Guy entered the large drawing room and looked around slightly in wonder. It was the same--but he hadn't remembered it as being so large. Everything was as immaculate as ever and Guy felt slightly out of place there. He knew that he was expected to sit down, but that old feeling of wondering which piece to sit upon came back to him. He found a chair that had a minute scratch on one leg and seated himself. He wanted a cigarette, but there was no ash tray nearby and so he stifled the want. He was seated in the chair stiffly when Laura returned with the gardenia in her hair. She was smoking a cigarette and as she passed through the room she flicked the ash negligently at a large ash tray. Some of the ash missed and landed on the deep carpet. Laura didn't notice. "My," she said. "You look slightly formal, Guy." "Relax, Guy," her mother told him as she entered just behind Laura. "Andrew was telling me of a few of your ideas. Too bad you can't tell us more. We're interested." "I'd like to tell you, Mrs. Greggor," said Guy shyly. "But I'm under strict orders not to disclose--" "Pooh, orders," said Laura. "Oh well, you can have your silly secrets. I want to know, Guy; did you miss me?" "Quite a bit," he answered, thinking that this was no time to ask a question like that. Her mother's presence took the fine edge off of his anticipated answer. "I'd like to go out in a Patrol ship," said Laura. "This normal traveling on the beaten path doesn't seem like much fun to me." "It's no different," said Guy. "It's the same sky, the same sun, and the same planets. They remain the same no matter what you're doing." "Yes, but they're in different places--I mean that you aren't always going Venusward or Terraward. You change around." "It's still similar." "Don't be superior," Laura said. "You're just saying that because you're used to traveling in a Patrol ship." "No," said Guy earnestly. "It is still the same sky whether you look at it from a destroyer or a luxury liner." "Some day I shall see for myself," said Laura definitely. A faint, male roar called Mrs. Greggor's attention to the fact that her husband had mislaid his shirt studs. "I shall have to leave," she said. "Please pardon me--?" "Certainly," responded Guy, jumping to his feet. She smiled at him and left immediately. "Laura," he said. "I've brought--" and he opened the little flat plastic box and held out his senior executive's insignia. "I'm glad," she said. "Father told me you were being raised in rank." "That's why I'm here," he answered, a little let down that all of his surprises were more or less expected. "You'll do me the honor?" "I'd be angry if I weren't permitted," said Laura casually. "Stand close, Guy. You're quite tall, you know."