"How about the time you swilled a quart of rot-gut and almost killed a cargo of civilian tourists? I heard about that. All I have to say is one word and your ears'd twitch. Whiskey." At the word, saliva ran alarmingly in Nibley's mouth. He swallowed guiltily. Douglas, snorting, turned and started from the room. Nibley grabbed a monkey-wrench on impulse, heaved it. The wrench hit the wall and fell down. Nibley wheezed, "Wrench got an orbit like everything. Fair bit of computation I did. One point over and I'd have flanked that crumb!" There was silence now, as he hobbled back and sat wearily to stare into the stars. He felt all of the ship's men around him. Vague warm electrical stirrings of fear, hope, dismay, exhaustion. All their orbits coming into a parallel trajectory now. All living in the same path with him. And the asteroids smashed down with an increasing swiftness. In a very few hours the main body of missiles would be encountered. Now, as he stared into space he felt a dark orbit coming into conjunction with his own. It was an unpleasant orbit. One that touched him with fear. It drew closer. It was dark. It was very close now. A moment later a tall man in a black uniform climbed the rungs from below and stood looking at Nibley. "I'm Bruno," he said. He was a nervous fellow, and kept looking around, looking around, at the walls, the deck, at Nibley. "I'm food specialist on board. How come you're up here? Come down to mess later. Join me in a game of Martian chess." Nibley said, "I'd beat the hell out of you. Wouldn't pay. It's against orders for me to be down below, anyways." "How come?" "Never you never mind. Got things to do up here. I _notice_ things. I'm chartin' a special course in a special way. Even Captain Kroll don't know _every_ reason why I'm makin' this trip. Got my own personal reasons. I see 'em comin' and goin', and I got their orbits picked neat and dandy. Meteors, planets _and_ men. Why, let me tell you--" Bruno tensed somewhat forward. His face was a little too interested. Nibley didn't like the feel of the man. He was off-trajectory. He--smelled--funny. He _felt_ funny. Nibley shut up. "Nice day," he said. "Go ahead," said Bruno. "You were saying?" Douglas stepped up the rungs. Bruno cut it short, saluted Douglas, and left. Douglas watched him go, coldly. "What'd Bruno want?" he asked of the old man. "Captain's orders, you're to see _nobody_." Nibley's wrinkles made a smile. "Watch that guy Bruno. I got his orbit fixed all round and arced. I see him goin' now, and I see him reachin' aphelion and I see him comin' back." Douglas pulled his lip. "You think Bruno might be working for the Martian industrial _clique_? If I thought he had anything to do with stopping us from getting to the Jovian colony--" "He'll be back," said Nibley. "Just before we reach the _heavy_ Asteroid Belt. Wait and see."