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Heris stared at him； then recovered herself。 〃You … haven't had any instruction； ever？〃
He looked unhappy； but determined。 〃No； Captain Serrano。 To my knowledge； none of Lady Cecelia's captains have ever had drills that involved the staff； owner； or guests。〃
Heris managed not to sigh aloud； but inwardly she fumed at the inpetence of those captains。 Did they have no professional pride at all？ 〃I'd better speak to her； then； hadn't I？〃 she said gently。 〃If she doesn't realize the importance of these drills； she might make it very inconvenient for you。 And after that； if you have any time。。。 perhaps we could work together to decide on the best staff response。〃
He relaxed； and smiled； and seemed perfectly agreeable。 Heris took the list of staff positions； and their listed specialties； and went back to her side of the ship； carefully not muttering。
The yacht's database included； as law required； the plete text of the standard manuals of emergency procedures for crew and passengers。 At this point； Heris considered the staff and guests equally passengers。 She decided to print out a hard copy … it would be impressively thick； with the Transport Code seal on the cover； and perhaps that would convince Lady Cecelia that it wasn't her own peculiarity。
The last access date for that file was … she stared； though she felt she should not have been surprised … the date the yacht left the builder's。 All those years。。。 her stomach clenched； as she thought of the past possibilities。
No； she could not expect Lady Cecelia； or her woefully ignorant staff； to go through disaster drills until they'd had some instruction。 She wondered what the correct procedure was … if there was a correct procedure … for informing a wealthy yacht owner that her ship was； and had been； unsafe for years。
The hard copy thunked into the bin； and she picked it out。 The Transport Code seal looked less impressive than she'd expected； but the thing was thick enough。 She looked into it； wincing at the bureaucratic prose。 It was as bad as Fleet directives。 Everything unimportant specified in intricate detail； with requirements to document that it was done； and the important things buried in multisyllabic generality。 How far above the deck warning signs must be； and how high the letters； and what color； but … she stopped suddenly。
Warning signs？ What warning signs？
She flipped to the back sections； headed REQUIRED ITEMS OF PLIANCE； and PENALTIES FOR NON…PLIANCE。 Despite the current inspection stickers； the Sweet Delight was out of pliance on at least fifty items … on the first page alone。 And the penalties； if subsequent inspection discovered those discrepancies。。。 made an astonishing figure。 For one thing； a hard copy of that manual … and the ship's own customized emergency procedures manual … were supposed to be available to passengers。 She knew no such hard copy existed。
〃I knew；〃 she muttered； 〃that that stupid purple plush shouldn't be there。〃
〃Captain？〃 Heris looked around guiltily。 Gavin stood near the door； looking apologetic。 〃I did ask；〃 he said； 〃but you didn't seem to hear。〃
〃I'm sorry； Mr。 Gavin；〃 she said； focusing again。 〃What is it？〃
〃It's about those crew evaluations you wanted；〃 he said。 〃We never had anything like that when Captain Olin was here。。。。 I'm not exactly sure what you want。。。。〃
Your head on a platter； Heris felt like saying； but in fact he wasn't the worst of them。 〃Mr。 Gavin； I need to know how you feel each crew member is doing： do they know their jobs； are they doing their jobs？〃
He looked as if he would be sulky if he had the courage。 〃They've always pleased Lady Cecelia before；〃 he said。 〃If she don't have any plaint。。。〃
〃Mr。 Gavin； Lady Cecelia is hardly qualified to judge the skills of a navigator or engineer； is she？ That's my job； but since I'm new； I'm asking you to help。 That is your job。〃
〃But。。。 well； you know； Captain； they all have to know I'm doing this。〃
〃They do？〃
〃An' I don't like saying things that； you know。。。 an' someone new like Sirkin； it's different。 But these others。。。 we been together a long time； and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings； not that there's anything they've done wrong； but you said to rank them。。。。〃
Heris allowed herself to glare at him。 〃Mr。 Gavin； you are an officer of this ship； you were second in mand to Captain Olin； as you are to me。 It is your duty to consider the ship's welfare first and friendship second。 No one need have hurt feelings to be ranked second。。。。 There is no disgrace in it； as long as the overall performance is satisfactory。 Now； if you don't feel equal to the requirements of your position …〃
〃It's not that；〃 he said。
〃Very well。 Then I'll expect to find your evaluations on my desk within forty…eight hours。 It is unfortunate that Captain Olin did not carry out regular evaluations； so that you and the rest would realize how necessary they are； but since he did not； you will simply have to cope。〃
〃Yes； Captain。〃 But he did not move away； and simply stood there looking glum。
〃Do you have another problem？〃 Heris asked after a long pause。
〃Well。。。 it's about those emergency drills you mentioned。 I need to know when you're planning one so that I can have things ready。〃
Heris barely restrained herself from pounding her head on her desk。 〃Mr。
Gavin； the whole point of an emergency drill is that it is not scheduled。
Emergencies aren't scheduled。 Do you expect the universe to let you know when it plans to put a rock through the hull？〃
〃Well。。。 no。 But that's not the same thing …〃
〃It is the same thing； if drills are to mean anything。 If you knew when something was about to go wrong； of course you'd be prepared。 So would I。 So would everyone。 Didn't you see the report on the Flower of Sanity while we were in dock？〃 Gavin nodded。 〃Well … remember how the reports said that the crew's training in emergency procedures was what let them save all those passengers？ Even though it happened when most of the crew was off…shift？ I'm sure those passengers … and even the crew … didn't like unscheduled emergency drills； but that's how they learned to cope with unscheduled emergencies。〃
〃I can see that； but … but that was a big ship； a mercial ship。 This is only a little yacht。 It can't be that …〃
Heris interrupted again。 〃An electrical fire just broke out in the number seventeen box： what is still functioning in this partment … the captain's office？〃
He stared； eyes wide。 〃Well … I'd have to ask Finnie … but I think …〃
〃There's no time to think； Mr。 Gavin。 There's only time to react。 Box seventeen supplies the blowers for alternate partments on this passage； overhead lights for the partments whose blowers are controlled by box eighteen； and the electrical outlets in the head？ … the； bathrooms … in all partments on this passage。 And since four boxes are clustered with box seventeen； an electrical fire in that is likely to knock out sixteen； eighteen； and nineteen as well。 That means all the blowers in the crew quarters； all the overhead lights； wall sockets； passage lights； and terminals； since all the partment desktops take their power from box twenty。 It's dark in here； Mr。 Gavin； and there's a fire somewhere