Retief awoke at a tap on his door.
"It's me, Mister. Chip."
"Come on in."
The chef entered the room, locking the door.
"You shoulda had that door locked." He stood by the door, listening,
then turned to Retief.
"You want to get to Jorgensen's perty bad, don't you, Mister?"
"That's right, Chip."
"Mr. Tony give the captain a real hard time about old Skaw. The
Sweaties didn't say nothin'. Didn't even act surprised, just took the
remains and pushed off. But Mr. Tony and that other crook they call
Marbles, they was fit to be tied. Took the cap'n in his cabin and
talked loud at him fer half a hour. Then the cap'n come out and give
some orders to the Mate."
Retief sat up and reached for a cigar.
"Mr. Tony and Skaw were pals, eh?"
"He hated Skaw's guts. But with him it was business. Mister, you got a
gun?"
"A 2mm needler. Why?"
"The orders cap'n give was to change course fer Alabaster. We're
by-passin' Jorgensen's Worlds. We'll feel the course change any minute."
Retief lit the cigar, reached under the mattress and took out a
short-barreled pistol. He dropped it in his pocket, looked at Chip.
"Maybe it was a good thought, at that. Which way to the Captain's
cabin?"
* * * * *
"This is it," Chip said softly. "You want me to keep an eye on who
comes down the passage?"
Retief nodded, opened the door and stepped into the cabin. The captain
looked up from his desk, then jumped up.
"What do you think you're doing, busting in here?"
"I hear you're planning a course change, Captain."
"You've got damn big ears."
"I think we'd better call in at Jorgensen's."
"You do, huh?" the captain sat down. "I'm in command of this vessel,"
he said. "I'm changing course for Alabaster."
"I wouldn't find it convenient to go to Alabaster," Retief said. "So
just hold your course for Jorgensen's."
"Not bloody likely."
"Your use of the word 'bloody' is interesting, Captain. Don't try to
change course."
The captain reached for the mike on his desk, pressed the key.
"Power Section, this is the captain," he said. Retief reached across
the desk, gripped the captain's wrist.
"Tell the mate to hold his present course," he said softly.
"Let go my hand, buster," the captain snarled. Eyes on Retief's, he
eased a drawer open with his left hand, reached in. Retief kneed the
drawer. The captain yelped and dropped the mike.
"You busted it, you--"
"And one to go," Retief said. "Tell him."
"I'm an officer of the Merchant Service!"
"You're a cheapjack who's sold his bridge to a pack of back-alley
hoods."
"You can't put it over, hick."
"Tell him."
The captain groaned and picked up the mike. "Captain to Power Section,"
he said. "Hold your present course until you hear from me." He dropped
the mike and looked up at Retief.
"It's eighteen hours yet before we pick up Jorgensen Control. You going
to sit here and bend my arm the whole time?"
Retief released the captain's wrist and turned to the door.
"Chip, I'm locking the door. You circulate around, let me know what's
going on. Bring me a pot of coffee every so often. I'm sitting up with
a sick friend."
"Right, Mister. Keep an eye on that jasper; he's slippery."
"What are you going to do?" the captain demanded.
Retief settled himself in a chair.
"Instead of strangling you, as you deserve," he said, "I'm going to
stay here and help you hold your course for Jorgensen's Worlds."
The captain looked at Retief. He laughed, a short bark.
"Then I'll just stretch out and have a little nap, farmer. If you feel
like dozing off sometime during the next eighteen hours, don't mind me."
Retief took out the needler and put it on the desk before him.
"If anything happens that I don't like," he said, "I'll wake you up.
With this."
* * * * *
"Why don't you let me spell you, Mister?" Chip said. "Four hours to go
yet. You're gonna hafta be on yer toes to handle the landing."
"I'll be all right, Chip. You get some sleep."
"Nope. Many's the time I stood four, five watches runnin', back when I
was yer age. I'll make another round."
Retief stood up, stretched his legs, paced the floor, stared at the
repeater instruments on the wall. Things had gone quietly so far, but
the landing would be another matter. The captain's absence from the
bridge during the highly complex maneuvering would be difficult to
explain....
The desk speaker crackled.
"Captain, Officer of the Watch here. Ain't it about time you was
getting up here with the orbit figures?"
Retief nudged the captain. He awoke with a start, sat up.
"Whazzat?" He looked wild-eyed at Retief.
"Watch officer wants orbit figures," Retief said, nodding toward the
speaker.
The captain rubbed his eyes, shook his head, picked up the mike. Retief
released the safety on the needler with an audible click.
"Watch Officer, I'll ... ah ... get some figures for you right away.
I'm ... ah ... busy right now."
"What the hell you talking about, busy?" the speaker blared. "You
ain't got them figures ready, you'll have a hell of a hot time getting
'em up in the next three minutes. You forgot your approach pattern or
something?"
"I guess I overlooked it," the Captain said, looking sideways at
Retief. "I've been busy."
"One for your side," Retief said. He reached for the captain.
"I'll make a deal," the captain squalled. "Your life for--"
Retief took aim and slammed a hard right to the captain's jaw. He
slumped to the floor.
Retief glanced around the room, yanked wires loose from a motile lamp,
trussed the man's hands and feet, stuffed his mouth with paper and
taped it.
Chip tapped at the door. Retief opened it and the chef stepped inside,
looking at the man on the floor.
"The jasper tried somethin', huh? Figured he would. What we goin' to do
now?"
"The captain forgot to set up an approach, Chip. He outfoxed me."
"If we overrun our approach pattern," Chip said, "we can't make orbit
at Jorgensen's on automatic. And a manual approach--"
"That's out. But there's another possibility."
Chip blinked. "Only one thing you could mean, Mister. But cuttin' out
in a lifeboat in deep space is no picnic."
"They're on the port side, aft, right?"