After a time, one of the ratlike crewmen found him in the small, closetlike equipment hold where he had squeezed himself to hide. The crewmen hauled him out and took him to the captain, who was alone in the control room, sitting at his ease in one of the three chairs. At the moment nothing needed to be done; the ship was running on its own.

'What is this you have? the captain asked.

'Stowaway, the rat creature said. 'Dug him out of a small aft hold.

'Okay, the captain said. 'Leave him here. You can go.

The rodent turned to go.

'My bag, please, said Tennyson.

The rat turned around, still holding the bag.

The captain said, 'Give the bag to me and then get out of here. Get the hell out of my sight.

The rat turned over the bag and left hurriedly.

The captain examined the bag thoughtfully, then lifted his head and said, 'So it is Jason Tennyson, is it? M.D.?

Tennyson nodded. 'Yes, I am a doctor.

The captain set the bag down on the deck beside him. 'I've had a few stowaways in my time, he said, 'but never a doctor. Doctor, tell me, just what is going on?

'It's a long story, said Tennyson, 'and I'd prefer not going into it.

'You'd been in that hold for hours, the captain said. 'I suppose you sneaked on at Gutshot. Why did you wait so long?

'I was about to come out, said Tennyson. 'Your rat-faced friend beat me to it.

'He is no friend of mine.

'My error, said Tennyson.

'There aren't many humans out here, the captain said. 'The farther out you go, the fewer you will find. I have to use this kind of scum to man the ship. And I have to haul loads of other scum out to End of Nothing and-