like
little Miss Muffet."

"I know what I saw," said Ives. He rose suddenly, turned to the black
wall, and bellowed, "Damn you, send something I can fight!"

Two mice emerged from under the couch. One of them ran over Ives' foot.
They disappeared aft, squeaking. Ives leapt straight up and came down
standing on the couch. Anderson stepped back against the inboard
bulkhead and stood rigid