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wonderful complexity of the Spaceport tower had driven all such thoughts from his mind. Now, strolling around the port after breakfast, he encountered the gnarled ex-spaceman.
    “I said, what’s on the docket? Specifically, sonny, we know the Tropic of Capricorn II will be leaving for Venus soon. We don’t know when, and we don’t know the orbit. That’s your department.”
    “That ship’s loaded with currency for the Venusport treasury!” Pete cried. “I thought you said you had nothing to do with piracy.”
    “Sure, sure. Don’t go jumping to conclusions. It also has farming machinery, and my associates want to be at Venusport first, to buy it at rock-bottom prices. Now, what’s the orbit, sonny?” And, when Pete said nothing: “Remember, I know your father’s address —”
    “All right,” Pete answered numbly, “you don’t have to threaten me. I made a bargain with you.”
    “That’s better. Now, talk.”
    “Sunset tonight. The orbit will touch the Venusian ellipse without crossing it. It’s a little longer, but we save fuel that way. Distance of trip, forty-eight million miles. I guess you can figure the time of arrival from that.”
    “Sure can!” Gus slapped Pete’s back happily, then ambled off down the roadway. He called back over his shoulder, “See you soon, sonny.”
    Late that afternoon, Pete entered Captain Saunders’ office. The officer looked up from his desk, nodded a curt acknowledgment to Pete’s salute, then laughed. “You sure take yourself seriously, Wilson! You even salute like a product of the Academy. Anyway, have you got that Capricorn orbit ready?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Good. Let’s have it.”
    “Well, I figure we might let the orbit cross the Venusian ellipse. That’ll shave seven or eight million miles off the trip, and . . .”
    Saunders frowned. “Generally, we like to touch orbits instead of crossing ‘em.”
    “I know,” Pete agreed hastily. “Generally, I like to do that, too.” He’d had a change of heart at the last minute, deciding to alter the orbit and send Ganymede Gus’ associates, whoever they were, off in the wrong direction. He licked his lips nervously, clenched and unclenched his fists, That might cause more trouble than he could handle,, but there were five million dollars in negotiable currency aboard the Tropic of Capricorn II.
    “Well,” Saunders said at last, “that’s your department. You’re my orbiteer, Wilson. And these last few days sure indicate you’re a good one. If you say so, the Capricorn will cross Venus. . . .”
    Pete felt a lot better about things after blast-off on the new orbit. He had a hunch it wouldn’t last, for Ganymede Gus would eventually find out, but meanwhile Pete had some time to think. He could not live only from day to day, doing anything Ganymede Gus demanded of him in the hope that Big Pete wouldn’t find out about him. For if Gus did fly the modern version of the Jolly Roger, Pete knew he would be an accomplice. And that would be worse for Big Pete. One son killed in space, another washed out of the Academy and turned criminal.
    Several days later, Gus met him on the roadways leading to the blasting pits. Gus wasn’t laughing. “I been looking for you, sonny,” he said.
    “I’ve changed my mind. I haven’t been looking for you. No more, Gus — we’re through, understand?”
    “Through?” Ganymede Gus mocked indignation. “Through? Why, we haven’t even started. You want to hear something peculiar, sonny? No? Well, I’ll tell you anyway. Remember the Tropic of Capricorn ?”
    Pete nodded, said he remembered.
    “It didn’t fly on the orbit you predicted. Now, ain’t that funny. Some friends of mine wasted their time looking for a ship that wasn’t there. You can’t blame them for being sore, can you?”
    “I don’t care one way or the other?”
    “I do. I got a reputation to maintain, sonny. You lied to me. You shouldn’t have lied.”
    “Nothing you say will do any