jordan found the doctor in the forward section of the ship. cameron knew better than to argue with a toaster. in a matter of minutes he was in the control room.

"now that you've got me, what are you going to do with me?" he asked.

docchi swiveled away from the instrument panel. "i don't expect active cooperation, of course, but i like to think you'll give your word not to hinder us hereafter."

cameron glared. "i promise nothing of the kind."

"we can chain him to anti," suggested jordan. "that will keep him out of trouble."

"like leading a poodle on a leash? nope," said anti indignantly. "a girl has to have some privacy."

"don't wince, cameron," objected docchi. "she really was a girl once, an attractive one."

"we can put him in a spacesuit and lock his hands behind his back," said jordan. "something like an ancient straitjacket."

cameron laughed.

"no, that's inhuman," said docchi.

jordan juggled the toaster. "i can weld with this. let's put him in a cabin and weld the door closed. we can cut a slot to shove food in. a very narrow slot."

"excellent. i think you have the solution. that is, unless dr. cameron will reconsider his decision."

cameron shrugged. "they'll pick you up in a day or less anyway. i suppose i'm not compromising myself by agreeing to your terms."

"good."

"a doctor's word is as good as his oath," observed anti. "hippocratic or hypocritic."

"now, anti, don't be cynical. doctors have an economic sense as well as the next person," said docchi gravely. he turned to cameron. "you see, after anti grew too massive for her skeletal structure, doctors reasoned she'd be most comfortable in the absence of gravity. that was in the early days, before successful ship gravital units were developed. they put her on an interplanetary ship and kept transferring her before each landing.

"but that grew troublesome and—expensive. they devised a new treatment; the asteroid and the tank of acid. not being aquatic by nature, anti resented the change. she still does."

"i knew nothing about that," cameron pointed out defensively.

"it was before your time." docchi frowned at the doctor. "tell me, why did you laugh when jordan mentioned a spacesuit?"

cameron grinned. "that was my project while you were busy with the robot."

"to do what? jordan—"

but jordan was already on his way. he was gone for some time.

"well?" asked docchi on his return. it really wasn't necessary; jordan's gloomy face told the story.

"cut to ribbons."

"all of them?"

"every one. beyond repair."

"what's the excitement about?" rumbled anti. "we don't need spacesuits unless something happens to the ship and we have to go outside."

"exactly, anti. how do you suppose we go about replacing the defective tubes? from the outside, of course. by destroying the spacesuits, cameron made sure we can't."

anti opened her mouth with surprise and closed it in anger. she glowered at the doctor.

"we're still in the asteroid zone," said cameron. "in itself, that's not dangerous. without power to avoid stray rocks, it is. i advise you to contact the medicouncil. they'll send a ship to pick us up and tow us in."

"no, thanks. i don't like handicap haven as well as you do," anti said brusquely. she turned to docchi. "maybe i'm stupid for asking, but exactly what is it that's deadly about being out in space without a spacesuit?"

"cold. lack of air pressure. lack of oxygen."

"is that all? nothing else?"

his laugh was too loud. "isn't that enough?"

"i wanted to be sure," she said.

she beckoned to nona, who was standing near. together they went forward, where the spacesuits were kept.

cameron scowled puzzledly and started to follow. jordan waved the toaster around.

"all right," said the doctor, stopping. he rubbed his chin. "what is she thinking about?"

"i wouldn't know," said docchi. "she's not scientifically trained, if that's what you mean. but she has a good mind, as good as her body once was."

"and how good was that?"

"we don't talk about it," said jordan shortly.