She looked at me scornfully. "What chance have I of avoiding the flu when millions of others are getting it?" "Oh Lord, you women! Can't you see there's absolutely no evidence for this silly fear of yours? Damn Hallam and his wild ideas! Why don't you forget it?" "Because I think he's right, that's why." She stood up abruptly. "Let's go on deck." I followed her out into the cockpit. We were still at anchor, intending to start back after a few hours sleep. The sloop was as quiet as a resting seabird in the black shadow of a rocky point. It was cold. In a few minutes Pat shivered and came close to me, her arms about my waist. The keen air had awakened me, and, as I caressed her, smoothing away the little pebbles of gooseflesh on her shoulders and back, her warm body against mine stirred again the desire I had felt before the collision. She must have known. Slowly her arms came up and around my neck. Her head, cushioned on my chest, lifted and her full lips brushed mine lightly. For a moment I hesitated. Through the thin suit she felt naked under my hands, trembling with cold and excitement. "I can't take much more of this, Pat," I whispered. "Either you quit right now or you go down to bed." Her eyes opened. She looked straight at me for a long moment. "Will your bunk hold both of us?" she asked as her lips closed hard on mine. CHAPTER 4 We came back through the big glass doors hand in hand. The night watchman, making his last round, nodded and smiled at us as we wound up the stairs to the penthouse. We went through the showers together since nobody else was about. I scrubbed her back to get rid of the salt sea crystals and was rewarded with a warm, wet kiss. We reached the living room just as Dr. Hallam, freshly shaven and bright, came in for his breakfast. "Welcome back, kids!" he boomed at us. "Did you have a good time?" He looked closely at Pat. A slow flush deepened the color of her cheeks and he grinned elfishly. "I see you did. Well, let's have some breakfast. I have news for you and plenty of work, so eat heartily." He pushed the toaster buttons and the bread dropped out of the cooler-keeper and lowered itself into the heating element. I set three cups and three glasses under the dispenser and dialled tomato juice and medium strong coffee. Pat cracked six eggs into three plates, added bacon and pushed them into the slots in the electronic oven. A minute later, with his mouth full of toast and egg, Hallam mumbled, "After you left I waited for about two hours before Smith phoned. He had a preliminary report on the female ferrets. You'll be glad to hear this, both of you. He couldn't find a thing on any of them." "Wonderful!" Pat breathed, and smiled at me radiantly. "What about the pregnant one?" I said.