Jak could see no other course but to believe the man, whose brain had obviously deteriorated. He said, "Check. You're a pirate. Why? Why is he wrecking my equipment, and why are you armed?" "Because there is nothing exciting!" Flim declaimed. "The whole Solar System is humble drum. I would have ridden the star-plane to new adventure, but they refused me. On Earth, they made me a microcataloger maintainer. Me! Its sole benefit was to acquaint me with the great piratical traditions of the past by revealing records available only to qualified scholars. No, there is nothing both legitimate and exciting to do any more." Jak said, "Why don't you find a quick cure for dementia praecox? That hasn't been done." "I dislike your tone," Flim rasped. "Looge! Silence him!" The scarred man, who had stood without moving, blinked his visible eye and grunted, "Yer, uh, what?" "Silence him!" "Oh. Er, how?" "Knock him down!" Flim cried. "Beat him! Use your fists!" Drusilla giggled. "Now we'll see if you're brave as you always tell me, Jak." * * * * * Jak gaped at her in amazement. "Drusilla," he wheezed. "Are you turning against me completely? After all--our child! I know you're attracted to this man. All women are attracted by anything vulgar, but--" Drusilla placed one hand on her hip and fluffed her hair with the other. "All you've ever done for me is give me three boring months in the Rings," she said. Jak stood with open mouth, and Looge squeezed past Flim. Grasping his right wrist with his left hand, Looge drew back his arm. "No, no," Flim said. "Use one hand at a time!" Looge mumbled and cocked his right arm. With no gravity, the force of this movement yanked his magnetized boots from the deck and sent him sprawling across the astrogator's couch. Flim stroked the loathsome triangle of hair on his chin and sighed, "How decadent we are these days! He does not even understand brutality." "Bring over the rest of your crew," Jak said. "They may." With nauseous pride, Flim bellowed, "This is my crew! We three against the void! Ger, find a plank!" Ger turned holding a mess of loosened wiring in his hand and asked, "A what?" "A plank." Drusilla said, "I know what you mean. Jak has one in quarters. He does woodcarving. Of all the silly hobbies--" "Don't be so helpful," Jak told Drusilla. "Leave that plank alone. It's the only piece of red cedar this side of Oak Ridge." "You shall walk it," Flim predicted. "It is one of the most famous piratical traditions. In shark infested waters, a plank was extended over the side of the ship and all male prisoners were required to walk out it until they fell to their--death." Jak shuddered at the pirate's calm use of the ugly archaic word. Flim inclined his head to Drusilla. "You, of course, fair lady, will be spared so awful a fate. When this creature, who, I perceive, has used you most cruelly, is no more, we shall see the stars together."