"The slipped on the leaky scrubber tale?" Brill asked.

"Yeah, that's the one."

"You don't think it's true?"

"I think he may well think it's true, but I'm not sure he knows."

"How could he not know?" Diane asked.

"If somebody hits you from behind with a big wrench, and you wake up having people telling you that you slipped and fell, what would you think?"

"What?" Brill asked.

I shrugged. "It's possible that they were at the end of their collective ropes with him. Either afraid that he was putting the ship in danger or just tired of cleaning up his messes."

They both gaped at me. "Do you think somebody would try to hurt him?" Brill asked.

"Would you, if you thought he was putting the ship in danger?" I asked.

"Why not just fire him?" Diane asked.

"I don't know, but that's an interesting question, isn't it? Are there any big-wigs named Colby in Federated Freight?"

They both shrugged.

"Well, the ship is getting under way in less than two days and this may be the last chance we can go out to dinner together for a long time. You guys in?"

"Oh my," Diane said. "It is."

Brill took a deep breath and said, "Yes, let's do."

"Okay, main lock at 18:30? Is that enough time to get yourself together, Di?"

"Yup, should be, but..."

"I know," I said. "But we are going to go have some fun and as for the rest, we just need to trust Lois."

"Trust Lois? To do what?" Diane asked.

I just smiled. "Whatever needs doing and to let us know if there's something we need to do for her." I waved as I headed for berthing to wash up and change.

Chapter Fifteen.

Betrus...o...b..tal

352-June-17

When Sean woke me for watch, I managed not to sc.r.a.pe my knee getting out of the bunk. I had a hard time believing that it would be my last full day aboard the Lois. It just didn't seem possible-even as I showered and cleaned my teeth. I even said to the face in the mirror, "I can't leave. I'm not done here, yet." He didn't look like he believed me and I had a sudden pang over the yet part. It was the first time that I really thought that I might be put ash.o.r.e. The realization that I had not been aboard a year just compounded the off balance feeling.

I contemplated the idea that we may have had just one too many gla.s.ses of wine over dinner. I made a mental note to ask Fong if he had any incriminating evidence of our return when I relieved him. In the mean time, I finished zipping into my shipsuit and fetched some sustenance from the galley. I didn't eat much as I wasn't hungry, but the coffee tasted good. Pip had taken my advice on the number two urn, and the pastry had a different texture. I suspected that Sarah had been busy.

Fong just shook his head and laughed. "You looked perfectly sober and relaxed coming back in."

"How much do you want for the digitals?" I asked him with a grin.

"Seriously, I didn't take any digitals," he insisted.

"Okay, video?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, if I had any salacious evidence of misconduct between you and any member of the crew, I could get big creds, but I'm doomed to remain a poverty-stricken s.p.a.cer of uncertain provenance."

"Who would be bidding?"

"Almost any of the women aboard. Rhon's been capturing the lock pickups just on the odd chance," he said with a laugh.

"You are kidding, right?"

"Yes," he said with a smug grin, "but I had you going, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you got me."

We shared a laugh and he headed into the ship. He was a nice guy. I hoped I wasn't going to be put in the position of having to miss him.

About half a stan later, Mr. von Ickles ambled out to the watch stander station. "Good morning, Mr. w.a.n.g. Are you enjoying your last gangway watch?"

"Oh yes, sar. A regular laugh riot, sar."

"The Boulton is en route to Umber, but I've got a query at the orbital there. It'll hold until she makes contact. We should have a reply by the time we hit Niol. I talked to Mr. Maxwell and he's contacted the station medical for an update on Mr. Colby's medical records for our files. Those we should have any minute now. No word yet on why he might have high level protection, but if what you suspect is right, we'll have enough doc.u.mentation by the time we get to Niol to take action and find out for ourselves."

"You keep saying we, Mr. von Ickles."

"Do I?" he said with a smirk. "I mean the ship, of course."

"Of course, sar, easily misunderstood, sar."

"You instincts are right, though," he said. "Something's not right there. We just need to find out what."

"I appreciate the information, sar. Thank you."

He winked and headed back into the ship.

The shift continued with the usual comings and goings. I even saw Beverly crawling back aboard-mid morning. She looked terrible.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"No!" she snapped. "You cannot leave the ship yet. I'm not done with you." Without further explanation, she stumbled down the pa.s.sageway toward the berthing area.

I sighed. I hoped all this was moot. Even with all the rea.s.surance from the various indicators, I still had no job and, according to the existing scenario, I would be leaving the ship in the morning. I sighed again and bipped Art for another coffee.

When Rhon relieved me that night she looked subdued. She thought I was leaving. She did all but throw her arms around me and sob. I told her I would see her in the morning.

Mr. Maxwell met me at the head of the pa.s.sage and said, "Expect a summons to the captain's cabin around 09:00, Mr. w.a.n.g. You're at liberty, but please be aboard no later than 08:30."

"Aye, aye, sar," I said.

He nodded then and ambled back up the pa.s.sage and climbed the ladder to officer country.

Whatever they were planning, I would know in a few stans. In the meantime, dinner sang its siren song as the aroma of spiced beefalo wafted all the way out from the galley and I followed the call.

For a last night in port, it was pretty busy on the mess deck. I heard several people making plans for going out later so it was not turning into one of those hunker down and wait it out nights. I contemplated the possibility of heading to Infinity myself. If the hints were real, then I could expect something odd to happen in the morning and I would be leaving on the Lois. One more night out before heading into the Deep Dark sounded good. As I filled my plate, I looked around for somebody to go with.

"Hey, Ish!" Pip said. "Fancy a bit of a boy's night out? Last night in port, you know."

"Just what I was thinking," I told him. "You have any ideas?"

"Several, but they'll have to keep until later." He clapped me on the shoulder and scurried back to the kitchen.

I found a seat with Brill, Francis, and Diane. "Are you saving this for CC?" I asked with a grin.

"Short-timers can sit here, I guess," Francis said with a smile. I plunked myself down.

"Where is he, anyway?" I asked.

"Getting changed for liberty. He has some goodbyes to say, apparently," Brill said, her face deadpan.

"Thanks for dinner last night, guys," I said to Diane and Brill. "It meant a lot."

Francis turned to me and lowered his voice. "Are you really leaving?" he asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. I don't think so, but I have no job at the moment. I'm on liberty until 08:30 and I have to be ready to meet with the captain at 09:00."

"Cutting it a little close, aren't they?" he asked.

"Not if they're planning on leaving me here."

He frowned in thought. "True."

I turned to Brill and Diane then. "How'd golden boy do on watch today?"

"No maintenance scheduled for today," Diane said. "So no new evidence."

"Well, I guess all you can do is keep an eye on him."

They nodded and we all dug into dinner. The beefalo was delicious and Cookie even came out of the galley to say hi.

"So, have you any news for us, Ishmael?" he asked.

"Sorry, Cookie. I think I'll be finding out in the morning just before pull out."

"Sarah thinks that Lois isn't done with you, and I believe she is right. So, what would you like for dinner tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Tomorrow night you'll be underway, Cookie," I pointed out.

"Exactly, so what would you like?" His grin lit up the table.

"You know that chicken with cream sauce you make with the pasta and vegetables?"

"Indeed," he said, "that's what we'll have for dinner tomorrow night, then." He clapped me on the shoulder, "Have fun with Pip tonight, but stay out of trouble!" He shook a warning finger at me and headed back to the galley.

"Lois isn't done with you?" Francis asked.

"If that's what Sarah thinks, who am I to argue?"

"Well, at least we know what we're having for dinner tomorrow," he said.

Diane and Brill just looked sad. I turned to Brill and asked, "Are you going out tonight, too?"

She just shook her head. "After Dunsany, I'm still a little raw."

Diane and I both burst out laughing. Francis looked confused. When Brill's brain finally caught up with what her mouth had said she just groaned and hung her head, but she was smiling.

I looked at Francis, "And you? Big plans?"

He shook his head, "I used up all my big plans days ago. I just want a good night's sleep and to shake this system off my shoes. I wanna be moving again."

We all finished our dinners. The spicy beefalo was spectacular and I savored every morsel. As certain as I was that the ship would not leave without me, I could not ignore the reality that I might be sitting on the orbital watching them go. There was a lesson for me there. As sure as I was, it was all out of my control. I chuckled at the idea that I had ever thought anything else.

When we broke up, Diane headed back to environmental, Brill headed for her bunk, and Francis headed for the sauna. Brill looked over her shoulder at me as she left. "See you at breakfast," she said, and stepped out into the pa.s.sage. I sighed, wishing it could be breakfast in bed. I caught Pip's eye in the galley and pointed down mouthing the word "berthing" and he nodded.

It was time to get ready. I wondered idly if the Alistair tag team were going to be out.

By 20:30, Pip and I checked out with Rhon at the gangway.

"You are coming back, aren't you?" she asked uncertainly.