Reed removed his hand and stepped back. “I’m pretty good at interpreting human reactions. I don’t know how or if that translates to analyzing alien ones. So this is only an opinion, but even disregarding what she said about not wanting any kind of revenge, I get the impression that the A'jeii don’t have the slightest interest in returning to Earth once they’ve repatriated us. For any reason whatsoever. The Olone either, for that matter. It seems to me that at this point, the sooner they see the last of us and our world, the happier they’ll be.” He looked sharply at his colleague. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of an alternative to going home?”

“N—no.” Not for the first time, Dev found himself contemplating their astounding, astonishing, utterly impossible surroundings. “No, as much as this all fascinates me and fulfills dreams I have had since childhood, I suppose I want to go home, too.”

His response to Reed’s query, Dev told himself, did not sound entirely convincing. But there really was no alternative. He was not about to cut himself from the rest of humankind and the company of other human beings to throw in forever with a band of alien thieves.

“Then,” Reed concluded, as he toyed with his pod-provided knife, “I am going to celebrate. By taking a shower. Even if it does consist of endlessly recycled water that probably incorporates alien wastes.”

Much as he wanted to discuss matters with the Zimmers, Dev had to respect the older couple’s desire for some private time. So when they declined to respond to his entry request, he reluctantly shifted his attention from their quarters to Reed’s. While it unquestionably would have been preferable to lay his confusion before the more academically inclined pair, given the choice between ruminating endlessly in his own mind or discussing it with another human being, the choice was straightforward.

Having been supplied by his room with towels of uncertain provenance but excellent thread count, Reed was still drying his head when he granted Dev entry.

“Y’know,” the big man said as he turned and walked toward the rear of his quarters, “as much as I’m looking forward to getting home, I’m going to miss a few aspects of this ship.” Lowering his free hand, he gestured at the far wall. “Take these synthesize-on-demand pods we have in each room.” There was a glint in his eye. “Ask for food, you get food. Ask for clothing, you get clothing. Or towels. Or a knife.” The blade he had held at the throat of the A'jeii supervisor lay unsheathed on a shelf. He favored his visitor with a knowing wink. “Don’t tell me you haven’t wondered what would happen if you asked for a handful of diamonds.”