Holloway was pacing the floor, his eyes blank and terrible
"Unacceptable?"
"Course and position should be noted within each twenty-four hour
period. You missed June 5th entirely. You--" Kennedy leafed through
the pages. "Why at times you missed three and four days in sequence!"
"Sometimes I didn't have time to write."
Mason tried to hide his disgust. How did men like Kennedy get into
positions they weren't fitted for? The ass! Couldn't he see this man
was suffering? Mason said, "Why not reserve comment until you've
finished, Mr. Kennedy?"
Kennedy's eyes widened at the sharp tone of Mason's voice. Really.
When residents start dictating to Examiners--Kennedy saw the stiffness
in Mason's face. And something more. He went quickly back to his
reading:
_June 6, 1:00 p. m._
I talked some more with Murdo about this fool cruise. He got wind of
our destination--wherever it is--from some rich idiot in Paris. And I
don't use _idiot_ figuratively. His informant was in some kind of a
private nut house--an exclusive insane asylum of idiots with lots of
money--and he had lucid intervals. At one of these times he told Murdo
where he'd been and what had happened. I don't think Murdo believes
all of it but he wants to see for himself. Well, if he wants to spend
his money chasing meteorites it's his business.
Keebler got drunk as a goat. Strapped him in his bunk and left him
there. Murdo spent a few hours explaining guns to Mrs. Keebler. I
think he enjoys the look of wonder on her face. Makes him feel very
superior knowledgewise. Her face is just built that way and so far as
she's concerned he could be talking Greek. He thinks she's very
beautiful. I wonder if he ever saw Melody's picture?
Course 36.829 by the Orion angle. All clear.
_June 9th, 1:00 a. m._
Course 36.841 by the Orion angle. Small asteroids.
Jane Kelvey is bored and has started taking it out on me. When I
passed her door it was open. She was taking a sponge bath, stark naked
in the middle of the cabin. She turned around to face me and did a
very bad job of acting flustered, trying to cover herself up with a
small sponge! How crude can a female get? She was hoping I'd come in.
If I had it would have been to slap her face. I got away as fast as I
could.
_June 10th, 7 p. m._
Course 41.864 by the Orion angle. Brushed a small asteroid.
I've been noting the time wrong. It should be figured on a
twenty-four-hour cycle. Midnight to midnight, the hell with it.
Had a fight with Murdo. He wanted to take over the ship. His words
were, "Let's get some speed out of this slop bucket." I reminded him I
was Captain. He reminded me he was footing the bills. I asked him how
he would like to be locked in his cabin for the remainder of the
cruise? He didn't say, but I guess he wouldn't have liked it because
he quieted down. Keebler has been quietly drunk for the last two days.
Lucky Keebler.
_June 13th, 18 hours._
Course 26.932 by the Virgo angle. Went four degrees off course to
avoid small planetoid.
Jane Kelvey came to my cabin an hour ago. The rest were asleep. She
wore a blue dressing gown with nothing under it. I want to set down
what happened in case there's ever a kickback although I don't think
there ever will be.
I was sitting in a chair and she came up behind me and it was very
unfortunate because I saw the blue dressing gown first. By sheer
chance it was almost exactly like the one Melody wore that first
night. I was thinking of Melody. Melody was all around me and inside
me. In my mind, in my heart, in all my aching regrets.
So when that dressing gown brushed me, something electric happened
inside and I got up and took Jane Kelvey in my arms. It wasn't more
than three or four seconds but in that time the gown had been brushed
aside. Then I came to my senses and pushed her away.
The dressing gown stayed parted. She stepped back, confused. She said,
"What's the matter? Are you scared?"
"I'm disgusted. Button your gown. Get out of here!"
"What are you? Not one of those noble creatures I hope--who wouldn't
touch a man's wife."
"I said get out! I wouldn't touch you regardless."
"But you just did."
"It was a mistake. I--"
"Look--I'm a woman. You're a man--I think. We're alone in space and
life is short. Let's have fun and then forget about it."
I slapped her across the mouth. A skipper can be jailed for life for
striking a passenger. Even with cause. But I slapped her and I'm
setting it down in the log....
* * * * *
Kennedy looked up from his reading. "Jane Kelvey--she is the dead
one?"
Mason nodded.
Kennedy looked at Holloway with marked severity. "Are you sure you
only slapped her?"
Mason exploded. "Good God, man. Did you see the body? You're not
implying he did that to her, are you?"
"I'm not implying anything," Kennedy said within a restrained grimness
that infuriated Mason.
"Why don't you finish the log before you start passing judgment?"
Kennedy leafed through the pages. "I--wait a minute! This log doesn't
cover the whole cruise! It breaks off in the middle of a sentence!"
"Read what's there, man! Read what's there."
"Very serious--very serious," Kennedy muttered. "Not completing a log.
No license should have been issued this man. Lax! Very lax." He sat
back to make himself more comfortable and prepared to go on with his
reading.
_June 30th--3 hours_
Course 29.341 by the Virgo angle. I think that's the course. The
instruments are acting funny. In fact a lot of things seem to be
wrong. Some of the constellations aren't in the right places anymore.
I began noticing these things a couple of days ago and spoke to Murdo.
I suggested we turn back. I told him it was my duty as a skipper to
look out for the welfare of my passengers. And that included not
continuing if vital instruments showed signs of failure.
He sneered at me and said, "I thought you were a big game hunter,
Holloway?"