"Shut up!" Rat cut him off sharply. "You talk too much." He cast a
glance at Nurse Gray and then threw a meaning look at Gladney.
* * * * *
Gladney subsided. Patti Gray noted with dawning wonder that his face
had lost the loathing and anger he had previously held toward the
outlaw pilot.
"Look. Sea!" Rat said a few moments later. Gray was in her hammock. She
twisted over as he moved bony shoulders aside to let her see through
the vision port. A startlingly brief glimpse of glistening waters shot
past, reflecting a dancing moonpath. A continent whirled into place on
the plate. The skies were clear of other craft.
"Travelling fast!" she warned. "I hope you know what you're doing."
Another body of water shot past them beneath. "That must be the
Pacific. Where are you going to set down?"
"The ocean." Rat didn't turn his attention away from the plate.
"Gladney you got bad memory too much. That's why we passed half-way
line full speed! Sea water good brake, stop us hundred miles!"
Gladney flopped back. "May I be kicked to death! Of course! I've heard
of it being done by stunt pilots. But Rat, are you sure you can do it?
I mean, can you land us without killing us all?"
"Oh yes," but Rat was grimly serious. "I can all right, but...."
"... but what?"
"Ever see little boy skipping stones across water?" His hand shot out
and described a series of violent ricocheting motions. "Like that?
We land that way, I think. _Splat-splat!_ First splat knock us
all ... all ... what you say?"
"Knock us out?" Gladney supplied.
Rat shrugged. Gray caught his eyes.
"Goodnight, Rat," she smiled at him. "When I wake up, I want to see you
again. You won't be in jail for awhile, not until the hospital releases
you, and perhaps by that time...."
"All no bother, please. I liked you Patti Gray. But your memory pretty
punk too. Forget your Fleet training, I think. Yes! But Patti ..." he
stopped, helpless.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry about something. I kicked you."
"Rat, please forget it. I won't forgive you for there is nothing to
forgive you for!" She smiled at him, winked once and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight everyone."
[Illustration: _The ocean rushed up with incredible speed._]
They felt the nose dip as Rat dropped toward the moonlit sea. The
ocean rushed up. The ship struck with titanic force, blasting through
the white-caps, metal crumpling from the monstrous dive. And then all
consciousness blacked out for those on board.
* * * * *
Patti Gray awoke, pressed the button under her pillow for a nurse,
smiled about the clean hospital room.
Gladney was waiting to see her. He wheeled himself in and stopped the
chair beside her bed.
"Hello. Feel human again?"
"Do I?" She laughed. "Gladney, I'm going to stay right here the rest of
my life!"
"Yeah ... that's what I said yesterday. But today I'm itching to get
back up yonder." He dug a thumb at the sky.
"Is Judith all right?"
"Sure. She wants to see you. Frankly, Miss Gray," he lowered his voice,
"I expected that first 'splat' of Rat's would kill her."