at if there were no war
and no Government Research Projects? What would you do, then?"

"I don't know. But how can I imagine a hypothetical situation like
that? There's been war as long as I can remember. We're geared for
war. I don't know what I'd do. I suppose I'd adjust, get used to it."

The Professor had stared at him. "Oh, you do think you'd get
accustomed to it, eh? Well, I'm glad of that. And you think you could
find something to do?"

Gross listened intently. "What do you infer from this, Kramer?"

"Not much. Except that he was against war."

"We're all against war," Gross pointed out.

"True. But he was withdrawn, set apart. He lived very simply, cooking
his own meals. His wife died many years ago. He was born in Europe, in
Italy. He changed his name when he came to the United States. He used
to read Dante and Milton. He even had a Bible."

"Very anachronistic, don't you think?"

"Yes, he lived quite a lot in the past. He found an old phonograph and
records, and he listened to the old music. You saw his house, how
old-fashioned it was."

"Did he have a file?" Winter asked Gross.

"With Security? No, none at all. As far as we could tell he never
engaged in political work, never joined anything or even seemed to
have strong political convictions."

"No," Kramer, agreed. "About all he ever did was walk through the
hills. He liked nature."

"Nature can be of great use to a scientist," Gross said. "There
wouldn't be any science without it."

"Kramer, what do you think his plan is, taking control of the ship and
disappearing?" Winter said.

"Maybe the transfer made him insane," the Pilot said. "Maybe there's
no plan, nothing rational at all."

"But he had the ship rewired, and he had made sure that he would
retain consciousness and memory before he even agreed to the
operation. He must have had something planned from the start. But
what?"

"Perhaps he just wanted to stay alive longer," Kramer said. "He was
old and about to die. Or--"

"Or what?"

"Nothing." Kramer stood up. "I think as soon as we get to the moon
base I'll make a vidcall to earth. I want to talk to somebody about
this."

"Who's that?" Gross asked.

"Dolores. Maybe she remembers something."

"That's a good idea," Gross said.

* * * * *

"Where are you calling from?" Dolores asked, when he succeeded in
reaching her.

"From the moon base."

"All kinds of rumors are running around. Why di