ro or not, he was taking risks.

Recruiting line-ups were not for such as he. Not for many a year, many a
fracas. He strode rapidly along this one, heading for the offices ahead,
noting only in passing the quality of the men who were taking service
with Vacuum Tube Transport. These were the soldiers he'd be commanding
in the immediate future and the prospects looked grim. There were few
veterans among them. Their stance, their demeanor, their ... well, you
could tell a veteran even though he be Rank Private. You could tell a
veteran of even one fracas. It showed.

He knew the situation. The word had gone out. Baron Malcolm Haer was due
for a defeat. You weren't going to pick up any lush bonuses signing up
with him, and you definitely weren't going to jump a caste. In short, no
matter what Haer's past record, choose what was going to be the winning
side--Continental Hovercraft. Continental Hovercraft and old Stonewall
Cogswell who had lost so few fracases that many a Telly buff couldn't
remember a single one.

Individuals among these men showed promise, Joe Mauser estimated even as
he walked, but promise means little if you don't live long enough to
cash in on it.

Take that small man up ahead. He'd obviously got himself into a hassle
maintaining his place in line against two or three heftier would-be
soldiers. The little fellow wasn't backing down a step in spite of the
attempts of the other Lowers to usurp his place. Joe Mauser liked to see
such spirit. You could use it when you were in the dill.

As he drew abreast of the altercation, he snapped from the side of his
mouth, "Easy, lads. You'll get all the scrapping you want with
Hovercraft. Wait until then."

He'd expected his tone of authority to be enough, even though he was in
mufti. He wasn't particularly interested in the situation, beyond giving
the little man a hand. A veteran would have recognized him as an
old-timer and probable officer, and heeded, automatically.

These evidently weren't veterans.

"Says who?" one of the Lowers growled back at him. "You one of Baron
Haer's kids, or something?"

Joe Mauser came to a halt and faced the other. He was irritated, largely
with himself. He didn't want to be bothered. Nevertheless, there was no
alternative now.

The line of men, all Lowers so far as Joe could see, had fallen silent
in an expectant hush. They were bored with their long wait. Now
something would break the monotony.

By tomorrow, Joe Mause