Baliagorev pursed his thin, bluish lips.

Jill cut in, "There will be no discussions of politics of any sort as long as my patient is in intensive care." Turning sternly to Baliagorev, she shook a stubby finger at him. "We haven't brought you back from clinical death just so you can kill 373 yourself with excitement over politics!"

Landau broke into a laugh. "She's right, Nicholai Ivano- vich. This is no time to discuss politics."

The old man raised his wispy eyebrows. "Very well. You have performed your miracle, and you don't want your Lazarus to suffer a relapse, eh? But will you be discussing politics with our countrymen, Alexsei Alexandrovich?"

The Russian doctor shook his head gravely. "No. I promise you."

"You can trust Alexsei," Jill said.

"I'm sure you can trust him," Baliagorev muttered. Then, with a crooked grin that threatened to turn into a leer, "Admit it, Jilyushka, you were necking with this bearded rascal, eh?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I was,"Jill admitted cheerfully. "And if you don't stop teasing, I'll put nothing but male nurses in here with you."

The Russian hesitated only for a moment, "H'mm ... if they are young and tender ..."

"You're impossible!"

Kinsman managed to say, "All right. Listen, Jill, Alex- sei: your patient will have to stay here several more days, won't he?"

"At least a week," Landau answered.

"I could arrange to have a relapse," Baliagorev said.

Kinsman raised a hand. "Let's allow things to work themselves out for a week." Before they could argue or object, he ducked back out through the doorway and headed down the corridor.

But he heard the ballet master's voice saying gently, "Now then, Jilyushka, there is no reason why you could not become a first-rate dancer here on the Moon. With this low gravity, and me to teach you, we could work miracles."

Kinsman shook his head and wished that he felt good enough to smile,

The corridor lights had just turned down to their evening level as Kinsman padded from his office toward his quarters. Got to talk to Leonov again, he was telling himself. Maybe he can get his kids to visit him here before—

"Chet! Chet, wait up, will you?" It was Jill Meyers 374 scampering after him. She had a child's wide grin on her face.

He smiled back at her as she ran up and said breathlessly, "He's proposed to me!"

"That dirty old man?"

"No, not Baliagorev," Jill replied, beaming. "Alexsei! We're going to get married!"

Something inside Kinsman went cold.

"You're invited to the party," Jill was saying. "It's already started, over at my quarters."

"Married," he repeated.

"Yes! 'Here Comes the Bride' and all that stuff! Isn't it wild?"