Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

uncomplaining, almost offensively cheerful lot, who quickly became

frighteningly competent, and seemed to have no threshold of boredom

whatever.

At the end of the six-month period, the section was broken up and

reassigned, in groups of two and three, to new and more specialized types

of training. This still left jorn and Ailiss stuck firmly together, since

he had been so unfortunate as to show talent in piloting and navigation,

which was her own area of specialization.

In the new section, for the first time, he found himself also yoked to jurg

Wester.

The encounter took place, wholly inconveniently, during jorn’s second

flight to the Moon-much different from the first one, in that now he was

turning a trial trick as cadet astrogator. Working under Ailiss, he allowed

himself to become rattled at the computers during turnover and was sent

down to the ward room in disgrace … and there was jurg, looking passing

smug.

“Well, Great Ghost,” jurg said. “It’s the boy wonder, himself. I thought

they were going to feed you to the meteor-eels, long ago. Don’t tell me

you’re in my sectionl”

“It looks that way,” jorn said. He looked Wester over carefully. He was

wearing a brassard which marked him as a temporary lance-corporal, only a

recruit rank but nevertheless higher than jorn’s own. This had the makings

of a bad situation. “Is this your first lunar trick?”

“It sure is. Old Corporal Wester was in no hurry.

J

46 James Blish

All the same, it seems I’m a stripe or so up on you already.”

“So you are. Congratulations.”