anner, blowing smoke at the ceiling ventilator.
"Patrol Command came up with the Bean Brain idea about six months ago.
Patrol Command, in its infinite wisdom, has never seen fit to explain
_why_ Bean Brains are sometimes assigned, evidently at random, to
small patrol vessels such as this. The orders always state that the
'passenger' will accompany pilot and co-pilot throughout the entire
trip, will obey orders, yet is equal in rank to the ship's commanding
officer. The Bean Brain has no duties aboard. This seems to make sense,
at least, since Bean Brains aren't trained for anything and can't do
anything."

"Item two," said Banner, taking his eyes off the ceiling and pointing a
finger at Arnold. "I have, or had, two good friends--both patrol
captains--who had the honor of taxiing Bean Brains around the universe.
One never came back. The other, Captain Slatkin, came back and got a
big medal for reasons he'll never talk about."

"And Slatkin liked to brag," said Warcraft, knowingly.

Arnold stood up slowly. He was a small man, but as he looked up at the
ship's pilot and co-pilot, he gave both the impression of height and
strength. "I'll tell you something, too," he said, speaking slowly as
if in pain. "I don't know why Bean Brains are assigned to ships like
this either. I've never been told. I took the job because I didn't like
what I was doing before. I've never had any real training, and this
seemed like a chance to do something that sounded like fun.

"Like I said, I've never been told anything. They tested me for a lot
of things, then gave me my orders and told me to come along. And if
you're wondering, I flunked the ESP tests, so there's nothing there.
You want to consider me dead weight? O.K., your privilege. Leave me
alone if you want to, I'll do the same. Be friendly, I'll be friendly.
Ask me to help. I'll do my best."

Then he got up and went back to his bunk.

* * * * *

During the next six weeks, Arnold spent most of the time in his bunk,
scanning tapes from the ship's micro-library on an overhead viewer. At
meal times he was polite, offering no further information about
himself, yet entering into any conversation that centered around such
trivia as terrestrial sports, taxes, money, liquor, food, government
agencies. By mutual, if silent, agreement, neither women nor work were
discussed.

Working in the ship's control room, sometimes together, sometimes
spelling