Blue Doctor seemed sincere in his agreement to work with Dal and Tiger
as a team.

But bit by bit Dal could sense that the change in Jack's attitude went
deeper than the surface. "You know, I really think he was _scared_ of
me," Dal said one night when he and Tiger were alone. "Sounds silly, but
I think it's true. He pretends to be so sure of himself, but I think
he's as worried about doing things wrong as we are, and just won't admit
it. And he really thought I was a threat when I came aboard."

"He probably had a good thorough briefing from Black Doctor Tanner
before he got the assignment," Tiger said grimly.

"Maybe--but somehow I don't think he cares for the Black Doctor much
more than we do."

But whatever the reason, much of the tension was gone when the _Lancet_
had left the Moruan system behind. A great weight seemed to have been
lifted, and if there was not quite peace on board, at least there was an
uneasy truce. Tiger and Jack were almost friendly, talking together more
often and getting to know each other better. Jack still avoided Dal and
seldom included him in conversations, but the open contempt of the first
few weeks on the ship now seemed tempered somewhat.

Once again the _Lancet_'s calls fell into a pattern. Landings on the
outpost planets became routine, bright spots in a lonely and wandering
existence. The calls that came in represented few real problems. The
ship stopped at one contract planet to organize a mass inoculation
program against a parasitic infestation resembling malaria. They paused
at another place to teach the native doctors the use of some new