The facts were painfully fresh in his mind.
"I'd like to know something of your background," said Marlowe. "What's your experience with spaceships?"
"Went to Venus in one," Ethan answered. "Also took a trip to Mars. Stayed there."
The old man had haunted the control compartment, watching how it was done. Some people did. But that was not a substitute for experience.
"That was long ago and you were a passenger. Anything more recent?"
"Nope. Except for this last trip."
That was what didn't make sense.
"Are you sure? Be honest. Check your memory."
The old man had once piloted jets. But it was not the same.
"No other experience," said Ethan. "Had training, though."