“I never claimed she was,” Reymont answered, his eyes on her. “I did intend to ask her to be, when we arrived.”

“Carl,” she whispered. “I love you.”

“No doubt one partner gets boring,” Reymont said like winter. “You felt the need of refreshment. Your privilege, of course. I did think you were above slinking behind my back.”

“Let her alone!” Fedoroff grabbed blindly for him.

The constable flowed aside. His hand chopped edge-on. The engineer gasped in anguish, collapsed to a seat on the bed, and caught his injured wrist in the other hand.

“It’s not broken,” Reymont told him. “However, if you don’t stay where you are till I leave, I’ll disable you.” He paused. Judiciously: “That’s not a challenge to your manhood. I know single combat the way you know nucleonics. Let’s stay civilized. She’s yours anyway, I suppose.”

“Carl.” Lindgren took a step and another toward him, reaching. Tears whipped down her cheeks.

He sketched a bow. “I will remove my things from your cabin as soon as I have found a vacant berth.”

“No, Carl, Carl.” She clutched his tunic. “I never imagined— Listen, Boris needed me. Yes, I admit it, I enjoyed being with him, but it was never deeper than friendship… help… while you—”

“Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing? Wasn’t I entitled to know?”

“You were, you were, but I was afraid— a few remarks you’d let drop— you are jealous— and it’s so unnecessary, because you’re the only one who counts.”

“I’ve been poor my whole life,” he said, “and I do have a poor man’s primitive morality, as well as some regard for privacy. On Earth there might be ways to make matters— not right again, really, but tolerable. I could fight my rival, or go away on a long trip, or you and I could both move elsewhere. None of that is possible here.”

“Can’t you understand?” she implored.

“Can’t you?” He had closed his fists anew. “No,” he said, “you honestly— I’ll assume honestly— don’t believe you did me any harm. The years will be hard enough to get through without keeping up that kind of relationship.”

He disengaged her from him. “Stop blubbering!” he barked.

She shuddered and grew rigid. Fedoroff growled. He started to rise. She waved him back.

“That’s better.” Reymont went to the door. There he stood and faced them. “We’ll have no scenes, no intrigues, no grudges,” he stated. “When fifty people are locked into one hull, everybody conducts himself right or everybody dies. Mister Engineer Fedoroff, Captain Telander and I would like your report on the subject I came to discuss as soon as can be managed. You might get the opinion of Miss First Officer Lindgren, bearing in mind that secrecy is desirable till we’re ready to make an announcement one way or another.” For an instant, the pain and fury struck out of him. “Our duty is to the ship, hell damn you!” Control clamped down. He clicked his heels. “My apologies. Good evening.”