Oh, well, he had committed himself and there was no backing out. Looked like he was doomed to become a hero from sheer lack of courage to be a coward. Slowly he developed a philosophic resignation which still possessed him several weeks later when the corvette’s captain summoned him to the mid-cabin.

“Sleep well?”

“Not in the last spell,” Mowry admitted. “The propulsors were noisier than usual, the whole ship shuddered and creaked. I spent most of the time lying in my bunk and inventing new cuss-words.”

The captain gave a wry smile. “You didn’t know it, but we were being chased by four Sirian destroyers. We hit up top speed and lost them”

“You sure they aren’t still tracking us?”

“They’ve fallen behind range of our detectors, therefore we’re beyond range of theirs.”

“Thank heavens for that,” said Mowry.

“I’ve opened the orders. We’re due to arrive in forty-eight Earth-hours.”

“Where?”

“On a planet called Jaimec. Ever heard of it?”

“Yes, the Sirian news-channels used to mention it every once in a while. It’s one of their outpost worlds if I remember aright, under-populated and not half developed. I never met anyone from there and so don’t know much about it.” He registered mild annoyance. “This secretiveness is all very well, but it would help a fellow some to let him know where he’s going and give him some useful information about the place before he gets there. Ignorance could prove damn dangerous; it might cost me my neck. Maybe I’m finicky but I value my neck.”