Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

closed.”

And once more, the Director’s body was briefly convulsed by that anomalous,

pulsing shudder.

3

You mean you really got it?” Jurg Wester said, in hurt disbelief. “What are

you going to do, anyhow-drop out of the satellite station in a barrel and

see how high you bounce?”

Jorn looked critically at his only dress nightgown, stuffed it into his

luggage, took it out again and threw it into the trash chute. He was not

very much astonished to find how little he owned that was worth anything at

all, even to him; but it was surprising to find that most of his few prized

possessions were now also quite meaningless.

The vegetable-grading process also helped him to delay answering Jurg,

whose question annoyed him in at least six specifiable ways and in an

indefinite number of others which he could not at the moment Identify. Jorn

had never specifically been told not to discuss the job outside of room

a-10-prime, but he nevertheless retained a strong impression that he had

better be discreet. Ertak and company had not made any attempt to tell

their applicants what they were applying for, and if Jorn’s experience was

typical, the

37

38 James Blish

secret never got out except to those who had been accepted. If that was the

way the Director was playing it, it ought certainly also to be jorn~s, at

least this early in the game.

“Ies space research, just like you said it would be,” Jorn said. “And it’s

outright suicidal as far as I can see. In fact it’s the craziest thing of

its kind I’ve ever heard of.”

“What kind of thing is it?”