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the music in his head. Thus the Second Mate had no reason to test Walt’s electromagnetic field. As it was there was no test equipment available aboard the vessel that could detect the field that Walt emanated, a field which was slowly but steadily increasing in power.
    The microbes had flourished for a time in Walt’s magnetic field. In fact, the reason that Walt’s complaint was not contagious was simply that no one else on the ship, or on the face of the Earth, had a similar electromagnetic resonance. As the amplitude of the field increased, Walt’s intestines became an increasingly hostile environment for the parasites. When the oscillatory amplitude became critical, the microbes simply exploded.
    One other thing: Walt’s powerful magnetic field was also subtly throwing off the accuracy of the ship’s navigational equipment. The members of the crew had no way of detecting it, but the San Geronimo was already drifting off course.
    Walt, who considered his whole life to revolve around boats and the sea, had in fact never been aboard a vessel more than four meters in length. With the exception of one, every boat he had ever seen had been powered by the wind or oars. The sole exception was an ancient five horsepower outboard motor that belonged to a second cousin of his.
    Under such circumstances, one might assume that a seaman would be interested in touring a modern vessel. Walt, however, had no interest in the propulsion, cargo, navigation, or bridge sections of the ship. The only parts that held his interest were the galley and, far more strongly, his own bunk.
    This was not due entirely to his fear of the members of the crew. Everyone on board the ship had been very nice to him. Apparently they expected a castaway to be decrepit in appearance and solitary in manner. Even the Captain had several times come to Walt’s bunk to ask if he was receiving satisfactory treatment from the Second Mate, who seemed be the only member of the crew with whom Walt had any regular contact.
    Walt always responded that he was being treated very well on board the ship, he just had no interest in being anywhere but his bunk just then. He thanked the Captain, or whoever might be addressing him at the moment, for visiting, then rolled over and went to sleep, or merely rested.
    Incidentally, there is one fact which has not been mentioned about Walt’s physical condition. When the Second Mate examined him, it was discovered that Walt had chlamydia. The Second Mate felt that this was not a matter to be discussed, and so did not tell Walt about his condition.
    This oversight no doubt saved both Walt and the Second Mate a great deal of confusion and embarrassment. The Second Mate was saved from having to broach a difficult and personal subject. He also avoided having to explain to Walt about the nature of such diseases and how they are transmitted.
    If Walt had been able to grasp the concepts involved in such a diagnosis, he would have been shocked. Walt firmly believed that he was a virgin. His one kiss with Leonore had been, so far as he knew, his most intimate contact with another member of his species.
    Walt, of course, had no memory of the time that he was unconscious at the Wilkins’ residence. After he had collapsed, Mrs. Wilkins had called Leonore out of hiding to assist her in getting Walt to bed. Their motives had been, to begin with, entirely chaste.
    Putting him to bed, they discovered what many had long suspected: a man’s center of sexual response is in no way connected to his processors of conscious and rational thought. For the three days he remained unconscious, he was limp in every part of his body save one.
    Mrs. Wilkins and Leonore both were enchanted by the idea of a man who never interrupted them or distracted them from the things that they wanted to do, yet was continually ready to be used by them to satisfy their pleasures. They both threw themselves on him repeatedly, together and separately, in every combination and