e, I'm gonna sweep floors or something, but
I'm sure gonna stick around and watch the take-off!"

Joe said nothing. He looked at Sally. She became very busy, making
certain the others did not want more to eat. After a long time Joe said,
with very careful casualness, "Come to think of it, I was getting loaded
up with astrogation theory when I had to stop and pitch in on the gyros.
How's that sick crew member, Sally?"

"I--wouldn't know," answered Sally unconvincingly. "Have some more
coffee?"

Joe made his face go completely expressionless. There was nothing else
to do. Sally hadn't said that his chances looked bad for making the crew
of the Platform when it went out to space. But Sally had ways of knowing
things. She would be sure to keep informed on a matter like that,
because she was wearing Joe's ring and it would have taken a great deal
of discouragement to keep her from finding out good news to tell him.
She didn't have any good news. So it must be bad.

Joe drank his coffee, trying to make himself believe that he'd known all
along he wasn't going to make the crew. He'd started late to learn the
things a crew member ought to know. He'd stopped at the most crucial
part of his training to work on the gyros, which were more crucial
still. He'd slept a day and a half. The platform would take off in
forty-eight hours. He tried to reason carefully that it was common sense
to use a man who was fully trained from the beginning for a place in the
crew, rather than a latecomer like himself. But it wasn't easy to take.

Mike the midget said suddenly: "I got a hunch."

"Shoot it," said the Chief, amiably.

"I got a hunch I know what kind of sabotage will be tried next--and
when," said Mike.

The others looked at him--all but Joe, who stared at the wall.

"There hasn't been one set of guys trying to smash the Platform," said
Mike excitedly. "There's been four or five. Joe found a gang sabotaging
the pushpots that didn't think like the gang that blackmailed Braun. And
the gang that tried to kill us up at Red Canyon may be another. There
could be others: fascists and commies and nationalists and crackpots of
all kinds. And they all know they've got to work fast, even if they have
to help each other. Get it?"

Haney growled.

"I'll buy what you've said so far," said the Chief. "Sure! Those
so-and-sos will all pile in everything they got at the last minute.
They'll even pull together to smash the Platform--and then do