Except, of course, for a means best classed as a Fate-Worse-Than-Death

No. No, not that. Don't think about it. Better to drop the whole matter, admit that it had him licked, and tell Gleason so. It had been seventeen years since he had been at Earth sur­face; nothing could induce him to subject his body to the in­tolerable demands of that terrible field. Nothing! It might even kill him. He might choke to death, suffocate. No

He sailed gracefully across his shop, an overpadded Cupid. Give up this freedom, even for a time, for that tortuous bond­age? Ridiculous! It was not worth it

Better to ask an acrophobe to climb Half Dome, or demand that a claustrophobe interview a man in the world's deepest mine

‘Uncle Gus?

‘Oh, hello. Waldo. Glad you called.

‘Would it be safe for me to come down to Earth?' ‘Eh? How's that? Speak up, man. I didn't understand you.' ‘I said would it hurt me to make a trip down to Earth.' ‘This hookup,' said Grimes, ‘is terrible. It sounded just like you were saying you wanted to come down to Earth.

‘That's what I did say.

‘What's the matter, Waldo? Do you feel all right?

‘I feel fine, but I have to see a man at Earth surface. There isn't any other way for me to talk to him, and I've got to talk to him. Would the trip do me any harm?

‘Ought not to, if you're careful. After all, you were born there. Be careful of yourself, though. You've laid a lot of fat around your heart.

‘Oh dear. Do you think it's dangerous?

‘No. You're sound enough.. Just don't overstrain yourself. And be careful to keep your temper.

‘I will. I most certainly will. Uncle Gus?

‘Yes?

‘Will you come along with me and help me see it through?

‘Oh, I don't think that's necessary.

‘Please, Uncle Gus. I don't trust anybody else.

‘Time you grew up, Waldo. However, I will, this once.

‘Now remember,' Waldo told the pilot, ‘the absolute acceler­ation must never exceed one and one tenth gs, even in landing. I'll be watching the accelograph the whole time.

‘I've been driving ambulances,' said the pilot, ‘for twelve years, and I've never given a patient a rough ride yet.

‘That's no answer. Understand me? One and one tenth; and it should not even approach that figure until we are under the stratosphere. Quiet, Baldur! Quit snuffling.

‘I get you.

‘Be sure that you do. Your bonuses depend on it.

‘Maybe you'd like to herd it yourself.

‘I don't like your attitude, my man. If I should die in the tank, you would never get another job.

The pilot muttered something

‘What was that?' Waldo demanded sharply. ‘Well, I said it might be worth it.

Waldo started to turn red, opened his mouth

Grimes Cut in: ‘Easy, Waldo! Remember your heart.

‘Yes, Uncle Gus.

Grimes snaked his way forward, indicated to the pilot that he wanted him to join him there

‘Don't pay any attention to anything he says,' he advised the man quietly, ‘except what he said about acceleration. He really can't stand much acceleration. He might die in the tank.

‘I still don't think it would be any loss. But I'll be careful.

‘Good.

‘I'm ready to enter the tank,' Waldo called out. ‘Will you help me with the straps, Uncle Gus?

‘Be there in a second.

The tank was not a standard deceleration type, but a modi­fication built for this one trip. The tank was roughly the shape of an oversized coffin and was swung in gimbals to keep it always normal to the axis of absolute acceleration. Waldo floated in water - the specific gravity of his fat hulk was low -from which he was separated by the usual flexible, gasketed tarpaulin. Supporting his head and shoulders was a pad shaped to his contour. A mechanical artificial resuscitator was built into the tank, the back pads being under water, the breast pads out of the water but retracted out of the way

Grimes stood by with neoadrenalin; a saddle had been pro­vided for him on the left side of the tank. Baldur was strapped to a shelf on the right side of the tank; he acted as a counter­weight to Grimes

Grimes assured himself that all was in readiness, then called Out to the pilot, ‘Start when you're ready.

‘OK.' He sealed the access port; the entry tube folded itself back against the threshold flat of Freehold, freeing the ship. Gently they got under way

Waldo closed his eyes; a look of seraphic suffering came over his face

‘Uncle Gus, suppose the deKalbs fail?

‘No matter. Ambulances store six times the normal reserve.

‘You're sure?

When Baldur began to feel weight, he started to whimper. Grimes spoke to him; he quieted down. But presently - days later, it seemed to Waldo - as the ship sank farther down into the Earth's gravitational field, the absolute acceleration neces­sarily increased, although the speed of the ship had not changed materially. The dog felt the weary heaviness creeping over his body. He did not understand it and he liked it even less; it terrified him. He began to howl

Waldo opened his eyes. ‘Merciful heavens!' he moaned. ‘Can't you do something about that? He must be dying.

‘I'll see.' Grimes undid his safety belt and swung himself across the tank. The shift in weight changed the balance of the load in the gimbals; Waldo was rocked against the side of the tank

‘Oh!' he panted. ‘Be careful.

‘Take it easy.' Grimes caressed the dog's head and spoke to him. When he had calmed down, Grimes grabbed a handful of hide between the dog's shoulders, measured his spot, and jabbed in a hypo. He rubbed the area. ‘There, old fellow! That will make you feel better.

Getting back caused Waldo to be rocked again, but he bore it in martyred silence

The ambulance made just one jerky manoeuvre after it en­tered the atmosphere. Both Waldo and the dog yelped. ‘Private ship~' the pilot yelled back. ‘Didn't heed my right-of-way lights.' He muttered something about women drivers

‘It wasn't his fault,' Grimes told Waldo. ‘I saw it.

The pilot set them down with exquisite gentleness in a clearing which had been prepared between the highway and Schneider's house. A party of men was waiting for them there; under Grimes's supervision they unslung the tank and carried Waldo out into the open air. The evolution was performed slowly and carefully, but necessarily involved some degree of bumping and uneven movement. Waldo stood it with silent fortitude, but tears leaked out from under his lowered lids

Once outside he opened his eyes and asked, ‘Where is Bal­dur?

‘I unstrapped him,' Grimes informed him, ‘but he did not follow us out.

Waldo called out huskily, ‘Here, Baldur! Come to me, boy.

Inside the car the dog heard his boss's voice, raised his head, and gave a low bark. He still felt that terrifying sickness, but he inched forward on his belly, attempting to comply. Grimes reached the door in time to see what happened

The dog reached the edge of his shelf and made a grotesque attempt to launch himself in the direction from which he had heard Waldo's voice. He tried the only method of propulsion he knew; no doubt he expected to sail through the door and arrest his flight against the tank on the ground. Instead he fell several feet to the inner floor plates, giving one agonized yelp as he did so, and breaking his fall most clumsily with stiffened forelegs

He lay sprawled where he had landed, making no noise, but not attempting to move. He was trembling violently

Grimes came up to him and examined him superficially, enough to assure him that the beast was not really hurt, then returned to the outside. ‘Baldur's had a little accident,' he told Waldo; ‘he's not hurt, but the poor devil doesn't know how to walk. You had best leave him in the ship.

Waldo shook his head slightly. ‘I want him with me. Arrange a litter.