ghts from the panel, the room
was dark. Cooper was lying far back in the pilot's seat, his feet
propped up on the panel. One shoe was off, and he was carefully
pressing buttons with his huge bare toes. The first thing Wyatt saw
when he entered was the foot glowing luridly in the green light of the
panel. Deep within the ship he could hear the hum of the dynamos
starting and stopping.

Wyatt grinned. From the play of Coop's toes, and the attitude, and the
limp, forgotten pole of an arm which hung down loosely from the chair,
it was obvious that Coop was drunk. In port, he was usually drunk. He
was a lean, likable man with very few cares and no manners at all,
which was typical of men in that Command.

"What say, Billy?" Coop mumbled from deep in the seat.

Wyatt sat down. "Where you been?"

"In the port. Been drinkin' in the goddam port. Hot!"

"Bring back any?"

Coop waved an arm floppily in no particular direction. "Look around."

The flasks lay in a heap by the door. Wyatt took one and sat down
again. The room was warm and green and silent. The two men had been
together long enough to be able to sit without speaking, and in the
green glow they waited, thinking. The first pull Wyatt took was long
and numbing; he closed his eyes.

Coop did not move at all. Not even his toes. When Wyatt had begun to
think he was asleep, he said suddenly:

"Heard about the replacement."

Wyatt looked at him.

"Found out this afternoon," Coop said, "from the goddam Commandant."

Wyatt closed his eyes again.

"Where you goin'?" Coop asked.

Wyatt shrugged. "Plush job."

"You got any plans?"

Wyatt shook his head.

Coop swore moodily. "Never let you alone," he muttered. "Miserable
bastards." He rose up suddenly in the chair, pointing a long
matchstick finger into Wyatt's face. "Listen, Billy," he said with
determination, "you was a good man, you know that? You was one hell of
a good goddam man."

Wyatt took another long pull and nodded, smiling.

"You said it," he said.

"I sailed with some good men, some _good_ men," Coop insisted,
stabbing shakily but emphatically with his finger, "but you don't take
nothin' from nobody."

[Illustration]

"Here's to me, I'm true blue," Wyatt grinned.

* * * * *

Coop sank back in the chair, satisfied. "I just wanted you should
know. You been a good man."

"Betcher sweet life," Wyatt said.

"So they throw you out. _Me_ they keep. _You_ they