?No can do.?Rains gestured at the seemingly endless length of tunnel that lay before them. ?We’ve at least got to check out the rest of this stretch or Dillon’ll pound us.?

?What he don’t know won’t irritate him. I won’t tell. How about you, Golic??The third member of the trio was digging through his backpack. Hearing his name he looked up, frowned, and uttered a low, vaguely inquisitive sound. ?That’s what I thought.?

Golic approached an ancient cigarette machine. Kicking the lock off, he yanked open the door and began loading packs of preserved narcosticks into his duffel. Naturally he chewed as he worked.

On the surface the noise would have been far less noticeable, but in the restricted surroundings and total silence of the tunnel the third man’s rumbling maceration resounded like a large, improperly lubricated piece of machinery. Boggs grumbled.

?Can’t you chew with your mouth closed? Or better yet, swallow that crap you’re eating whole? I’m trying to figure how big this compartment is so we can decide if it’s legit toxic storage or some miner’s private stock, and I can’t think with all the goddamn noise you’re making.?

Rains rustled the chart disapprovingly. ?Just because we’re away from the others doesn’t mean we, should ignore the precepts. You’re not supposed to swear.?

Boggs’s mouth tightened. ?Sorry.?He stared daggers at Golic, who quite naturally ignored them. Finally he gave up and rose to squint down the tunnel. ?We’ve circled this entire section once. That’s all anyone could ask. How many 103 candles, again??There was no reply from the floor. ?Rains, how many candles??

His companion wasn’t listening. Instead he was scratching himself furiously, an intense nervous reaction that had nothing whatsoever to do with the bugs, who didn’t live in the shafts anyway. It was so uncharacteristic, so atypical, that it even managed the daunting task of drawing Golic’s attention away from his food. Boggs found himself staring fixedly back the way they’d come.

One by one, the candles which traced their path back to the surface were going out.

?What the shit is doing that??

Golic pursed his lips, wiping food crumbs from his mouth with the back of one hand. ?You’re not supposed to swear.?

?Shut up!?Not fear-there was nothing to fear in the tunnels-but concern had crept into Boggs’s voice. ?It’s okay to say ‘shit.’ It’s not against God.?

?How do you know??Golic muttered with almost childlike curiosity.

?Because I asked him the last time we talked and he said it was okay. Now shut up.?

?Dillon’ll scream if we don’t come back with anything,?Golic pointed out. The mystery was making him positively voluble. Boggs decided he preferred it when the other man did nothing but eat.