"Not so fast," he admonished. "You haven't met Saint Clair yet. He's a
new recruit."
The girl turned brown eyes on Norman, saw his crisp blond hair and
likeable features, his broad shoulders and flat hips. "Um, um," she
said, "I know. You've brought me him."
Norman flushed hotly. The Martian laughed, reached in his pocket,
pulled out a pair of earrings set with magnificent Venusian pearls.
Norman recollected seeing them grace the ears of a Terranean dowager
aboard the _Jupiter_.
Alicia squealed with delight, hastened to attach the earrings. She shot
the lift upward jubilantly.
At D deck they left the car. Alicia looked at Norman.
"If you're lonesome tonight, I'm off duty at Seventeen-hundred." Before
he could answer the doors slid shut.
"What did you do to her?" growled Koal. "I bring the earrings and she
propositions you."
Norman grinned, preened himself. Alicia, he decided, was a remarkably
pretty girl, intelligent, too.
"Here's your apartment," Koal interrupted his thoughts. They had
stopped before a door which bore the numeral 234 in brass. "I'm
two-forty-eight. If you want anything, step down the hall and knock."
He started off, paused. "Meals are served three times a day in the
dining room on A deck, or you can prepare your own food in your rooms.
I think you'll find everything necessary in the kitchen. If not, call
the steward."
Norman went inside, glanced around curiously. An entrance hall led him
into a sumptuous living-room. A compact kitchen, which did everything
mechanically but digest your food, opened from a dinette. Behind the
front rooms lay three spacious bedrooms, which gave onto a balcony. He
opened the glass doors, passed out into the sunshine.
Building number F12 was on the outskirts of Behrl, and a jungle of
riotous vegetation met his eye. The horizon curved up like a bowl
before disappearing in rosy mists.
Here on the inside of Neptune the sun always hung straight overhead.
A land of high noon, he thought. The sun beat down on his head. He
wondered what kind of phenomenon it was, possibly a ball of liquid fire
slowly burning itself out. The resultant high percentage of carbon
dioxide in the air might account for the evolution of plants into
reasoning creatures rather than mammals.
He returned to the kitchen. The cabinets were stocked with food and he
prepared a cold lunch, ate it hungrily. A feeling of contentment stole
over him.
He returned to the bedrooms, chose the largest one, stripped and
showered and flung himself into the bed. He was immediately asleep.