Ford’s eyes had it.
Lazarus had seen it grow and had been puzzled by it. To be sure, they were all in a dangerous spot, but Ford no more I than the rest. Besides, awareness of danger brings a live expression; why should Ford’s eyes hold the signal of death? Lazarus finally decided that it could only be because Ford had reached the dead-end state of mind where suicide is necessary. But why? Lazarus mulled it over during the long watches in the control room and reconstructed the logic of it to his own satisfaction. Back on Earth, Ford had been important among his own kind, the short-lived. His paramount position had rendered him then almost immune to the feeling of defeated inferiority which the long-lived stirred up in normal men. But now he was the only ephemeral in a race of Methuselas.
Ford had neither the experience of the elders nor the expectations of the young; he felt inferior to them both, hopelessly outclassed. Correct or not, he felt himself to be a useless pensioner, an impotent object of charity.
To a person of Ford’s busy useful background the situation was intolerable. His very pride and strength of character were driving him to suicide.
As he came into the conference room Ford’s glance sought out Zaccur Barstow. “You sent for me, sir?’
“Yes, Mr. Administrator.” Barstow explained briefly the situation and the responsibility thel wanted him to assume. “You are under no compulsion,” he concluded, “but we need your services if you are willing to serve. Will you?”
Lazarus’ heart felt light as he watched Ford’s expression change to amazement. “Do you really mean that?” Ford answered slowly. “You’re not joking with me?”
“Most certainly we mean it!”
Ford did not answer at once and when he did, his answer seemed irrelevant. “May I sit down?”
A place was found for him; he settled heavily into the chair and covered his face with his hands. No one spoke. Presently he raised his head and said in a steady voice, “If that is your will, I will do my best to carry out your wishes.”
The ship required a captain as well as a civil administrator. Lazarus had been, up to that time, her captain in a very practical, piratical sense but he balked when Barstow proposed that it be made a formal title. “Huh uh! Not me. I may just spend this trip playing checkers. Libby’s your man. Seriousminded, conscientious, former naval officer-just the type for the job.”
Libby blushed as eyes turned toward him. “Now, really,” he protested, “while it is true that I have had to command ships in the course of my duties, it has never suited me. I am a staff officer by temperament. I don’t feel like a commanding officer.”
“Don’t see how you can duck out of it,” Lazarus persisted. “You invented the go-fast gadget and you are the only one who understands how it works. You’ve got yourself a job, boy.”
“But that does not follow at all,” pleaded Libby. “1 am perfectly willing to be astrogator, for that is consonant with my talents. But I very much prefer to serve under a commanding officer.”
Lazarus was smugly pleased then to see how Slayton Ford immediately moved in and took charge; the sick man was gone, here again was the executive. “It isn’t a matter of your personal preference, Commander Libby; we each must do what we can. I have agreed to direct social and civil organization; that is consonant with my training. But I can’t command the ship as a ship; I’m not trained for it. You are. You must do it.”
Libby blushed pinker and stammered. “I would if I were the only one. But there are hundreds of spacemen among the Families and dozens of them certainly have more experience; and talent for command than I have. If you’ll look for him, you’ll find the right man.”
Ford said, “What do you think, Lazarus?”
“Um. Andy’s got something. A captain puts spine into his ship . . . or doesn’t, as the case may be. If Libby doesn’t hanker to command, maybe we’d better look around.”
Justin Foote had a microed roster with him but there was no scanner at hand with which to sort it. Nevertheless the memories of the dozen and more present produced many candidates. They finally settled on Captain Rufus “Ruthless” King.