"I heard, Romeo, I heard," said the Hawaiian. "An ex-cop, eh? I wonder if I like you? I'll take a few thousand years to think it over; in the meantime, you may treat me as a friend." "I'll try to live down my reputation," said Houston. * * * * * It was an odd feeling. Physically, he was alone. Around him, he could see nothing but the blackness of space and the glitter of the stars. He knew that the sun must be shining on the back of his own personal asteroid, but he couldn't see it. As far as his body was concerned, there was nothing else in the universe but a chunk of pitted rock and a set of chains. But mentally, he felt snug and warm, safe in the security of good friends. He felt-- "David! David! Help me! Oh, David, David, David!" It was Dorrine, coming up from her slumber. Like a crashing blare of static across the neural band, her wakening mind burst into sudden telepathic activity. * * * * * Gently, Houston sent out his thoughts, soothing her mind as he had soothed Harris's mind weeks before. And he noticed, as he did it, that the other three were with him, helping. By the time Dorrine was fully awake, she was no longer frightened or panicky. "You're wonderful people," she thought simply, after several minutes. "To one so beautiful, how else could we be?" asked Juan Pedro. "Ignore him, Dorrine," said Sonali, "he tells me the same thing." "But not in the same way, _amiga_!" the Spaniard protested. "Not in the same way. The beauty of your mind, Sonali, is like the beauty of a mountain lake, cool and serene; the beauty of Dorrine is like the beauty of the sun--warm, fiery, and brilliant." "By my beard!" snorted Matsukuo. "Such blather!" "I'll be willing to wager my beautiful _hacienda_ in the lovely countryside of Aragon against your miserable palm-leaf _nipi_ shack on Oahu that you have no beard," said Juan Pedro. "Hah!" said Matsukuo; "that's all I need now--Castles in Spain." It was suddenly dizzying for Houston. Here were five people, doomed to slow, painful death, talking as though there were nothing to worry about. Within minutes, each had learned to know the others almost perfectly. It was more than just the words each used. Talking aloud helped focus the thoughts more, but at the same time, thousands of little, personal, fringe ideas were present with the main idea transmitted in words. Houston had talked telepathically to Dorrine hundreds of times, but never before had so much fine detail come through. Why? Was there something different about space that made mental communication so much more complete? "No, not that, I think," said Matsukuo. "I believe it is because we have lost our fear--not of death; we still fear death--but of betrayal."