At last Gay stopped, continued to display, and announced, "One hour of 'A Tramp Abroad' completed. Instructions, please."

"Gay, Bounce," said Zebadiah. "Deety, I don't think we've nailed down the piece The Sun Never Sets On. But this dense cluster here to the right- Too close to the Little Father's little children. Eh?"

"Yes. Zebadiah, I should tell Gay to trim the locus on the east to eliminate the clustered lights, and now we can add almost nine hundred kilometers on the west, to the present sunrise line. Gay can rotate the display to show the added area. I suspect that one more hour will fill in the picture sufficiently."

"Maybe even less. You were right; three seconds is not only a long time; it is excessively long. Isn't two seconds enough? Can you change that without starting from scratch?"

"Yes to both, Captain."

"Good. You can add thirty degrees on the west instead of fifteen. Because we are going to kill an hour-stretch our legs, eat a snack... and I for one want to find a bush. How do I tell Gay to return to a particular Bingo? Or will that mess up your program?"

"Not a bit. Tell her to return to Bingo such-and-such, stating the time."

I was unsurprised when he said, "Gay, return to Bingo Greenwich twentyone sixteen fifty-one."

It was indeed a pretty stream. Zebadiah said happily, "That beats burning juice. Who sees a clearing close to that creek, big enough for Gay? Hover and squat, I mean; I don't dare make a glide landing, dead stick-the old girl is loaded."

"Zebbie, I'm sober as you are!"

"Don't boast about it, Sharpie. I think I see a spot. Close your eyes; I'm going to."

I almost wish I had.

Zebadiah came in on a long glide, everything set for maximum lift-but no power. I kept waiting for that vibration that meant that Gay was alive and roaring... and waited... and waited- He said, "Gay-" and I thought that he was going to tell her to turn herself on. No. We actually dropped below the level of that bank.

Then he suddenly switched on power by hand but in reverse-flipped us up on that bank; we stalled, and dropped' perhaps a meter-we just barely missed that bank.

I didn't say anything. Aunt Hilda was whispering, "Hail Mary Mother of God Om Mani Padme Hum There is No God but God and Mahomet is His Prophet-" then some language I did not know but it sounded very sincere.

Pop said, "Son, do you always cut it that fine?"

"I saw a man do it that way when he had to; I've always wondered if I could. But what you didn't know was-Gay, are you listening?"

"Sure thing, Boss. You alerted me. Where's the riot?"

"You're a smart girl, Gay."

"Then why am I pushing this baby carriage?"

"Gay, go to sleep."

"Sleepy time. Roger and out, Boss."

"Jake, what you didn't know was that I had my cheeks puffed to say B, 0, U, N, C, E, explosively. Your gadget has made Gay's reflexes so fast that I knew I could come within a split second of disaster and she would get us out. I wasn't cutting didoes. Look at that meter. Seventy-four percent of capacity. I don't know how many landings I'm going to have to make on that much juice."

"Captain, it was brilliant. Even though it almost scared it out of me."

"Wrong honorific, Captain. I'm the pilot going off duty. We're landed; my resignation is effective; you're holding the sack."

"Zeb, I told you that I would not be captain."

"You can't help it; you are. The second-in-command takes command when the captain dies, or goes over the hill-or quits. Jake, you can cut your throat, or desert, or go on the binnacle list, or take other actions-but you can't say you are not captain, when you are-Captain!"

"If you can resign, I can resign!"

"Obviously. To the Astrogator, she being next in line of command."

"Deety, I resign! Captain Deety, I mean."

"Pop, you can't do this to me! I'll- I'll-" I shut up because I didn't know what to do. Then I did. "I resign....aptain Hilda."

"What? Why, that's silly, Deety. A medical officer is not in line of command. But if 'medical officer' is a joke and 'science officer,' too, then I'm a passenger and still not in line of command."

My husband said, "Sharpie, you have the qualifications the rest of us have. You can drive a duo-"

"Suddenly I've forgotten how."

"-but that's not necessary. Mature judgment and the support of your crew are the only requirements, as we are millions of miles and several universes from licenses and such. You have my support; I think you have it from the rest. Jake?"

"Me? Of course!"

"Deety?"

"Captain Hilda knows she has my support," I agreed. "I was first to call her 'Captain."

Aunt Hilda said, "Deety, I've just resigned."

"Oh, no, you haven't anybody to resign to!" I'm afraid I was shrill.

"I resign to the Great Spirit Manitou. Or to you, Zebbie, and it comes around in a circle and you are captain again... as you should be."

"Oh, no, Sharpie. I've stood my watch; it's somebody else's turn. Now that you have resigned, we have no organization. If you think you've stuck me with

it, think again. You have simply picked an unusual way to homestead on this spot. In the meantime, while nobody is in charge, I hope that you all are getting both ears and a belly full of what got me disgusted. Yack yack yack, argue, fuss, and jabber-a cross between a Hyde Park open forum and a high school debating society."

Aunt Hilda said, in sober surprise, "Why, Zebbie, you almost sound vindictive."

"Mrs. Burroughs, it is possible that you have hit upon the right word. I have taken a lot of guff... and quite a bit of it has been from you."

I haven't seen Aunt Hilda look so distressed since Mama Jane died. "I am very sorry, Zebbie. I had not realized that my conduct had displeased you so. I did not intend it so, ever. I am aware-constantly!-that you have saved our-my-life five distinct times....s well as continuously by your leadership. I'm as grateful as my nature permits-a giant amount, even though you consider me a shallow person. But one can't show deepest gratitude every instant, just as one cannot remain in orgasm continuously; some emotions are too strong to stay always at peak."

She sighed, and tears rolled down her face. "Zebbie, will you let me try again? I'll quit being a Smart Aleck. It will be a hard habit to break; I've been one for years-my defense mechanism. But I will break it."

"Don't be so tragic, Hilda," Zebadiah said gently. "You know I love you... despite your little ways."

"Oh, I know you do!-you big ugly giant. Will you come back to us? Be our captain again?"

"Hilda, I've never left. I'll go right on doing the things I know how to do or can learn. And as I'm told. But I won't be captain."

"Oh, dear!"

"It's not tragic. We simply elect a new C.O."

My father picked this moment to get hairy. "Zeb, you're being pretty damned stiff-necked and self-righteous with Hilda. I don't think she has misbehaved."

"Jake, you are in no position tojuclge. First, because she's your bride. Second, because you haven't been sitting in the worry seat; I have. And you have supplied some of the worst guff yourself."

"I was not aware of it... Captain."

"You're doing it now....y calling me 'Captain' when I'm not. But do you recall a couple of hours ago when I asked my second-in-command for advice- and got some back chat about 'written orders'?"

"Mmm... I was out of line. Yes, sir."

"Do you want other examples?"

"No. No, I stipulate that there are others. I understand your point, sir." Pop gave a wry smile. "Well, I'm glad Deety hasn't given you trouble."

"On the contrary, she has given me the most."

I had been upset-I had never really believed that Zebadiah would resign. But now I was shocked and bewildered and hurt. "Zebadiah, what have I done?"