They were his first words, and they transfixed Ferry. He reached down for the drink, drew his hand back without it. He turned and fussed with the controls for his screen, dropped the shield, hesitated, then left it down.

Waela promised herself that she would use the first opportunity to call up the records Ferry found so interesting. With unrestricted use of Ship’s research facilities, it would not be difficult.

Murdoch moved around behind Ferry, an action which increased Ferry’s nervousness.

Waela found herself sympathizing with the old man. Murdoch in that position would make anyone’s shoulder blades twitch.

Ferry sputtered, then: “I was . . . ahh, waiting for some, ahhh, others to come up before, ahhh, taking up the, ahh, business we . . . I mean . . .”

“What are we doing here?” Hali asked. She did not like the undercurrents flowing through this room. Unspoken threats lay heavy on Ferry’s shoulders and it was obvious they came from Murdoch.

Ferry reached for the drink with a convulsive motion, but before he could put it to his lips, Murdoch reached over Ferry’s shoulder and removed the glass from his hand.

“This’ll wait.”

Murdoch put the glass on a ledge behind him. As he turned back toward the others, the hatch opened and three people entered.

Hali recognized Brulagi from Medical, a heavy-set woman with fat arms and a thick lower lip. She wore her auburn hair in the regular close-cropped style, and her eyes shone bright blue above a flat nose. Right behind her came Andrit from Behavioral, a large dark man with quick almond eyes of deep brown and a nervous, darting manner. Behind these two was Usija, gray-haired, a thin-lipped, soft-spoken woman from the Natali, who had assigned Hali to monitor Waela TaoLini.

“Ahhh, here you are,” Ferry said. “Please be seated, everyone. Please be seated.”

Hali was glad to sit. She found a sling chair for Waela and another for herself. Waela moved her own chair to seat herself directly across from Ferry. It put her apart from the others, an observer’s distance, and let her focus on Ferry and Murdoch without having to turn. Ferry would notice and it would annoy him, she thought. He wanted attention, not investigation.

What is it with you, old man? Waela wondered. What do you fear?

The three latecomers perched on a couch at right angles to Ferry. Murdoch remained standing.

Hali, noting Waela’s move, wondered about it, but was distracted by the sudden realization that Andrit from Behavioral must be the father of young Raul. What was going on here?

Murdoch touched Ferry’s shoulder and the older man jumped. “Show them the map.”

Ferry swallowed, turned to his keyboard, punched at it clumsily. A miniature projection of Ship’s schematic materialized at the holofocus beside him.