brought an increasingly fancy price in the jewel markets of the System. A few sizeable finds and Yancey would have a little capital with which to work. Given fifty thousand credits he was certain that he could, in time, become one of the really big investors on Venus.

Such projects always assumed a false simplicity in Yancey's mind. Aboard the space tramp that brought him to Athens his sudden rise to power and position seemed quite feasible. But when he gazed out across the tortured wastes of the Desert Rouge he felt a momentary tremor of doubt.

Such spasms passed quickly. Like most men of his temperament Yancey compensated for the failures of past and present with roseate dreams of the future. Now, it appeared, that future was at hand.

The commandant in Athens was brutally frank.

"It would appear to me, Ritter," he said wryly, "that tenacity is not one of your cardinal virtues."

Yancey cleared his throat. He was trying hard not to be impressed by the commandant's office, the commandant's ribbons, the commandant's manner. "I don't know what you mean, sir."

The big man tapped the papers on his desk with a stubby finger. "Governmental service on Earth ... mining on Mars ... lumbering on Europa ... and now, an assignment on Venus. Not the record of a stable personality."

Yancey was bewildered. What was the commandant saying? Wasn't he to get the post? The dream of a fortune in quollas flickered. "I—I've been looking for work that would really challenge me, sir."

The gaze was direct. "Challenge you. That's an interesting answer, Ritter. So you think that assignment to a humidi-hut in the vicinity of the Desert Rouge will awaken your latent and heretofore unexplored potentials?"

Was the man laughing at him? Even in the carefully conditioned room, Yancey felt the beads of perspiration settling on his forehead. "If I was just given a chance," he said, seizing on the familiar cliche. "I know I can please the commandant."

A sigh escaped the big man. "Pleasing me is irrelevant. Keeping that humidi-hut operating is vital. Do you realize, Ritter, that since we established our chain of humidi-huts on Venus we've reduced our mortality rate thirty per cent?"

A nod seemed to be all that was required from Yancey.

"I just want you to 

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