to the pilot's desk and called Kai-Ling to a window.

Somewhere in the back of his brain something was worrying him. All along he had pictured himself leading a half dozen of his crew in a sort of battle formation from one sector of the city to the next, alert to catch a Priman sniper or uncover a booby-trap. Now here he was making plans to send one man out alone--probably to certain death. What did he expect to gain from that? Was he softening under pressure? Or was he really applying reason, as he tried to convince himself?

"I want you to hover ten feet above that end of the airstrip," he told the pilot, pointing. "We'll drop Lerner from that height. But don't go down until I tell you."

When he returned to the doctor's side, the two of them were temporarily alone. Grimes sat down heavily and leaned toward the doctor.

"This is a ticklish situation, Doc. I've got a wonderful bunch of kids on this ship, but not many mature, level heads. I'm not sure they'll see eye to eye with my tactics."

Dr. Johnson studied him for a moment. "That's always important with you, isn't it?"

Grimes half evaded the older man's eyes. "It always has been in the past, but something's different this time. I think that damn tape must have done something to me. The only thing I seem to think about now is results. To be frank, Doc, I'm a lot more worried about how we're going to get to the bottom of this business than I am about how many men we'll lose in the process. And that doesn't sound like the Grimes I used to be at all.""You've never had a job like this one. You don't know yet how you'll react to the developments." Grimes snorted. "Don't worry, I'll react effectively all right. The psychology boys took care of that."

"Navigator Lerner, sir." Grimes returned the salute and looked the boy over quickly. Not more than twenty-three, tall, not the least muscular; and not the least worried, if the eyes told anything.

"This is big stuff, Lerner," Grimes said seriously. "That's why I didn't ask for a volunteer. I have to have the best man, whether he's eager or not. You'll take a radio and a direct-view explosive pistol. You'll start toward the city from where we drop you and do nothing but observe until you receive an order from me. If anything happens to your radio reception you'll return to the ship immediately. Any questions so far?"

"No, sir."

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