"She'd be ready to blast in fourteen months if they could decide about passengers and crew. Every nation in the Assembly and every bloc from farm and free-lifers to commists wants to be the first to start the colony, mostly from distrust of the others, but no particular individuals seem to want to be the first to cut the ties. The crew has to stay with the colony for months, you know, until they're settled and know what else they need. The _Colonia's_ the only large ship under construction. The Company doesn't want to be responsible for possible mishaps and we've just started writing in space-travel exception clauses in our regular policies." * * * * * The intercom bulb burned amber again. This time Farrar was more cautious. "Who is it?" he asked. "Mr. Daneshaw." "Send him in in about a minute." He turned to Brill. "The man who's coming in is one of our older subjects. You might like to meet him." He smiled. "Not that he's exactly typical of his age." "You won't tell him why I'm here?" Brill requested. "The Company naturally doesn't want any publicity on this matter yet, Doctor." "Naturally, Mr. Brill, you don't want a run on annuity policies any more than the Government wants to alarm prospective settlers on Venus by refusing to insure them. Old Daneshaw has probably forgotten more secrets than we'll ever know: but if you think best...." "I do." The door swung back smoothly, stopping just short of the file cases, to admit the tall tweed-clad figure of the professor emeritus, who closed it gently, deliberately. "Morning, Tim." "Good morning, Jules." Daneshaw noticed the stranger and stood uncertainly just inside the door. "I'd like to introduce Mr. Brill--Mr. Daneshaw." Daneshaw's handshake was firm but gentle like his closing of the door. He moved to the maple armchair and sat, crossing his long legs, relaxed. "Mr. Brill's got a great-aunt on the waiting list for Block Nineteen. He's here looking us over to see if we're fit company." Mr. Daneshaw looked a question at the doctor, who continued, "Mr. Brill is in the insurance business. He's been telling me about one of their recent problems--whether or not to insure space crews and extraterrestrial colonists. On the _Colonia_, you know." Daneshaw roused suddenly and turned an eager face to Brill. "That's a great thing! Never thought I'd see the day, though I was quite a science-fiction fan in my eighties and nineties. I've read everything I could lay my hands on about the _Colonia_. Do you really know who the colonists are going to be--or is that a secret between the United Assembly and the insurance companies?"