It was Shairn's turn now to stand like a trapped thing, searching for
escape and not finding it.
Trehearne said, "May I move now?" His voice was a bit shaky with relief.
Joris grinned. "I didn't want you throwing yourself around. Somebody
might have got hurt. Yes, you can move."
Shairn burst out. "I can't understand this, Joris! You, of all
people--it's insane!"
"Perhaps. But I think Trehearne would understand." He scowled at his
own hands, brooding, and then he said, "It doesn't matter who knows
now. I did the forbidden thing. I married a woman of another world, a
non-Vardda. I had a son. He wanted to fly the stars. He used to beg me
to take him aboard my ship. After all, he was my son, half-Vardda. He
thought he could do it. He hid himself away in my cabin and--the Vardda
blood had not bred true in him." He glanced briefly at Trehearne. "He
was not quite eighteen. I never flew another voyage after that."
He got up, kicking the empty bottle away. "I guess that was why I first
gave Trehearne his chance. It seemed to make up in a way for--"
He broke off abruptly. "Well, that's over and done with. We have other
things to think about and not much time to do them in. Trehearne,
you've upset my plans rather badly by fetching in Miss Spitfire here."
"It wasn't intentional." He went to Joris. "Is it true then? You're
going to get Edri free?"
"I'm going to try. You see, this is a thing I could only do once. I've
had to sit here for years, watching more than one good man go out to
Thuvis, waiting--waiting for the time when I could make my action
really count. Now it's here." He turned and glowered at Shairn. "The
main question is--what are we going to do with you?"
She answered him angrily and without fear. "Whatever you do you'll live
to regret it!"
"H'm," said Joris. "Tie her up again, Trehearne."
He did so with immense pleasure. This time he used stouter bonds and
took extra pains with the knots.
Joris paced up and down, thinking hard. "I hate to say this but there's
only one place I know of where there's no danger of her being found
before we're gone. And that's aboard the ship."