The chief patted his shoulder. "You haven't heard of the little death," he smiled.
"Little death?"
Villanowski nodded. "Never mind trying to understand now. You're out on your feet, Murdock. I'll explain after you've had some rest. But take my word for it. We'll be setting the Nova down on Jupiter in two weeks."
Gavin staggered to his cabin in bewilderment.
He threw himself on his bunk without even bothering to remove his shoes. He thought, Little death! Jupiter in two weeks! That crack on the skull must have affected the chief engineer's mind! Then sleep descended on him like a shroud.
V
When Gavin at length awakened, he rolled out of his bunk groggily, showered and shaved and then made his way to the officer's mess. Nadia Petrovna, dressed in practical coveralls of gray siliconex, was seated at a table eating bacon and eggs.
Bacon and eggs! Gavin stared. Whoever heard of such grub aboard a spacer bound on a year's voyage. And there had been showers, and the cabins were not especially cramped.
Nadia waved a piece of toast at him. "Hello! The crew've been laying bets on when you'd come out of your coma."