"They're the people who cut our shackles, fullback. They're the people who refused to be earth-bound." "Mmm-hmm. And they're the cuties who could just as well maintain the population quota with artificial insemination, too. But do they? Come to think of it, why don't they?" "You'd better check your orbit log," I told him. "We're getting into asteroid alley." "Yes, Chief. Yes, Boss. Yes, _Sir_!" He pulled out the flats, and looked through the electronic scanner. Then he picked up a stylus and adjusted it to the graph arm, and took another look through the scanner. He seemed to be frozen there. "Mi Gawd--" "What's happened? You damned fullback, if you've lost our line to--" He waved, stiff-armed. "Shut up. We're right on orbit. I just saw a woman. And _what_ a woman. She was waving to me!" In all the galaxy there had been three Level-One navigators. There were now two. "Naturally," I said patiently. "You would. That would be _your_ mirage--a woman." "I saw a woman," Horse insisted evenly, "on--" He was consulting his flats, frowning. "On--Well, I'll be damned." "You also saw a planetoid that doesn't exist. I'll name it for you, Horse's Asteroid. A fitting name." Collins didn't answer, right away. He was flipping levers, connecting the scanner to the chart, and also to the controls. Then he said, "Okay, Skipper. We're under mechanical control. Relax, if you know how." I locked the board and stretched my neck. Horse lighted a cigarette, a vice I deny myself. His eyes looked--bemused. I said, "You saw a woman where there could be no women. I'll have to enter it in the log, Johnny." "Sure," he said. He took a deep and weary breath. "You know what the boys call you?" "Slide Rule Sam," I answered. "I'm proud of it." "Why? A robot could handle your job." "For a man who made his reputation in a robot's game, you're talking rather haughtily, fullback. If a robot _could_ handle my job, a robot would be giving you orders right now. Gideon Shipping is cost-conscious enough for that, despite the wages they pay." "Wages," Johnny said. "Is that all a man works for, wages?" "At our level, that's all a man works for," I assured him. "You're talking like a Capitalist, Horse." I watched for a reaction. He started to say something, then shook his head. "You'd probably enter that in the log, too, if I said it." He put out his cigarette thoughtfully. "Sam, on the way back I want you to look through that scanner. If we delay our trip back an hour, the orbits of the other planetoids will be about right, and that one should be, too. Then you can enter the fact that we _both_ saw it. You think I'm space-simple. But you won't be able to doubt what you'll see with your own eyes." I said evenly, "I've traveled this line for twelve years and I've had navigators before who saw mirages. You're just not emotionally stable, Horse." "I'm not punchy, either," Horse said. "You can have my resignation right now, Sam."