with her. The team travel to the depths of space, searching for their enemy. During an attack, Underhill is unable to follow Lady May's thoughts fast enough and the Dragon touches his mind, sending excruciating pain throughout his body. The battle lasts less than the blink of an eye, and the ship lands safely. Underhill is hospitalized and a doctor tells him that he was within a tenth of a millisecond of going insane, but the only thing that concerns Underhill is his partner, Lady May, and her well-being. A secretly jealous and angry nurse walks in and Underhill compares her to Lady May. Logically, he understands that Lady May is only a cat, but his mind tells him that no woman will ever equal her. Reception "The Game of Rat and Dragon" was nominated for the 1956 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. References Sources Hartwell, David G., and Kathryn Cramer. The Space Opera Renaissance. New York: Orb Books, 2007. External links Cordwainer Smith official website Short stories by Cordwainer Smith 1955 short stories