It contained an undergarment, a blue coverall, a pair of soft boots, all in his size.
The blue uniform he viewed as a makeshift, since he was anxious to swap it for the equally plain, but oyster white, uniform of a cadet. The shoes delighted him. He zipped them on, relishing their softness and glovelike fit. It seemed as if he could stand on a coin and call it, heads or tails. "Cat feet"-his first space boots! He took a few steps, trying to walk like the cadet he had seen earlier.
"Dodson!"
"Coming." He hurried out and shortly found himself thrust into a room with an older man in civilian clothes.
"Sit down. I'm Joseph Kelly." He took Mart's instruction sheet. "Matthew Dodson . .. nice to know you, Matt."
"How do you do, Mr. Kelly."
"Not too badly. Why do you want to join the Patrol, Matt?"
"Why, uh, because-" Matt hesitated. "Well, to tell the truth, sir, I'm so confused right now that I'm darned if I know!"
Kelly chuckled. "That's the best answer I've heard today. Do you have any brothers or sisters, Matt?" The talk wandered along, with Kelly encouraging Matt to talk. The questions were quite personal, but Matt was sophisticated enough to realize that "Mr. Kelly" was probably a psychiatrist; he stammered once or twice but he tried to answer honestly.
"Can you tell me now why you want to be in the Patrol?"