slides out for support and begins to aid the winches, only then does thefisherman see his catch rising before him like a fallen Seraph. Then, asDavits learned, one looks into the Abyss itself and is required to act. Hedidn't, and a hundred meters of unimaginable tonnage, undernarcotized andhurting, broke the cables of the winch, snapped a graffle, and took ahalf-minute walk across Tensquare.

We circled till the mechanical flag took notice and waved us on down.We touched beside the personnel hatch and I jettisoned my gear and jumped tothe deck.

"Luck," called the pilot as the door was sliding shut. Then he dancedinto the air and the flag clicked blank.

I shouldered my stuff and went below.

Signing in with Malvern, the de facto captain, I learned that most ofthe others wouldn't arrive for a good eight hours. They had wanted me aloneat Cal's so they could pattern the pub footage along twentieth-centurycinema lines.

Open: landing strip, dark. One mechanic prodding a contrary hopper.Stark-o-vision shot of slow bus pulling in. Heavily dressed baitmandescends, looks about, limps across field. Close-up: he grins. Move in forwords: "Do you think this is the time? The time he _will_ be landed?"Embarrassment, taciturnity, a shrug. Dub something-"I see. And why do youthink Miss Luharich has a better chance than any of the others? Is itbecause she's better equipped? [Grin.] Because more is known now about thecreature's habits than when you were out before? Or is it because of herwill to win, to be a champion? Is it any one of these things, or is it allof them?" Reply: "Yeah, all of them." "--Is that why you signed on with her?Because your instincts say, 'This one will be it'?" Answer: "She pays unionrates. I couldn't rent that damned thing myself. And I want in." Erase. Dubsomething else. Fade-out as he moves toward hopper, etcetera.