"Flag Chief of Staff reports to the Commodore as ordered."

"How do you feel, Zebbie?"

"I feel fine, Ma'am. Is there any reason why I shouldn't?"

"I suppose not; you've had a nap."

"I did drop off. Dreamt I was in the Tasmanian Sea in a small vessel. Very

uneasy body of water." I added, "Aside from that nightmare, now gone, I'm in top shape. Orders, Ma'am?"

We gave everybody the two-dollar tour, including the bathrooms in the Land of Oz. Libby, Deety, and Jake waited outside, the place being crowded. Sharpie ruled that Laz could relieve Lor to allow Lor to look first, then Lor took back the captaincy so that her sister could see. The fairyland bathrooms made the biggest hit. I concede that the time-space twister is not impressive. Then the twins thanked Hilda and left.

"Attention, please," said Hilda. "If you wish, we will show how we operate. Lazarus may use the astrogator's seat while Deety makes responses from the cargo space. Elizabeth will go back there, too, as she has ridden in Gay Deceiver. Deety, before you move aft, show Maureen and Lazarus how we squeeze a passenger into the rear seats; I'll scootch over.

"This car operates in several modes. As a roadable it is fast, comfortable, easy to handle, rather hard to park, and is usually parked with wings raked back as they are now, the hypersonic configuration. If we intended to drive it in the air, the wings would usually be extended for maximum lift. When operated by the Burroughs Continua Device, wing rake does not matter, but the chief pilot may choose to anticipate where he will arrive and rake accordingly.

"Since it has a computerized autopilot-Hello, Gay!"

"Hello, Hilda, mind if I listen?"

"Not at all, dear. Have you met everyone?"

"Yes, Hilda, and, since I've seen them through Dora's eyes, I place all of them by their voices." Gay added, "Dora is listening through me; she's going to record your demonstration. Is that all right?"

"Certainly. Dora, since you are recording, I'll make it as realistic as possible. Gay Deceiver. Close doors. Execute." I was at chief pilot, Jake at copilot; his door closed, I started checking the seal on mine.

"All hands, prepare for space. Copilot."

"Verniers zero, starboard door seal checked, seat belt fastened."

"Report incomplete. Is your belt fastened tightly? Maximum accelerations? Friends, this car is powered to engage as a fighter; the driver may find himself upside down. Full demonstration, please, Jacob. Cinch it in."

"Copilot reports seat belt tight for maneuvers."

"Thank you, Jacob. Chief Pilot."

I answered in my best cadet-boning-smart voice: "Portside door seal checked. Power pack on line point-eight-nine, two packs reserve at one-point-oh, juice at capacity, all systems go, seat belt cinched tight for max gee maneuvers."

"Astrogator."

"I'm not in my proper seat. Lib and I are fastened down like Siamese twins, tight. No loose gear. Annex checked and secure; all doors locked 'cept bulkhead door is dogged open, contrary to routine. Captain, you could dog us in; we don't mind."

"Not like somebody I won't mention who loses his temper over being locked in for five minutes-"

"Hilda, that was a low blow!"

"Passenger, pipe down. If you had done as you promised, you would not have known that the door was locked. I didn't trust you-and I was right. I am not sure that I want to be your junior or second junior or whatever wife; you don't keep your promises. I'm sorry, Mama Maureen, but Woodie is sometimes a very naughty boy."

"I'm aware of it, Hilda. Captain. Please slap him down as necessary. I was always too fond of him and spoiled him."

"We won't speak of it now. All four of us are qualified in all four positions; we sometimes rotate to maintain our skills. Normal T.O. is myself commanding, Zebbie as second-in-command and astrogator, Jacob as chief pilot, Deety as copilot. But for this exhibition I have placed the finest manual pilot at the overrides, the inventor himself at the continua device, and a lightning calculator equal to Slipstick Libby-"

"Better!"

"Pipe down, Elizabeth. -as my astrogator. With such a crew, command cannot worry me. Chief Pilot, please unbelt and check that Mama Maureen and Lazarus are safely belted. Assume violent evasive maneuvers-and believe me, friends, we use them and are alive today because we were properly belted and because Zebbie is a lightning aerospace fighter pilot-and our Gay is a Smart Girl."

I unbelted, made sure that Lazarus was belted tightly, made certain that Maureen was safe with those improvised belts, then suggested that she put her right arm around Hilda, her left around Lazarus, and hold tight. "All the others have double belts, lap and chest. You have just a lap belt; if I turned the car upside down, holding onto Hilda and Lazarus would keep you safe. Right, Lazarus?"

"Right, Zeb. Mama Maureen, a drill should be as near as possible to the real thing or it won't save your life in combat."

"Theodore, I don't ever expect to be in combat. But I will do the drill properly."

"Mama, I hate the idea of women in combat. But all through the centuries I have seen women in combat again and again, all too often as regular troops. I don't like it. But there it is."

My wife put in a plug for Lazarus. "Mama Maureen, my Pop has required me to learn every weapon I can lift and he had me trained in every type of dirty fighting imaginable. Several times it has saved me from a mugging. Once I almost killed a man twice my size-with my bare hands."

"Jacob, will you teach me as much of what Deety knows as I am capable of learning?"

"Maureen, I'll teach you what I can. While we're here."

From the back I heard Libby's voice: "Now, Maureen?"

"Yes. If you think it wise in view of Hilda's black ball."

"I'm going to chance it. Friends, I was not sent to get myself pregnant by a great mathematician. That was my reason. By now Tamara has reports from me and from Laz and from Lor on each of you. Twelve 'Yes' votes, zero 'No'

votes. I am directed by Tamara to offer you four fullest hospitality-such as you gave us in your home. If you decide to accept the name Long, tell Tamara. We won't crowd you, either way."

Hilda immediately answered, "Because of delays, a short roll call for space. Copilot."

"Copilot ready."

"Chief Pilot ready," I echoed.

"Astrogator ready."

"Passengers? By seniority."

Lazarus started to reply; Hilda interrupted him. " By seniority!"

"If you mean me, Captain, I'm ready."

"You are, I believe, thirty years older than your son. In any case you are senior to him. Junior passenger?"

"That's me," answered Elizabeth. "Ready."

"Forgot you, dear-apologies. Woodie!"

"Ready for space, Captain, you feisty, narrow little broad. And you're damn well going to marry us!"

"Astrogator, log that. Insolence. Gay Deceiver."

"Ready, Captain honey."

"TertiusOrbitExecute!"

Maureen gasped. Lazarus snorted. "Farced us!"

"In what way? You reported, 'Ready for space."

"And you called it a 'drill."

"Woodie, I will bet anything you care to name that I did not call it a 'drill'- you did. Both Gay and Dora recorded. Put up or shut up. In the meantime, on the back of the seat ahead of you is a small medical kit. Find a pill bottle marked 'Bonine.' Small ~ink pills. Give one to your mother. Maureen, chew it, swallow it. Tastes like raspberry candy."

"Hilda, what are you feeding-"

"Pipe down! Or do you prefer to be locked in the bathroom again? Passenger, I do not tolerate insubordination. Haven't you learned that by now?"

Lazarus got out the pill, gave it to his mother. She accepted it and ate it without comment.

"Lazarus, I can offer you a front-seat view if you will swear by whatever it is that you hold holy that you will not touch one control of any sort even to avoid a crash. You don't understand this craft and would cause a crash if you tried to avoid one. If you can't convince' me, I'll give Maureen the front seat. But I don't think Maureen is interested in learning to drive this car and I think you are."