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〃I'll get really stiff；〃 Raffa and Sarah said together； like a chorus。
〃Isn't there anything else but hunting？〃 Ronnie asked； hoping he didn't sound as desperate as he felt。
〃There are other kinds of hunting；〃 Buttons said。 〃Not all of it's on horseback。 You can shoot grouse and pheasant； that sort of thing。 It's the wrong season for fishing in the nearby streams。 Indoors … well； the things my father assumes were normal indoor sports of the time： billiards； cards； amateur theatricals。〃
〃Oh。。。 dear。〃 Worse then he'd imagined。 Worse than his mother had imagined； he was sure。 Traveling with a wealthy aunt on her private yacht had seemed like a good idea when his mother mentioned it。 Perhaps he'd have been better off going to some dull assignment in an out…of…the…way base。 At least it wouldn't have had fox hunting； and his work might have kept him busy part of the time。
〃There are other places on the planet；〃 Bubbles said。 〃But we can't possibly get away more than once。 We should save that for when you're really desperate。
Poor Ronnie。〃
He wanted to snarl at her。 Poor Ronnie； indeed。 He needed real sympathy； not the mocking look Bubbles had given him。 He needed them to understand that it wasn't his fault … none of it。 〃I'm not desperate；〃 he said firmly。 〃For all you know； I may take to hunting as easily as any other sport。 I may be leaping over fences and dashing along at a run …〃
〃Gallop；〃 put in Bubbles。
〃Whatever。 I mean； I'm naturally athletic； perfectly fit： how hard can it be？〃
He tried to say it with plete confidence； Bubbles； Buttons； and Raffaele burst into laughter。 Raffaele？ What did she know about riding？ He tried to hide his irritation； and forced himself to laugh with them。
〃Better try your aunt's simulator；〃 Buttons said； still chuckling。 〃You may find a few muscles that aren't quite perfectly fit。〃 Then he sobered。 〃You should do well； Ronnie； really。 You're right： you are a natural athlete； it's quite possible that after a few lessons you'll be up to riding in the field。
But it's not like anything else。〃
Ronnie forced himself to smile； and wondered if he could hide in his stateroom all day and night； watching entertainment cubes； until they got to Buttons's home planet。 Probably not。 He was going to have to think of something they could do。。。 something fun； something to reestablish his leadership of the group。 Something mischievous； perhaps。 Play a harmless practical joke on the old lady； or the crew。
〃You may be right；〃 he said； without meaning it。 〃I'll see what you look like on the simulator first； and then。。。 we'll see。〃
〃We ought to see about some swimming； I think；〃 Raffaele said。 〃C'mon； girls。
Let's go play in the water。〃 Before he quite knew how it happened； the girls had vanished； and his two bosom friends were watching him； bright…eyed。
〃e on；〃 said George。 〃Tell us more about that opera singer。 Is it true they have specially developed muscles？〃
Chapter Four
〃I didn't ask you if it was 'going fine'；〃 Heris said。 〃I asked you what the sulfur extraction rate was。 Do you know； or not？〃 With each day； her unease about the yacht's basic fabric and systems had grown。 Getting answers from the crew had turned out to be harder than she expected。
The moles looked at one another before Timmons answered。 〃Well。。。 pretty much； Cap'n。 It's below nom at the moment； but it usually runs that way 'cause that dauber wants a sulf…rich sludge for his veggie plots。〃
It took Heris a moment to translate civtech slang and decide this meant Lady Cecelia's gardener wanted more sulfur in the first…pass sludge。 In the meantime； they still had not answered as she thought they should。 She let the steel edge her voice。 〃Below nom is not what I'm looking for。 What； precisely； is the number you have for sulfur clearance？〃 Again； the sidelong look from one mole to another。 This time it was Kliegan who answered。
〃It's。。。 ah。。。 zero point three。 Of first…sig nom； that is …〃
〃Which is。。。 ？〃 prompted Heris； she could feel temper edging higher。
〃Well； the book says one point eight； but this system's never worked any better'n one point six； just under first…sig。 Mostly we run about two sigs below； say about point seven or so。 System's underutilized； so it's not that important。 It's rated for a population of fifty； and we don't have that many aboard。〃
Heris closed her eyes briefly； running over the relevant equations in her head。 Sulfur clearance was only one of the major cycles； but critical to the ship's welfare because errors could not only make people sick； but degrade many ship ponents as well。 Delicate equipment didn't like active sulfur radicals in the ship's atmosphere。 She added ship's crew； house staff； and owner's family。 〃In case you haven't noticed；〃 she said briskly； 〃we now have fifty…one humans and a long voyage ahead of us。 I presume you flushed the tanks and re…inoculated them while we were in port … ？〃 But the hangdog looks told her they hadn't。 〃And the last logged maintenance by offship personnel was this … Diklos and Sons； Baklin Station？〃
〃That's right； ma'am；〃 Timmons said。 〃They couldn't have done such a good job； fancypants as they are； 'cause the system never did pick up the points； but Captain Olin said never mind …〃
〃Oh； he did？〃 Heris struggled to keep her thoughts off her face。 First his demand for an odd； inconvenient course that did not meet the owner's needs； and now a tolerance for malfunctioning environmental equipment … something no sane captain would have。 Failing to order the tanks flushed and recharged at Rockhouse might have been spite … revenge for being fired … but until then he had risked his own life as well。 What could have made the risk worth it？
〃We'd better see how bad it is；〃 she said briskly。 〃Suit up and we'll go take a look …〃
〃You； Captain？' asked Iklind。 He almost never spoke； she'd discovered； letting chatty Timmons say anything necessary。 But now he looked worried。
Heris let her brows rise。 It had worked on other ships； it should work here。
〃Did you think I wouldn't want to check for myself？〃
〃Well； it's not that； Captain。。。 only。。。 these things can smell pretty bad。〃
Pretty bad was an entirely inadequate description of a malfunctioning sulfur loop； and she was sure more than the sulfur scrubbers were in trouble。 Once the pH had gone sour； many of the enzymes in other loops worked erratically； as the chemistry fluctuated。
〃That's why we'll be suited；〃 she said。 When they didn't move she said。 〃Five minutes； in the number four access bay。〃
〃plete suits？〃 asked Timmons。 〃They're awfully hot …〃
〃You prefer to risk the consequences？〃 Heris asked。 〃With a system you know is malfunctioning？〃
〃Ah。。。 it's just stinks；〃 Timmons said。 When she glared at him； he said； 〃All right； Captain。 Suits。〃 But as he left； she heard him mutter； 〃Damn lot of nonsense。 Can't be enough reaction in that loop to give us mor'n a headache at worst。〃
Quickly； Heris gave Gavin his orders for the next hour： which partments to seal； which backup crew to have ready； suited； in case of trouble。 Then into her own suit … the cost of which had e from the advance on her contract； and which she never begrudged。 What