No. The words were to him. “Rigg Noxon,” said the ship’s computer. “We understand why you are here and we regard you as the commander of this vessel, superceding this Ram Odin because the older, better informed, and therefore more authoritative Ram Odin has certified you as his true successor in every one of these jewels. Do not speak because I must use the expendable to explain you to him before he sees you.”

“No,” said Noxon aloud. “I will explain myself.”

“The shock might harm him.”

“I have had far too much experience with ships’ computers and with expendables to believe that you have actually surrendered control to me, or that you will actually say what I would wish you to say.”

“It is unfortunate that you have such an untrusting attitude.”

“The mice that are now escaping from this room are to be contained on this ship and not allowed to leave it under any circumstances, until I specifically authorize each instance of their departure.”

“Understood.”

From down the corridor, he could hear Ram Odin’s voice. “I’m hearing a voice and it isn’t yours and it isn’t mine.”

“And you will preserve both my life and Ram Odin’s life, from each other and from ourselves as well as from you, the expendable, or any other peril.”

“Understood.”

Ram Odin came into the room. Noxon turned to face him. Ram Odin looked at him and kept a remarkable degree of composure. Which is to say, he leaned against his chair and then sank into it. But he did not point or shout or ask questions like “Who are you?” and “How did you get here?”

“First,” said Noxon, “I am fully human. My face looks like this because I have a symbiotic relationship with a parasite that enhances my perceptions and my reaction time. My name is Noxon.”

Ram Odin said nothing.

“Second, I am in control of this ship now.”

Ram looked at the expendable. The expendable nodded.

“Third, there are now mice aboard this ship. They are sentient, they are untrustworthy, but they might be quite useful to us at some later time, so do not harm them.”

Ram nodded slowly.

“Fourth, you know that we’re cut off from the normal flow of time. I was able to join you on this timestream only because I entered this path from the moment of intersection, where all the copies of the ship came to be. I don’t know if I can get us back onto the normal timestream, but if I can’t, nobody can, nothing can. I am your only hope to get back to the world of causality.”

Ram Odin kept looking at him.

“That’s all I’ve got,” said Noxon. “You can talk now.”

Ram Odin shook his head. Then, his voice choked and croaking, he said, “No I can’t.”