ned it. His hand gripped the edge of the bar. "Casey, do you
know me?"

He watched Casey study him. The thick reddish eyebrows knit. "It's a
pretty big base, major. Lots of faces. Sometimes, I kind of forget the
names."

Lance's blood pressure gave a spurt. "I'm Major Lance Cooper! Hell,
you've rung up my chits often enough!"

And his mind added: _How could you forget?_

"Major." Casey's eyes narrowed, while the uneasy suspicion in them grew.
"We don't have no chit system at this club."

Lance's head felt like it would explode. He could take no more.

"You're lying!" he shouted. His big hands reached over the mahogany
counter and shook the bartender like a squawk-box that had refused to
function properly. "Tell me you're lying in your teeth. If you don't,
I'll push them down your throat--"

Suddenly, Lance sensed people behind him. A firm hand clamped down
heavily on his shoulder.

The pilot stretched his neck around. What now? His hands did not relax
their murderous grip on his victim.

The arresting party had entered the club quietly. Now, they were ganged
up around him: Colonel Sagen, his two aides, a fourth man Lance
recognized as Major Carmody, the base legal officer--and a fifth man
too, who wore the insignia of the Space Surgeon-General's Department. A
psychiatrist.

"Better come peacefully, major," rasped Colonel Sagen. "You've been
'cleared' for an explanation--and if you're smart, you'll listen to the
spiel and play ball."

The way it was said made Lance feel he could trust the Old Man for that
long. Anyhow, what choice did he have?

"It's about time," Lance sighed. He set Casey down, to the latter's
greatly exhaled relief. "Only how come all the suspense?"

"It was very necessary," broke in Major Carmody.

"Was it? Well, you had me about to crack--if that was your object. Now
then, would any of you mind easing my worries about Carolyn. She's O.K.,
isn't she?"

His glance shifted from one to the other.

"Isn't she?"

Nobody would reply--neither Colonel Sagen, nor any of the officers
bunched-up around him.

Sweat suddenly broke out on Lance's brow. The chilly feeling went
through him that if and when an answer was provided him, he wasn't
particularly going to like it.

Not in the slightest.

* * * * *

Shortly afterwards, Lance was driven across the base by his captors and
escorted into his commanding officer's private office. The two aides
were dismi