ve manners； hot
pants； everything。 I figured a small investment in the beginning would pay rich dividends in the end。 And it was a sacrifice； believe me； you won't see many implanted tusks around！ For a lot of reasons。 Oh； maybe they are good for
eating tough meat； but what the hell else？ Wait until you try kissing your first girl 。 。 。 Now； get lost； Bill； I got things to do。 See you around 。 。 。〃
His last words faded in the distance； since Bill's well…conditioned reflexes had carried him down the corridor the instant he had been dismissed。 When the spontaneous terror faded； he began to walk with a crafty roll； like a duck with a sprung kneecap； that he thought looked like an old spacesailor's gait。 He was beginning to feel a seasoned hand and momentarily labored under the delusion that he knew more about the troopers than they knew about him。 This pathetic misconception was dispelled instantly by the speakers on the ceiling； which belched and then grated their nasal voices throughout the ship。
〃Now hear this； the orders direct from the Old Man himself； Captain Zekial； that you all have been waiting to hear。 We're heading into action； so we are going to have a clean buckle…down fore and aft； stow all loose gear。〃
A low； heartfelt groan of pain echoed from every partment of the immense ship。
VI
There was plenty of latrine rumor and scuttlebutt about this first flight of the Chris Keeler； but none of it was true。 The rumors were planted by undercover MPs and were valueless。 About the only thing they could be sure of was that they might be going someplace because they seemed to be getting ready to go someplace。 Even Tembo admitted to that as they lashed down fuses in the storeroom。
〃Then again；〃 he added； 〃we might be doing all this just to fool any spies into thinking we are going someplace； when really some other ships are going there。〃
〃Where？〃 Bill asked irritably； tying his forefinger into a knot and removing part of the nail when he pulled it free。
〃Why anyplace at all； it doesn't matter。〃 Tembo was undisturbed by anything that did not bear on his faith。 〃But I do know where you are going； Bill。〃
〃Where？〃 Eagerly。 A perennial sucker for a rumor。
〃Straight to hell unless you are saved。〃
〃Not again 。 。 。〃 Bill pleaded。
〃Look there；〃 Tembo said temptingly； and projected a heavenly scene with golden gates； clouds； and a soft tom…tom beat in the background。
〃Knock off that salvation…crap！〃 First Class Spleen shouted； and the scene vanished。
Something tugged slightly at Bill's stomach； but he ignored it as being just another of the symptoms sent up continually by his panic…stricken gut； which thought it was starving to death and hadn't yet realized that all its marvelous grinding and dissolving machinery had been condemned to a liquid diet。 But Tembo stopped work and cocked his head to one side； then poked himself experimentally in the stomach。
〃We're moving；〃 he said positively； 〃and going interstellar too。 They've turned on the star…drive。〃
〃You mean we are breaking through into sub…space and will soon experience the terrible wrenching at every fiber of our being？〃
〃No； they don't use the old sub…space drive any more； because though a lot of ships broke through into sub…space with a fiber…wrenching jerk； none of them have yet broke back out。 I read in the Trooper's Times where some mathematician
said that there had been a slight error in the equations and that time was different in sub…space； but it was different faster not different slower； so that it will be maybe forever before those ships e out。〃
〃Then we're going into hyper…space？〃
〃No such thing。〃
〃Or we're being dissolved into our ponent atoms and recorded in the memory of a giant putor who thinks we are somewhere else so there we are？〃
〃Wow！〃 Tembo said； his…eyebrows crawling up to his hairline。 〃For a Zoroastrian farm boy you have some strange ideas！ Have you been smoking or drinking something I don't know about？〃
〃Tell me！〃 Bill pleaded。 〃If it's not one of them…what is it？ We're going to have to cross interstellar space to fight the Chingers。 How are we going to do it？〃
〃It's like this。〃 Tembo looked around to make sure that First Class Spleen was out of sight； then put his cupped hands together to form a ball。 〃You make believe that my hands are the ship； just floating in space。 Then the Bloater Drive is turned on…〃
〃The what？〃
〃The Bloater Drive。 It's called that because it bloats things up。 You know； everything is made up of little bitty things called electrons； protons； neutrons； trontrons； things like that； sort of held together by a kind of binding energy。 Now； if you weaken the energy that holds things together… I forgot to tell you that also they are spinning around all the time like crazy； or maybe you already knew…you weaken the energy； and because they are going around so fast all the little pieces start to move away from each other； and the weaker the energy the farther apart they move。 Are you with me so far？〃
〃I think I am； but I'm not sure that I like it。〃
〃Keep cool。 Now…see my hands？ As the energy gets weaker the ship gets bigger；〃 he moved his hands further apart。 〃It gets bigger and bigger until it is as big as a planet； then as big as a sun then a whole stellar system。 The Bloater Drive can make us just as big as we want to be； then it's turned the other way and we shrink back to our regular size and there we are。〃
〃Where are we？〃
〃Wherever we want to be；〃 Tembo answered patiently。
Bill turned away and industriously rubbed shine…o onto a fuse as First Class Spleen sauntered by； a suspicious glint in his eye。 As soon as he had turned the corner； Bill leaned over and hissed at Tembo。
〃How can we be anywhere else than where we started？ Getting bigger； getting smaller doesn't get us anyplace。〃
〃Well； they're pretty tricky with the old Bloater Drive。 The way I heard it it's like you take a rubber band and hold one end in each hand。 You don't move your left hand； but you stretch the band out as far as it will go with your right hand。 When you let the band shrink back again you keep your right hand steady and let go with your left。 See？ You never moved the rubber band； just stretched it and let it snap…but it has moved over。 Like our ship is doing now。 It's getting bigger； but in one direction。 When the nose reaches wherever we are going the stern will be wherever we were。 Then we shrink； and bangol there we are。 And you can get into heaven just that easily； my son； if only 。 。 。〃
〃Preaching on government time； Tembol〃 First Class Spleen howled from the other side of the fuse rack over which he was looking with a mirror tied to the end of a rod。 〃I'll have you polishing fuse clips for a year。 You've been warned before。〃
They tied and polished in silence after that； until the little planet about as big as a tennis ball swam in through the bulkhead。 A perfect little planet with tiny icecaps； cold fronts； cloud cover； oceans； and the works。
〃What's that？〃 Bill yiped。
〃Bad navigation；〃 Tembo scowled。 〃Backlash； the ship is slipping back a little on one end instead of going all the other way。 No…no！ Don't touch it； it can cause accidents sometimes。 That's the planet we just left； Phigerinadon II。〃
〃My home；〃 Bill sobbed； and felt the tears rise as the planet shrank to the size of a marble。 〃So long； Mom。〃 He waved as the marble shrank to a mote； then vanished。
After this the journey was uneventful； particularly since they could not feel when they were moving； did not know when they stopped； and had no idea where they were。 Though they were sure they had arrived somewhere when they were ordered to strip the lashings from the fuses。 The inaction continued for three watches； and then the General Quarters alarm sounded。 Bill ran with the others； happy for the first time since he had enlisted。 All the sacrifices； the
hardships would not be in vain。 He was seeing action at last against the dirty Chingers。
They stood in first position opposite the fuse racks； eyes intent on the red bands on the fuses that were called the fusebands。 Through the soles of his boots Bill could feel a faint； distant tremor in the deck。
〃What's that？〃 he asked Tembo out of