"But what I can't understand," said Hansen, dutifully trotting alongside, "is how you knew with such certainty how the door mechanism was made. Even if submarines _were_ built like that, you'd have no way of knowing. There haven't been any submarines in centuries." "The hell you say," said Candle, increasing his pace, "I built one five years ago." "Built one! What for?" "For the hell of it, and it was a damned good outfit, too. I found plans in an old museum, and had the good sense not to improve on 'em. Always remember, boy, that something that really works can't be improved. That's why the submarine mechanism was adopted--not adapted--for space. The so-called 'better way' they're building 'em today is simply a disguise for the fact that most of the gas is gone from our technology." "What happened to the submarine?" "Oh, I traded it to a friend for some falcons. You interested in falconry by any chance?" "Er, no. Can't say that I am." "You will be," Candle said prophetically, "you'll succumb to every enthusiasm man has ever been deviled with. You're the type. It's a disease, boy, and the big symptom isn't just curiosity, but the kind of intense curiosity that turns you inside out, devours you and ruins you for orthodoxy." * * * * * Hansen had stopped listening. He was absorbed in trying to recall the pattern he had pressed on his radio belt--a pattern never taught to him--when the ship had suddenly turned upsidedown. Hesitantly, he played with the notion that he had been _thinking_ of the ship traveling upsidedown at the time he impressed the novel pattern on the belt. Now, could that have possibly ... ? The man and the boy disappeared down the ceiling, running at top speed to catch up as the rapidly vanishing form of R'thagna Bar was dragged and pulled relentlessly toward the refrigerator in a tug of war between the ship's wild, divided crew. "Fascinating!" said Candle. His eyes, glittering with their own peculiar madness, remained riveted on the distant imperial belly. "Never saw anything like it!" THE END TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES This etext was produced from Amazing Science Fiction Stories May 1960. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. The following corrections have been applied: Page 16: "{original omitted this quotation mark}You're especially too young to know about one of the Federation's best kept secrets. Page 16: Hansen said with some surprise{original had surprice}, "Why, as a matter of fact, Sector Headquarters is sending some help. Page 19: "I'm going to give you fifteen minutes, not thirty{original had thiry}," Hansen said. Page 24: as the rapidly vanishing form of R'thagna Bar was dragged and pulled relentlessly toward the refrigerator in a tug of war between the ship's{original had ships'} wild, divided crew.