For Taat's convenience, Robwood had moved the storage deck chronometer from the other side of the deck to the lab. It read 0607.
Taat unrolled a screen against one of the spacesuit lockers, attached the film roll to the projector, darkened the deck and began the showing.
The film began on Taat's face, blurred and enormously enlarged, as he switched on the camera. Taat stepped backward until he was in focus, and picked up the microphone that tied into the sound track.
"This is an experiment with white mice in a maze under conditions of zero gravity," said the Taat on the screen. Stepping aside, he waved a hand at a wire contraption on a table. "I have here a three-dimensional maze. The chronometer is visible above it, so we can check the reaction time."
Lefler noted the chronometer reading. It was 1500. In the "day" square just below its center was the figure 73.
Lefler checked the chronometer in the picture as the film ran on. There was an announced break between 1612 and 1654. Other than that, it ran continuously to 1851, when his own voice sounded faintly, calling, "Blue alert! All hands to control room. Blue alert!" At that, Taat's startled face loomed up again before the lens and the film stopped abruptly.
Throughout the approximately three hours, Taat was always in the camera's view, running his mice through the maze and explaining his methods.
"What was that forty-minute break, Taat?" asked Lefler when Taat switched the lights on once again.
"Supper," said Taat. "Robwood and I ate together, and came back down from the centerdeck together. I saw Makki leave the centerdeck when I went up, but Robwood got there a minute or two later and I don't think he saw Makki."
"You seem to have established a pretty good alibi," said Lefler slowly. "How about Robwood?"