“We’ll be all right,” said Derek.

“What actually is this about? Why are we going to sit here and do an interview?”

“It won’t be so much an interview as a conversation,” said Hutch. “When we’re done, you’ll be able to watch it onscreen.”

They both looked nervous.

Derek smiled at them. “All you have to do is relax and answer the questions that Hutch asks. Okay? It won’t take any longer than a half hour or so, and if you want to stop it for some reason, just say so. We can edit the results, so don’t worry about anything. And don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”

Hutch’s eyebrows rose. “No, Derek. We can’t edit the results, because we’d need Barry to help with that.”

“And we can’t talk to him.”

“Not about something like this. We’ll have to do this with a single capture.”

“Okay. Whatever. Let’s get started.”

•  •  •

Derek would be the guy recording the show. He’d need room to move around the passenger cabin without having to worry about getting himself or anyone else who didn’t belong into the shots. So, Wally, Beth, and Ken, who wanted to watch, had to retire to their cabins or the bridge.

Hutch was actually glad that Derek had turned the job over to her. He had a wide array of talents, and he was a good speaker. But he tended to be a bit autocratic in the public forum. Hutch had enjoyed a second career doing seminars and addressing luncheons in what was eventually a losing effort to salvage the Academy. But she was good with audiences.

She took time to record some questions, not that she would consult the notebook but simply to imprint them in her mind. When she was ready, she signaled Derek.

Beth Squires’s Notes

They claimed they wanted us out of the way so Derek would have complete freedom to record everything. But the truth was that Kwylla and Arin were nervous enough. The last thing they needed was us sitting there watching. It’s a pity, though; I’d have loved to sit in.

—Monday, October 6, 2256

41.

Freedom of conscience, of education, of speech, of assembly are among the very fundamentals of democracy and all of them would be nullified should freedom of the press ever be successfully challenged.

—Franklin D. Roosevelt, Letter to W. N. Hardy, 1940

You did fine,” said Derek, speaking to Arin and Kwylla.

Both smiled nervously. “I hope so,” Kwylla said.

He turned to Hutch. “You okay?”

“Yes. They made it pretty easy.” She connected the commlink to the ship’s communication track.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to add some images from the island. Pictures of the beach, mostly. And the temple.”

He laughed. “Good. Can’t go wrong with those.”

She needed a few minutes. Then: “Now all we have to do is get it to Jack.”