If I bumped into something enormous and steel-hided my heart had ordersto stop beating immediately and release me--to dart fitfully forever alongAcheron, and gibbering.

Ungibbering, I made it to green water and fled back to the nest.

As soon as they hauled me aboard I made my mask a necklace, shaded myeyes, and monitored for surface turbulence. My first question, of course,was "Where is he?"

"Nowhere," said a crewman; "we lost him right after you went over.Can't pick him up on the scope now. Musta dived."

"Too bad."

The squiggler stayed down, enjoying its bath. My job ended for the timebeing, I headed back to warm my coffee with rum.

From behind me, a whisper: "Could you laugh like that afterwards?"

Perceptive Answer: "Depends on what he's laughing at."

Still chuckling, I made my way into the center blister with twocupfuls.

"Still hell and gone?"

Mike nodded. His big hands were shaking, and mine were steady as asurgeon's when I set down the cups.

He jumped as I shrugged off the tanks and looked for a bench.

"Don't drip on that panel! You want to kill yourself and blow expensivefuses?"

I toweled down, then settled down to watching the unfilled eye on thewall. I yawned happily; my shoulder seemed good as new.

The little box that people talk through wanted to say something, soMike lifted the switch and told it to go ahead.

"Is Carl there, Mister Dabis?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then let me talk to him."

Mike motioned and I moved.

"Talk," I said.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, thanks. Shouldn't I be?"

"That was a long swim. I--I guess I overshot my cast."

"I'm happy," I said. "More triple-time for me. I really clean up onthat hazardous duty clause."

"I'll be more careful next time," she apologized. "I guess I was tooeager. Sorry--" Something happened to the sentence, so she ended it there,leaving me with half a bagful of replies I'd been saving.

I lifted the cigarette from behind Mike's ear and got a light from theone in the ashtray.

"Carl, she was being nice," he said, after turning to study the panels.

"I know," I told him. "I wasn't."

"I mean, she's an awfully pretty kid, pleasant. Headstrong and allthat. But what's she done to you?"

"Lately?" I asked.

He looked at me, then dropped his eyes to his cup.

"I know it's none of my bus--" he began.

"Cream and sugar?"

Ikky didn't return that day, or that night. We picked up some Dixielandout of Lifeline and let the muskrat ramble while Jean had her supper sent tothe Slider. Later she had a bunk assembled inside. I piped in "Deep WaterBlues" when it came over the air and waited for her to call up and cuss usout. She didn't though, so I decided she was sleeping.

Then I got Mike interested in a game of chess that went on untildaylight. It limited conversation to several "checks," one "checkmate," anda "damn!" Since he's a poor loser it also effectively sabotaged subsequenttalk, which was fine with me. I had a steak and fried potatoes for breakfastand went to bed.

Ten hours later someone shook me awake and I propped myself on oneelbow, refusing to open my eyes.

"Whassamadder?"

"I'm sorry to get you up," said one of the younger crewmen, "but MissLuharich wants you to disconnect the squiggler so we can move on."

I knuckled open one eye, still deciding whether I should be amused.

"Have it hauled to the side. Anyone can disconnect it."

"It's at the side now, sir. But she said it's in your contract and we'dbetter do things right."

"That's very considerate of her. I'm sure my Local appreciates herremembering."

"Uh, she also said to tell you to change your trunks and comb yourhair, and shave, too. Mister Anderson's going to film it."

"Okay. Run along; tell her I'm on my way--and ask if she has sometoenail polish I can borrow."

I'll save on details. It took three minutes in all, and I played itproperly, even pardoning myself when I slipped and bumped into Anderson'swhite tropicals with the wet squiggler. He smiled, brushed it off; shesmiled, even though Luharich Complectacolor couldn't completely mask thedark circles under her eyes; and I smiled, waving to all our fans out therein videoland. --Remember, Mrs. Universe, you, too, can look like amonster-catcher. Just use Luharich face cream.

I went below and made myself a tuna sandwich, with mayonnaise.

Two days like icebergs--bleak, blank, half-melting, all frigid, mainlyout of sight, and definitely a threat to peace of mind--drifted by and weregood to put behind. I experienced some old guilt feelings and had a fewdisturbing dreams. Then I called Lifeline and checked my bank balance.

"Going shopping?" asked Mike, who had put the call through for me.

"Going home," I answered.

"Huh?"

"I'm out of the baiting business after this one, Mike. The Devil withIkky! The Devil with Venus and Luharich Enterprises! And the Devil withyou!"

Up eyebrows.

"What brought that on?"

"I waited over a year for this job. Now that I'm here, I've decided thewhole thing stinks."

"You knew what it was when you signed on. No matter what else you'redoing, you're selling face cream when you work for face cream sellers."

"Oh, that's not what's biting me. I admit the commercial angleirritates me, but Tensquare has always been a publicity spot, ever since thefirst time it sailed."

"What, then?"

"Five or six things, all added up. The main one being that I don't careany more. Once it meant more to me than anything else to hook that critter,and now it doesn't. I went broke on what started out as a lark and I wantedblood for what it had cost me. Now I realize that maybe I had it coming. I'mbeginning to feel sorry for Ikky."

"And you don't want him now?"

"I'll take him if he comes peacefully, but I don't feel like stickingout my neck to make him crawl into the Hopkins."

"I'm inclined to think it's one of the four or five other things yousaid you added."

"Such as?"

He scrutinized the ceiling.

I growled.

"Okay, but I won't say it, not just to make you happy you guessedright."

He, smirking: "That look she wears isn't just for Ikky."

"No good, no good." I shook my head. "We're both fission chambers bynature. You can't have jets on both ends of the rocket and expect to goanywhere--what's in the middle just gets smashed."

"That's how it _was_. None of my business, of course--"

"Say that again and you'll say it without teeth."

"Any day, big man"--he looked up--"any place..."

"So go ahead. Get it said!"

"She doesn't care about that bloody reptile, she came here to drag youback where you belong. You're not the baitman this trip."

"Five years is too long."

"There must be something under that cruddy hide of yours that peoplelike," he muttered, "or I wouldn't be talking like this. Maybe you remind ushumans of some really ugly dog we felt sorry for when we were kids. Anyhow,someone wants to take you home and raise you--also, something about beggarsnot getting menus."

"Buddy," I chuckled, "do you know what I'm going to do when I hitLifeline?"

"I can guess."

"You're wrong. I'm torching it to Mars, and then I'll cruise back home,first class. Venus bankruptcy provisions do not apply to Martian trustfunds, and I've still got a wad tucked away where moth and corruption enternot. I'm going to pick up a big old mansion on the Gulf and if you're everlooking for a job you can stop around and open bottles for me."