to understand," said Carolyn.

Lance's blunt, serious face peered into hers. "Tell you what I will
promise to do."

Hope cleared away some of the mistiness in Carolyn's eyes. She looked up
at him. "What, Lance?"

"Once I've knocked off my shell-back trip through the hype, we'll stage
the fanciest wedding this old space base ever goggled its eyes over.
I'll even see to it, the chaplain samples the spiked punch. And you
remember what a raconteur the padre proved to be when Light-Colonel
Galache got spliced?"

Carolyn Sagen managed a wan smile.

Lance revved his pep-talk up a few hundred r.p.m. "After all, think of
it this way. Suppose I hadn't beat my brains out to get into
hype-training? I'd never have wound up at this base. You and me would
never have met. I'd never have fallen for you like a ton of
space-ballast."

"Oh, I know you're right," said Carolyn, clinging more tightly than ever
to Lance's solid frame. "You're always right, just like the Space
Service is always right. But I have a woman's intuition. And I ... I
sense--"

Unable to finish, she released her grasp and once more withdrew into
herself.

* * * * *

Lance's big muscular hand reached out, tilted the girl's chin upward.
Her face was tear-stained for sure, now.

"Honey, this won't ever do."

"I can't help it."

"You're torturing yourself with useless premonitions." Lance wiped the
briny shine from the girl's cheeks as he talked, his own voice getting
hoarser. "Carolyn, I love you so much that I ... well, you know I happen
to hunger for you more than I do that Christmas tree on my control deck.
But I just couldn't give up a chance to solo out to the stars. I
couldn't, baby. I'd probably be court-martialed, anyhow," he added.

"No, Lance. They wouldn't do that. Not unless you actually got into
space, then turned back. I asked Major Carmody."

"Carolyn! You didn't?"

The girl nodded, affirming the truth of what she said. "Lance, I had to.
T-there are some things I know about that you don't." A note of sudden
urgency now tinged her voice. "Strange unfathomable things. Many of the
other pilots who've come back have not been right. I think it has
something to do with their having been outside of normal space--"

He stared at her. "I just now realize you're trying to tell me
something."

"Lance, I happened to overhear Dad telling Mother something one night.
Apparently, he'd been rolling and tossing in bed,