"Overdrive coming, Murgatroyd!"
Then the stars went out and there was silence, and privacy, and a faint, faint, almost unhearable series of background sounds which kept the Med Ship from being totally unendurable.
Long, long days later the ship broke out of overdrive and Calhoun guided it to a round and sunlit world. In due time he thumped the communicator-button.
"Calling ground," he said crisply. "Calling ground! Med Ship Aesclipus Twenty reporting arrival and asking coördinates for landing. Purpose of landing, planetary health inspection. Our mass is fifty standard tons."
There was a pause while the beamed message went many, many thousands of miles. Then the speaker said;
"Aesclipus Twenty, repeat your identification!"
Murgatroyd said;
"Chee-chee? Chee?"
Calhoun sighed.
"That's right, Murgatroyd! Here we go again!"