He found an open gallery of seats with their safety webs hanging loosely draped over the headrests as if giant spiders had been busy during the night. He walked across the compartment and came to stand before an observation port to look out upon the space station he had just left. The activity in the docking bay had intensified in the few minutes since he arrived. He could see through the huge observation bubble into the docking bay where some thirty or so cadets had gathered and were waiting to board. A great many others had come to see them off, and a host of yellowsuits were dashing here and there in last-minute preparations.

"So! You are anxious to go to Marx, yes?"

He turned to greet the hulking form of Kalnikov, the captain of the transport. The burly giant crossed the gallery in two strides and shoved out a great meaty paw which squashed Spence's as the two shook hands. Kalnikov looked like the classic Russian weight lifter-broad shoulders above a sinewy back, thick arms, and fists that could probably crush stones. His voice rumbled out from deep within his barrel chest.

"Yes," Spence began to confess, "I was just-"

Before he could finish the man slapped him on the back with a bone-jarring blow.

"Haw! I was that way my first time, too! It is a delicious feeling! Enjoy!"

"Thank you," Spence replied when he regained his breath. The stout Russian turned and pounded away; Spence could hear his voice shaking the floorplates ax he bellowed his delight at being space-bound once more. He heard a snatch of song ax it boomed out in the corridor:

"God of shining galaxies

Lead me from this place.

Lord of starfields fly with me, Beyond the edge of space..,"

Spence couldn't help smiling. He could feel the hum of electricity starting to flow and tingle on his skin; he was as excited as any green cadet. For the first time in many days he felt alive.

Kalnikov's voice echoed down the gangway. "Welcome, my friends! Come along! We are going to enjoy this journey! Come along!"

For a moment Spence entertained an absurd image of God, the Creator of the universe, as a big Russian pilot, calling his cadets to join him in a fantastic flight of discovery.

"All right," murmured Spence to himself. "I'm ready. Lead on. …

WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" Hocking screeched.

"We… that is, he… never showed up," Tickler stammered. "How could he not show up? He never left the lab. That's what you said. Millen watched him the whole time, you said." "Not all the time, no," said Kurt slowly, very much aware of the danger he was in at that moment. "He went to the commixsary for a few minutes."

"You were not to let him out of your sight!" "It couldn't be helped… "

"Oh? And why not?" Hocking demanded. Color had risen to his cheeks, staining his pale flesh with a crimson tinge in the low light of his quarters. Snaky veins stood out on his forehead, and he appeared as if he might burst with rage and frustration.

"I watched him until he got in line at the commissary and then went back to wait. I couldn't let him see me watching him, could I?"

"Ortu will hear about this! I will not keep this from him.

This time you'll have to face him yourselves. Unless-" "Unless?" Tickler leaped at the first sign of hope that they might somehow avert the wrath of the shadowy and severe Ortu. "Unless you find him immediately. You have four hours." "We can't search the whole station in four hours," Millen whined.

"You'll find a way," hissed Hocking. "I want him found.

Quickly. Do you hear me? Or else Ortu will deal with you." "We'll find him," promised Tickler.

Without waiting for Hocking to change his mind both men hurried away to begin their search. They donned pressure suits and made their way back across the construction site. Once back inside the station they hung their suits on the racks and stepped into the tram.

"It's all your fault!" muttered Tickler thickly.

"My fault!" Kurt glared at his companion. "I watched him as you instructed. You told me to search his quarters as soon as I got a chance-with him in the commissary I had a perfect chance, 'What have we here!" wasn't going anywhere He told me he'd be right back He "Oh! Oh! You scared me" cried Ari as the lights went on and .. PV, invited me to go along with him."

"You should have gone-the search could have waited." "Where were you? You could have followed him yourself." "Obviously we wouldn't be in this mess now if I had!" "Something's happened to him, I tell you. I saw him waiting in line at the commissary."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear -any more! All that matters now is that we have to find him-and fast!" "Where should we begin?"

"I don't know. He could be anyplace by now."

"I told you we should have gone to Hocking at once-as soon as he didn't show up for the session," Millen moaned.

"What difference does it make now what you told me? We could not risk making Reston suspicious. He knows something is going on. He's hiding somewhere."

"Well, he can't have gone far."

"He's on the station somewhere, and we have only four hours to find him. Wait a minute! I have an idea! I know where to start looking!"

The tram whizzed away on its magnetic cushion began their frenzied search of Gotham. as the two. …

ARI FELT STRANGE IN Spence's rooms. She had never been to his quarters, or even the lab. Now everything she saw seemed heavy with the presence of him. She was afraid to touch anything lest she somehow disturb his memory.

She shook the feeling off. "He's only gone on a trip," she told herself. "He hasn't died."

But the eerie morbidity still lingered like a chill in the small room.

He could have at least made his bed, she thought. She bent to the task, but drew her hand back from touching the blankets. No, leave it as it is. Leave everything as he left it.

The funeral atmosphere of the room was about to stifle her and she wanted only to get away. She found the model of the space station in the pocket of his jumpsuit, where he said it would be. She fished it out, replaced the jumpsuit and left the room, stepping back into the darkened lab. she found herself in the grasp of Tickler. Kurt stood at the portal with his hand at the access plate.

"I did not mean to startle you, miss. I thought you might be a prowler."

Ari gasped and blushed. "I… I was looking for Dr. Reston."

"Are you a friend of his?" Tickler still held her arm tightly.

"Yes, are you his assistant?"

"I am Dr. Tickler. What did you want to see him about?"

"Oh, something personal. But it's all right. I can come back some other time."

"Yes, perhaps you'd better." Tickler regarded her carefully, his eyes stealing over every inch of her. "What is that you have there?"

"This? It's just a paperweight," she said uncertainly. She resented Tickler's attitude. "Now if you will excuse me..," She pulled her arm free from his grasp.

"Of course, I'm sorry. It's just that we cannot be too careful, you know. The work is very important."

He stepped aside and Ari passed with an air of offended dignity. Inside she was frightened by the way Tickler had treated her. She began to see why Spence wished his mission to remain a secret, and she did not regret the lie she told to cover her reason for being there.

She reached the portal and went through without looking back. Once out of sight she hurried down to the ComCen section to place Mr. Reston's paperweight in the mailframe of the next shuttle down.

"Follow her," said Tickler as soon as she left. "I want to know what she's doing with that model."

Kurt went out at once and slipped unseen upon her trail. …

THE MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN'S BLUE eyes stared out onto a green expanse of lawn bordered by high hedge rows and softly swaying willows. A light breeze lifted the leaves of a lilac bush near the open French doors. She sat primly in a large overstuffed chair, her hands folded in her lap. Wrapped in her shapeless cotton print dress of faded blue she looked like a doll grown old waiting for her young mistress to come back and rescue her from loneliness and love her once again.