us our name for whisky. Comes from _uisge-beatha_, and by
some bloody peculiar coincidence, that also means 'water of life.' So
you just set yourself right down here and get some life into you."

Mike sat down at the computer table, and Jeffers sat down across from
him. "Now you just drink on up, buddy-buddy and then tell your ol' Uncle
Pete what the bloody hell the trouble is."

Mike looked at the brandy for a full half minute. Then, with one quick
flip of his wrist and a sudden spasmodic movement of his gullet, he
downed it.

Then he took a deep breath and said: "Do I look as bad as all that?"

"Worse," said Jeffers complacently, meanwhile refilling Mike's glass.
"While we were on active service together, I've seen you go through all
kinds of things and never look like this. What is it? Reaction from
this afternoon's--or, pardon me--_yesterday_ afternoon's emergency?"

Mike glanced up at the chronometer. It was two-thirty in the morning,
Greenwich time. Jeffers held the bridge from midnight till noon, while
Black Bart had the noon to midnight shift.

Still, Mike hadn't realized that it was as late as all that.

He looked at Jeffers' lean, bony face. "Reaction? No, it's not that.
Look, Pete, you know me. Would you say I was a pretty levelheaded guy?"

"Sure."

"My old man always said, 'Never make an enemy accidentally,' and I think
he was right. So I usually think over what I say before I open my big
mouth, don't I?"

Again Jeffers said, "Sure."

"I wouldn't call myself over-cautious," Mike persisted, "but I usually
think a thing through pretty carefully before I act--that is, if I have
time. Right?"

"I'd say so," Jeffers admitted. "I'd say you were about the only guy I
know who does the right thing more than 90 per cent of the time. And
says the right thing more than 99 per cent of the time. So what do you
want? Back-patting, or just hero worship?"

Mike took a small taste of the brandy. "Neither, you jerk. But about
eight hours ago I said something that I hadn't planned to say. I
practically proposed to Leda Crannon without knowing I was going to."

Peter Jeffers didn't laugh. He simply said, "How'd it happen?"

Mike told him.

When Mike had finished, one drink later, Peter Jeffers filled the
glasses for the third time and leaned back in his chair. "Tell me one
thing, ol' buddy, and think about it before you answer. If you had a
chance to get out of it gracefully, would you take back what you sai