Then I ran an hour of simulations in the practice turret, and Felcie tried it also."
"And how did you like it, Felcie?"
"I-I didn"t do very well." Almost in a whisper she spoke.
Limmer frowned, then shook his head. Felcie said, "I"m sorry, captain."
"No, no-I don"t mean that! What it is-but you can"t help it, I suppose-I wish you weren"t afraid of me. And you are, aren"t you?"
"I_".
"This face-I can"t blame you. But it"s too bad, because you-you could almost be my daughter, if I"d had one. A few years too old, you are, but not much." He leaned forward; Rissa saw Felcie trying not to flinch. "You look almost like her, some younger than when we met-"
"Who-?"
"The woman who was with me ten years and more-from long before we escaped until-" He shook his head. "UET caught us at Franklin"s Jump. I got the ship away, barely, but they holed us-and that"s where she was."
The man had tears in his eyes. "You remember her, Tregare?"
"Vanessa Largane? Of course. And you"re right. I only saw her-oh, about biological thirty, I"d guess, and her hair was longer. But take off a few years, and with a UET regulation haircut-yes, Felcie"s practically her image."
Felcie"s eyes brimmed. She reached forward, hesitated, then put her hand to Limmer"s scarred cheek. "I am sorry, captain. And I promise-I won"t be afraid of you any more. It was just that-"
"I know." Rissa said it quickly. "I did not, myself, immediately appreciate Captain Limmer as he has shown he deserves."
180.
Limmer rose. "I can"t imagine what"s holding up the food here. I"ll go see." He walked away.
Tregare began to speak, but Felcie interrupted. "Oh-I"m so ashamed!"
Tregare gripped her hand. "Don"t be. You reacted the way everybody does. Then you made it up to him. Not everybody does that."
"But he"s your friend-I should"ve realized!"
"Peace on a pedestal!" Tregare"s hand slapped the table. "Quit flipping your string, Felcie-I tell you, you"ve nothing to regret." He smiled. "That"s the first time I know of that he"s been able to talk of Vanessa since-it happened. Now-" He looked around. "Here he comes-and likely wanting no more said about it."
Felcie nodded. Limmer sat and said, "There was a mixup. We"ll be served now." His prophecy was a good one; they ate without conversation until food was gone and coffee into its second pouring. Then Limmer said, "What"s on the afternoon schedule, Tregare? I"m free if you need me."
"Sure. Come along if you like but I"ll only be checking the cutmarks on No Return"s hull plates. Not the most interesting job of the lot." He turned to Rissa. "You have anything special you want to do?"
"I had thought, since Felcie is here, to take the aircar and let her see something of the plains below."
Felcie said, "Thanks, Tari, but how about another day?" She turned. "Captain Limmer?" Rissa frowned, but Felcie ignored her. "Do you have-pictures-of Vanessa Largane?"
"Why, yes-I guess so. In my quarters someplace. I haven"t looked-for so long. But-" He did not ask the question that showed in his face.
"Could I see them? I mean-if it"s all right?"
After a pause, Limmer nodded. "Sure." He stood. "Come with me. Maybe it"s time I looked again, too." He took her arm as she rose and led her out. At the doorway he turned and said, "Long as you don"t need me on those hull plates, Tregare-"
Rissa shook her head. "I fear she pushes him too fast, Bran -as she did the controls in the practice turret."
Tregare smiled. "People are more flexible than computers.
181.
If he couldn"t face up to it, he wouldn"t have agreed." He drank the last of his coffee.
"You want to come see how we cut hull plates?"
"Not especially. But if that is what you must do, I will join you."
TREGARE erased a marking and redrew it. "It"s not as simple as it looks," he said. "The hole has to match the trumpet-shaped funnel that seals to the projector"s pivot mount.
The funnel"s not symmetrical-you"ve seen one?" She nodded. "So we set it for lefthand or right-simpler than making two models-and I have to compensate."
He grinned. "The missiles, now-that"s simpler. But for all of it we"ll need duplicate covers- in case we have to use the camouflage trick more than once."
"And my idea, for extra turrets on No Return,makes it no easier."
"Worth it, though-if they surprise the h.e.l.l out of somebody at the right time."
She touched his arm. "Time, Bran-will there be enough?"
He shrugged. "Who knows? We"ll keep pushing, as if we did know. Two more ships, though-I wish we had them already. That costs me sleep, some nights."
"I know-I wake to hear you breathing as no sleeper does."
His arm hugged her shoulders. "Next time, say h.e.l.lo."
Before she could answer, two men brought a drawing, arguing over its interpretation.
Looking, Tregare found the flaw. "That circle"s from somebody"s coffee cup. Don"t try to work on your break time-not with a sepia print."
When the men had left, he said, "More likely they were sneaking breaks into work time-but the way I said it, they"ll listen better."
She nodded. "Yes. You have a good touch, Bran, with such matters."
"Maybe; I hope so. Hey-I"m done here! Let"s us take the aircar down the hills."
182.
TREGAREflew it; Rissa pointed and said, "There-toward the water, the Big Sink!"
"All right, if you want-but we can"t get all the way there and back before dark. How about the hummocks off there to the south? Want to see those?" She agreed.
The pattern of hummocks covered miles-each mound roughly fifty feet high and three hundred across, s.p.a.ced irregularly and densely covered with short gra.s.slike growth.
"Bran? Shall we land on one?"
"No. There"s some odd stories from the early days-I don"t know how true, and 1 don"t want to find out the hard way. I"ll set us down in that gap-looks like a river used to run there."
Aground, they walked along the dry canyon and looked up at the hummocks to either side. The sun"s heat warmed them. They came to the edge of a cliff, where the canyon floor dropped, looked down into the shadows for a time, then turned back. Rissa"s foot caught against a rock; she stumbled. Tregare caught her arm; momentum swung her to face him squarely.
She broke the kiss. "Here? The ground is rough." A moment later she laughed and said, "With our clothes on, Bran?"
"Why not?"
"All right-but wait! There is a rock under me!
"Now-that is better."
SHE lay, his face against her shoulder, and looked into distance; she felt joy that they shared peace. Then she saw it.
"Bran!"
"What?"
"Look!" She pointed; he lifted his head and turned to see. From the nearest hummock something had raised-long and thin, shockingly swift. It lashed the air, then swept the ground around the hummock. Rissa smelled a stench like stagnant swamp. The thing raised itself again, emitted a harsh, clacking sound, then retracted and was gone. Rissa said, "I am glad you knew not to land us there."
He whistled, a short, tuneless burst. "I never saw that before. Don"t know anyone who has-it was just Backhills talk. Well, now we know."
183.
As they got up, she said, "But we do not, Bran. We know it is big and looks dangerous. We have not seen it do any harm."
Now they walked; he reached to stroke her hair. "Let someone else find out about that. You and I-we"ll just leave it alone."
"Yes, Bran." And a few steps further; "I would like to fly the car now."
"Sure." When they got in, she lifted it and flew over a few hummocks, not high.
Twice the ground split and something reached for them, but each time she sped away.
"What do you think?" she said. "Is the reaction defensive or predatory? And in either case, what possible natural target could there be?"
He shook his head. "I"ve got no idea, and I"m not inclined to investigate."
"Yes-we face enough dangers without seeking new ones."
Now she flew faster, rising to clear the ridge above, and the next. Her angle of approach was unfamiliar, but soon she located the peak with the slanted tip, then the half-circle ridge, and finally the crater.
She landed near Lefthand Thread. As they stepped outside, Felcie came down the ship"s ramp to greet them. Rissa said, "Are you ready to go upslope with us? Or are there things yet to be discussed here, first?"
"Well-I-"
Tregare said, "If we"re invited to stay for dinner, I accept."
"That"s not-well, maybe so-" said Felcie. "But let me say something." She took a deep breath. "I"m staying here- with Derek."
Rissa looked at her, then at Tregare. "Derek?"
"Limmer," said Tregare. "I hadn"t heajd his first name in years."
Rissa said, "Felcie! What has happened?"
The girl laughed. "Well-I"m married, I think. Not that it matters-but is it valid, a ship"s captain and all, you"re in bed with him and he stops in the middle and says the ceremony -and then you finish?"
Rissa stepped forward and cupped the girl"s face between both hands, looking up into her eyes. "And is it-yes, of course-I see it is right for you. But I am surprised- that all has moved so quickly."
184.
Felcie grinned. "I guess I"m shameless. When I cut him out from you after lunch, I knew what I wanted. Sure didn"t expect to getmarried, though-or not so soon, anyway."
Tregare moved and clasped her to him. "Somebody should kiss the bride."
When he was done, Rissa said, "I think you have done the job completely."
"And who better?" It was Limmer, descending the ramp. "Tregare-Tari-stay and help us celebrate, will you?"
Tregare gripped his shoulder tightly. "I"ll celebrate you under the table, you old war dog. You may be prettier, but I"m the better drinker."
THEY went to Limmer"s quarters. Dinner was late, sketchy, and fragmented, but drink and drugsticks abounded. Rissa enjoyed the euphoria and heightened sensations, but realized she paid for them in a shortened, fragile attention span.
Once she found herself hugging Felcie, both of them laughing and crying at the same time.
Then they sat side by side, solemnly listening as Limmer and Tregare sang. The song began, "When I was a boy at U.E.T., twice a week they maybe let you pee-"
Then the two men"s versions differed, and Rissa could make out none of the worlds until the chorus line, twice repeated.
Yes, THAT is the reason, you can plainly see, Why there"s only one latrine in all of U! E! T!
Laughing and breathless, the men pummeled each other"s shoulders. Tregare said, "You got the middle wrong, Limmer! It goes "Some time later, when we were men, they told us we could hold it twice as long again." Now let"s try it once more."
Rissa shook her head and missed Limmer"s protest as she retreated to the bathroom. For a moment she closed her eyes; when she opened them, she had forgotten where she was.
She heard loud voices and opened the door. Limmer and Felcie, nude, were embracing.
Tregare clapped his hands and chanted. "Don"t wait-celebrate! Don"t wait-celebratel"
She went to him; he kissed and held her, mumbling words she could not understand. He laughed and pointed; she turned 185.
and saw the newlyweds coupling. "Us too?" he said.
She shook her head. "Not here. And-Bran, I do not feel well."
"You lie down, then. Next cabin"s empty." He led her to it; she sat heavily on the bed, then lay on one side, drawing her knees up. He touched her shoulder. "You all right?"