To take the first point, I know youre not so stupid as to think theres anything you can possibly do for Bash. Hes been effectively brain-dead ever since our encounter with the Wanderer. Hell never again be able to look after himself or feed himself. He cant even walk without being guided. Even if you rescued him, theres not enough left of his mind for him ever to be able to thank you.

Hes my friend, she said. I know this is a hard concept for you to understand, but that means hes important to me. I couldnt live with myself if I thought there was any chance he might know where he was, or who was in charge of him. And I still have enough money left to pay for his personal care maybe even find a cure for him.

And I might have believed you, said Sifra, if it werent for the scale of what Kazim tells me youve been planning which is far more than you could possibly need just to become a glorified cargo pilot in some backwater system. I think, he said, that youre intending to go back out to the Wanderer. Thats the real reason youre here because without Bash you cant communicate with it.

It was all true, of course, but she couldnt possibly let him know that.

That doesnt make any sense, she said. What could I have to offer the Wanderer that would make it willing to talk to me, when the last time around it did its level best to kill us all?

I couldnt have put it better myself, said Sifra. So why dont you just tell me?

In all sincerity, she said, I think youre fucking crazy. Going back out there would be suicide. Id just get myself and Bash killed.

Sifra shook his head. There are so many things about you that dont add up. You came to the Three Star Alliance along with Bash, but your records from before that were clearly faked. You supposedly come from Redstone, but youve never received a faith chip. And youre as sure as hell not a Freeholder, because they all tattoo their children at birth.

Maybe I had it removed, she suggested.

Dont mock me, he said, his fingers tightening around the hand grip of his pistol. The real mystery is why were you the only one who could ever communicate with the Wanderer, without the experience killing you?

Just a minute. What do you mean the only one?

We experimented with other machine-heads to see if they could communicate with the Wanderer, using Bash as a bridge.

You mean youve already been back out to visit the Wanderer?

He shook his head. You dont understand. We discovered Bash is still remotely linked to the Wanderer, regardless of distance even across light years. He doesnt have to be anywhere near the Wanderer to get in touch with it.

Her mouth flopped open. Youre fucking kidding me.