"We've heard about your youth," said Jordan. "I don't believe very much of it." "Talk about your youth and love affairs privately if you want but spare us the details. Especially now, since there are more important things to attend to." Docchi glowered at them. "Anyway the gravity drive is out," he resumed. "At one time they had hopes for it but no longer. The present function of the generator is to provide gravity _inside_ the ship, for passenger comfort. Nothing else. "So it is a rocket ship, slow and clumsy but reliable. It'll get us there. The Medicouncil refused us and so we'll have to go higher." "I'm all for it," said Anti. "How do we get higher?" "We've discussed it before," answered Docchi. "The Medicouncil is responsible to the Solar Government, and in turn Solar has been known to yield to devious little pressures." "Or not so devious great big pressures. Fine. I'm in favor," said Anti. "I just wanted to be sure." "Mars is close," continued Docchi. "But Earth is more influential. Therefore I recommend it." His voice trailed off and he stopped and listened, listened. Anti listened too but the sound was too faint for her hearing. "What's the matter?" she said. "I think you're imagining things." Jordan leaned forward in his seat and examined the instrument panel carefully before answering. "That's the trouble, Anti. You're not supposed to _hear_ it, but you should be able to feel vibrations as long as the rocket's on." "I don't feel it either." "I know," said Jordan, looking at Docchi. "I can't understand. There's plenty of fuel." * * * * * The momentum of the ship carried it along after the rockets stopped firing. They were still moving but not very fast and not in the direction they ultimately had to go. Gingerly Docchi tried out the magnetic shoes. He was clumsy but no longer helpless in the gravityless ship. He stared futilely at the instruments as if he could wring out more secrets than the panel had electronic access to. "It's mechanical trouble of some sort," he said uneasily. "I don't know where to begin." Before he could get to it Anti was in the passageway that led from the control compartment. "Course I'm completely ignorant," she said. "Seems to me we ought to start with the rocket tubes and trace the trouble from there." "I was going to," said Docchi. "You stay here, Anti. I'll see what's wrong." She reached nearly from the floor to the ceiling. She missed by scant inches the sides of the corridor. Locomotion was easy for her, turning around wasn't. So she didn't turn. "Look, honey," her voice floated back. "You brought me along for the ride. That's fine. I'm grateful but I'm not satisfied with just that. Seems to me I've got to earn my fare. You stay and run the ship. You and Jordan know how. I don't. I'll find out what's wrong." "But you won't know what to do."