Maybe, given the same situation, he’d take the same bleating-sheep option his parents had, but right now I couldn’t make that matter. I couldn’t hate him enough to take him into that alley, tell him the truth about who I was and give him his chance.

“That’s right, Observance.” His face lit up. “That’s the key, that’s what underwrites all the rest. See, science has betrayed us here, it’s got out of hand, got so we don’t control it any more. It’s made things too easy. Not ageing naturally, not having to die and account for ourselves before our Maker, that’s blinded us to the real values. We spend our whole lives scraping away trying to find the money for re-sleeving, and we waste the real time we have to live this life right. If people would only—”

“Hey, Mikulas.” I glanced up. Another man about the same age as my new companion was striding towards us, behind the cheerful yell. “You finished bending that poor guy’s ear or what? We’ve got hull to scrape, man.”

“Yeah, just coming.”

“Ignore him,” said the newcomer with a wide grin. “Likes to think he knows everyone, and if your face doesn’t fit the list, he has to damn well find out who you are. Bet he’s done that already, right?”

I smiled. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Knew it. I’m Toyo.” A thick, extended hand. “Welcome to Kuraminato. Maybe see you around town if you’re staying long.”

“Yeah, thanks. That’d be good.”

“Meantime, we’ve got to go. Nice talking to you.”

“Yeah,” agreed Mikulas, getting to his feet. “Nice talking to you. You should think about what I was saying.”

“Maybe I will.” A final twist of caution made me stop him as he was turning away. “Tell me something. How come you knew I wasn’t off the rayhunter?”

“Oh, that. Well, you were watching them like you were interested in what they were doing. No one watches their own ship in dock that closely. I was right, huh?”

“Yeah. Good call.” The tiny increment of relief soaked through me.

“Maybe you should be a detective after all. New line for work for you. Doing the right thing. Catching bad guys.”

“Hey, it’s a thought.”

“Nah, he’d be way too nice to them once he’d caught them. Soft as shit, he is. Can’t even discipline his own wife.”

General laughter as they left. I joined in. Let it fade slowly out to a smile, and then nothing but the small relief inside.

I really wouldn’t have to follow him and kill him.

I gave it half an hour, then wandered out of the ‘fab and onto the wharf.

There were still figures on the decks and superstructure of the rayhunter.