"They will be in, in a day or two. Peterson will beat it over to Base station for repairs, and to notify Earth we're coming. He'll be all right." Abruptly she stood up. "Goodnight gentlemen. Call me if I'm needed." Roberds nodded acknowledgement. The door to the side room closed behind her. Peterson hauled his chair over to the desk. He sniffed the air. "Damned rat!" he whispered harshly. "They ought to make a law forcing him to wear dark glasses!" Roberds smiled wearily. "His eyes do get a man, don't they?" "I'd like to burn 'em out!" Peterson snarled. * * * * * Rat helped Greaseball fill the water tanks to capacity with fuel, checked the concentrated rations and grunted. Greaseball looked over the interior and chuckled. "The boss said strip her, and strip her I did. All right, Rat, outside." He followed the Centaurian out, and pulled the ladder away from the lip of the lock. The two walked across the strip of sandy soil to the office building. On tiptoes, Greaseball poked his head through the door panel. "All set." Roberds nodded at him. "Stick with it!" and jerked a thumb at Rat outside. Grease nodded understanding. "Okay, Rat, you can go to bed now." He dropped the ladder against the wall and sat on it. "Good night." He watched Rat walk slowly away. Swinging down the path towards his own rambling shack, Rat caught a sibilant whisper. Pausing, undecided, he heard it again. "Here ... can you see me?" A white clad arm waved in the gloom. Rat regarded the arm in the window. Another impatient gesture, and he stepped to the sill. "Yes?"--in the softest of whispers. The voices of the men in droning conversation drifted in. "What you want?" Nothing but silence for a few hanging seconds, and then: "Can you pilot that ship?" Her voice was shaky. He didn't answer, stared at her confused. He felt her fear as clearly as he detected it in her words. "Well, _can_ you?" she demanded. "Damn yes!" he stated simply. "It now necessary?" "Very! She is becoming worse. I'm afraid to wait until daylight. And ... well, we want _you_ to pilot it! She refuses to risk Mr. Roberds' job. She favors you." Rat stepped back, astonished. "She?" Nurse Gray moved from the window and Rat saw the second form in the room, a slight, quiet figure on a small cot. "My patient," Nurse Gray explained. "She overheard our conversation awhile ago. Quick, please, can you?" Rat looked at her and then at the girl on the cot. He vanished from the window. Almost immediately, he was back again. "When?" he whispered. "As soon as possible. Yes. Do you know...?" but he had gone again. Nurse Gray found herself addressing blackness. On the point of turning, she saw him back again. "Blankets," he instructed. "Wrap in blankets. Cold--hot too. Wrap good!" And he was gone again. Gray blinked away the illusion he disappeared upwards. She ran over to the girl. "Judith, if you want to back down, now is the time. He'll be back in a moment."