Carlin awoke with bright sunrise splashing his face. He reached sleepily for the aerator and refreshment buttons—then remembered.

To his surprise, he was feeling much better. He had slept well in the primitive bed, and fatigue had drained out of him.

Queer, musical notes that he guessed were calls of birds came to his ears. The air that snapped the curtains was chill now, but pure and sweet, subtly intoxicating.

"They do have finer air on this old world than any aerator can furnish," he thought.

He put on a zipper-suit that was dark brown and rough in weave.

"Going native," he thought with a sour grin, and went downstairs.

Marn Land was the only person he found in the sunny rooms. She still wore those barbaric faded old slacks, but had a red flower in her ashen hair. A little frown of worry in her forehead disappeared as she looked at him.

"You're feeling better, aren't you?" she asked.

"A lot," Carlin admitted. "I'm afraid I was rather rude last night, you know."

"You were tired," she said gravely. "Just sit down. I'll get your breakfast."

It was a new experience to Carlin to sit chatting in a sunny old kitchen while a girl in faded slacks prepared his breakfast on an electrode stove. Instead of punching the refreshment-button for it.

"Jonny and Harb have gone down to the spaceport," she said over her shoulder. "They and a few friends have an old planet-ship there that they're fixing up for a trip to Mercury."

"Mercury?" he said. "Oh, that's the innermost of these planets, isn't it?"

"Yes. Men here on Earth are always going prospecting for copper on its Hot Side. Jonny got up this prospecting expedition."

The breakfast she put before Carlin was of coarse wheaten bread, more of the natural eggs and milk, and a curious brown beverage made from stewing certain dried berries. She informed him its name was coffee. Carlin tried it, found it bitter and unpalatable.

A little surprised by his own action, he ate nearly everything else. The food was coarse, but satisfying enough, and he would have to get used to it if he were to stay here.

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