"Personal preferences mean nothing at all at this moment. Get into the boat." "Let some one else have my place, sir. I haven't long to live anyway, you know. I don't mind staying behind." * * * * * The Captain steadied his pistol. "Get in. That's an order. This is no time for mock heroics. You should have gone with Boat D to look after the women and children. Whether you live a month or a year doesn't matter to me, but it is important that you use your medical skill to take care of these people until they are rescued." With a dazed look, Alan walked through the port. "And you, and you, and you...." Thayer called out at last. "That's all, sir. No more room." "None at all? You're sure?" "Certain, sir. The talley is three hundred and thirty...." Nearly a hundred men remained in the corridor. Ashen-faced but calm, they stared at the rectangular doorway which would have meant a chance to live. "In you go, Thayer," said the Captain. "Prepare to release." Into the tense silence broke the brittle clicking of high heels as Tom and Dorothy Hall sauntered up, arm in arm, a puzzled frown on their foreheads. The Captain moaned. "Another woman! Wait, Thayer. We've one more woman here. Which one of you men in Boat A will volunteer to give up his place to young Mrs. Hall?" An elderly man walked serenely back into the ship, and joined the others. Dorothy looked bewildered. "But what's happened? We kept hearing so much noise we decided to get up. Is something wrong?" "We're abandoning ship. This gentleman is giving up his place to you. Get in." She clung to Tom's arm. "Not without my husband!" "Mrs. Hall! We can't waste time on hysterics. This ship might be vaporized while we're talking. A man has given up his chance at life for you. Get in." She held back. "And Tom?" With a haggard smile, Tom pat-ted her shoulder. "Never mind me, honey. You go jump in. I'll be all right." "Mrs. Hall, I'm willing to deprive one man of his chance, because you are a woman. But I will not ask anyone else to give up his place to your husband. Every man in the lifeboat has as much right to his life as your husband, and so has every man who must be left behind. Go, now. It's your last chance!" Her face had become calm and all hint of tears was gone. Without hesitating she looked up at her husband and spoke softly. "Tell the man to go back. Whether we live or we die, we'll do it together." Smiling at Tom, she took his hand to lead him away. "Come, Tom. Let's go look at the sky. I believe these stars are real ones." "Close the port!" The door slid shut. A minute's long wait, then the boat released herself and shot out into the blackness. The last of the lifeboats was gone. Professor Larrabee materialized from the shadows and approached Evans with outstretched hand. "Well done, Captain!" "You here? I'd hoped you'd gone with the others."