Joe looked at the row of horizontal metal cylinders that stretched before him. The tops of them were a foot taller than his head, and he moved to the side, and counted aloud to eleven before Arden said: "We might starve and go naked, but we'll never run out of catalyst or get thirsty," Arden opined. "Each of those tanks holds six hundred gallons and there're twenty-four of them." Joe moved to the nearest of the tanks, rubbed his hands on the moist surfacing and commented absently: "It feels like velvet." Arden laughed a little. "Come on, Joe, I'll turn you over to Black Tom and he'll put you to work doing something. He never likes to see anyone idle." They crawled out of the wall cubby and down the ladder. A second white-garbed man had joined the power room head and they were talking together as Arden and Joe approached. "That's Whitey Burnet," Arden said, and started, for Joe had halted dead in his tracks. Black Tom Morrissey and Burnet turned then. Morrissey said, "Hello, Arlie," briefly and turned back to his gauge panel. Burnet stood rigid for a moment at the sight of Joe. Then with three quick strides Burnet was at Joe. He said softly: "Damn you, Joe." And lashed out with a hard fist. The blow caught Joe on the cheek, cutting the skin, and staggering him momentarily. Joe started to swing his browned fist up, then slowly he lowered it. He looked at Burnet with quiet brown eyes. "I can't hit you, Paul. You know that." Paul's face was white. "No," he said, and he was almost bitter. "I know that." Then he turned his back on Joe and walked away. Arden's blue eyes watched the by-play, observed: "Whitey doesn't like you very much, huh?" Joe's brown eyes were dull looking as he pulled his gaze from Burnet's retreating back and looked at Arden. "No," he said, and his voice was flat. "Paul doesn't like me much." With an effort he smiled, added: "Shall we find out what I can do?" Arden nodded.... Joe Wilding met the rest of the crew at the arbitrary meal that was termed supper. * * * * * Joe came in behind Arden, and unobtrusively slid to one side of the door, and watched the men around the table laughing and joking. Arden said: "Fellas, I'd like you to meet a new crew member." The laughing and joking stopped, and the eyes of eleven men measured Joe Wilding. Black Tom winked at Joe and went back to his eating. Whitey Burnet, after a brief angry glance, turned back to his plate. Arden added: "His name is Joe Wilding." The others at the table smiled, nodded or spoke according to their habits--except one, a nervous redhead, who stared at Joe. Then he looked around at the others at the table. He was a little apologetic. The redhead said: "I know this guy. I piloted the ship that took him to the Rock for sedition. I don't think we want him on the ship. He's one of those wild ones who tried to kidnap the president." Arden grunted: "I thought so."