Unwise Child

at M. R. GABRIEL, POWER DESIGN would function smoothly while he was gon

working for a first-class genius is that a

" Mike had said levelly. "I'll

m a second-class genius working for a first-class outfit. You think I want to

sily handle the fi

a Captain Sir Henry Quill on the phone, M

id Mike. "I wond

puzzled. "He said h

since he's the toughest old martinet this side of the Pleiades, the 'Black'

rim face of Captain Qu

e than made up for his lack of cranial growth, however, by his great, shaggy, bristly brows, black as jet and

asked, using the proper tone of voice

new uniform," Quill growled. "Your

a growl was an Irish tenor rumble with undertones of gravel. He stood five-eight, and his red and gold Space Service u

"I see. So you're commanding the

sted questions. I've got no more idea of what the bloody thing's about t

y a leading question, it was

don't know anything, Cap

would have worn a walrus mustache. And if he'd had such a mustache, he would

"The rest of the crew is being picked from Chilblains Base

with a moan. "That means we'll be

ane, Quill's eyebrows moved upward.

" said Mike the Ang

he best of it. We'll muddle through

I don't see that I can d

ents will be made at the Long Island Base for your transportation to Antarctica. And"

Sir Hen

briel," snapped Quill

said Mike

of time. It is cheaper in the long run if an interstellar vessel moves parallel with, not perpendicular to, the magnetic "lines of force" of a planet's

to work against the fabric of space itself. For that reason, an interstellar vessel is normally built i

t its Number One Research Station near Chilblains Base, although the corporation

bsolute. It is obviously much easier-and much cheaper-to keep several thousand gallons of helium at that temperature if the surrounding temperature is at two hundred thirty-t

pleased that it had built Prime Station near Chilblains Base. Since a great deal of expense also, of necessity, devol

brag about. Thousands of square miles of powdered ice that has had nothing to do but blow around for twenty million

alysis was perfectly correct. Mike wished that it had been January, midsummer in the Antarctic, so there would have been

red landing stage of Chilblains Base, dissipating the crystalline whiteness into steam as it did

Serge Paulvitch's hands on twenty-four hours' notice was irritating. He knew Paulvi

business was being handled. It seemed slipshod and hurried,

rctica," he grumped as the door of the ro

enties, said smugly: "July is bad, but

det here when you were learning arithmetic.

" said the p

he Angel cryptically.

oparka closer around him, and stalked off across

ins Base instead of being out on the Wastelands. Here there were lights, and the Hotbed equipment of the walk warmed the swirling ice partic

ew up from a narrow slit in the deck and found

n one side, with only that sheet of hot air to protect it from the storm raging outside. The lights and the

n usher. He wore a sergeant's stripes on his regulation Space Service parka, which muf

s from his gloved hands, then fished in hi

luted. As Mike returned the salute the sergeant said: "Okay, sir; you can go on

. "Security office? Is there a war on or something?

der; I just slave away here. Maybe Lieutenan

s, Ser

after another, like the air lock on a spaceship. Once inside the warmth of the corridor, he unzi

l letters without capitals. He walked toward it. There was another guar

e-sized, sleepy-looking individual with a

o spread itself across his face. "If you are Commander Gabriel," he sai

n," said Mike the Angel

e has been screaming at me every half hour for the

e said. "How do

long, bony, tapering hand. "There are a few fo

ch

nd retinal patterns,"

at is going on here? There hasn't been a security officer in the Space Service for thirty years or

at's going on around here?" He got up from behind his desk and led Mike the Angel o

don't like it any more than you do. Next thing, they'll put me to work polishing chain-mail armor or make m

, do you actually mean that you really don't know

e took on the traditional blank, emotionless look of th

l know more about Project Brainchild than I've been able to find out in two years.... Now put your

r adjusted around his face, and he was looking into blackness. He focused his eyes

son comes into Chilblains Base. Other than that, I have nothing but personal guesses an

see the dim dot in the center of the target circle,

pulled his face out of the padded opening

on file. "Well," he said, "you have Commander Gabriel's hands, anyway. If you ha

y soul?" Mik

he pulled the retinal photos out of the mach

ins," said Mike the Angel, "I imagine the Office of

comparator, took a good look, and nodded. "

d a complex seal in the upper left-hand corner of the card. The lieute

," he said

ted by the chim

der," he said as he th

n't see the face on the screen, but the voice was so

rocket landed yet, Lieutenant

checked on the landing of the latest

aid firmly, "that I'll be along as soon a

n't change. "You're thro

over here fast!" said Quill sharply.

ick as the int

ly. "Either you're working your way toward a court-marti

"I helped him bury it. How do I g

l take you to the loading dock for that stage. It's an open foyer like the one at the landing field, so you'll have to put your parka back on. Go down the stairs on the oth

ake the short cut. S