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ing again through the air。
And suddenly； belatedly； I realized what he was doing。 Not ballet； not some odd playacting posturing； but a martial…arts kata。
I waited where I was； not moving or speaking； until he'd finished the form。 〃Sorry about that；〃 he said； breaking the silence at last as he straightened up from his final crouch and squeezed back into the restraint chair。 〃I was feeling a little dozy； and a bit of exercise always perks me up。〃
〃No apology or explanation needed；〃 I assured him； stepping into the bridge but leaving the door locked open behind me。 Back when we'd first met； I remembered thinking his face had that slightly battered look of someone who'd done time with high…contact sports。 Apparently； that snap judgment had been correct。 〃What form was that？ I don't think I've ever seen it before。〃
〃It's not one usually put on display；〃 he said； rubbing a sleeve across his forehead。 Not that there'd been any sweat there that I could see。 Maybe he kept it all inside the wrinkles。 〃Are you a practitioner or connoisseur of the martial arts？〃
〃Neither；〃 I said。 〃I got a smattering of self…defense training when I was in EarthGuard； but there was no particular style involved and I was never all that good at it。 But my college roommate was a certified nut on the subject； watching everything he could find； and I picked up some of it by sheer osmosis。〃 I nodded toward the empty section of deck where he'd been performing。 〃Actually； what that reminded me of most was throw…boxing。〃
Everett lifted his eyebrows。 〃Very good。 Yes； that was indeed a throw…boxing training kata。 I did a bit of the professional circuit when I was younger。〃 He snorted gently。 〃And in better shape； of course。〃
〃Very impressive；〃 I said； and meant it。 I'd dealt with professional throw…boxers once or twice in my life； and knew the kind of tough breed those men and women were。 〃How long ago was that？〃
〃Oh； a good twenty years now；〃 he said。 〃And you wouldn't be nearly so impressed if you knew my win/loss record。〃 He frowned at me。 〃What are you doing here； by the way？ I thought you were asleep。〃
〃I came up to check on things and happened on your patient still strapped to the examination table；〃 I told him。 〃You know what's wrong with him？〃
〃He told me it was a borandis…dependency problem；〃 he said。 〃Coupled with a chronic case of Cole's disease。〃
〃You believe him？〃
He shrugged。 〃The diagnostic confirmed the withdrawal aspects；〃 he said。 〃The medical database isn't plete enough to either confirm or refute the Cole's disease。〃
〃Close enough；〃 I told him； my last lingering suspicion that Shawn might have been faking the whole thing fading away。 Muscle tremors and obnoxiousness were one thing； but a med diagnostic puter wasn't nearly so easily fooled。
〃Unfortunately； that leaves us with a problem；〃 Everett went on。 〃According to the database； borandis is a controlled drug。 It's going to take more than just a ship's medic's certificate to get some for him on Mintarius。〃
〃I know；〃 I said。 〃Don't worry； we'll figure something out。〃
〃I hope so；〃 he said。 〃The prognosis for untreated Cole's disease is apparently not a very positive one。〃
〃So he told me；〃 I nodded。 〃Small wonder； I suppose； that he was at loose ends on Meima。〃 I lifted my eyebrows slightly。 〃Speaking of which； I've been meaning to ask how you wound up in that same position。 At loose ends； I mean。〃
He made a wry face。 〃Caught in the middle of a jurisdictional dispute； I'm afraid。 One of the crewers on my previous ship pushed the captain one time too many and wound up rather badly injured。 A troublemaker…I'm sure you know the sort。 At any rate； I helped him get to the med facility at the Meima spaceport for treatment； and while we were out； the captain apparently decided he could do without both of us and took off。〃
〃Yet another Samaritan winds up with the splintered end of the stick；〃 I murmured。
He shrugged。 〃Perhaps。 Frankly； I was just as happy to see their thrusters fading into the sunset。 When Borodin came into the restaurant where I was eating looking for someone with a med certificate； I jumped at the chance。〃
〃Well； we're certainly glad to have you here；〃 I said； glancing around the bridge。 〃Look； we're not more than a few hours from landing； and I can't sleep anyway。 Why don't I take over and let you go hit the sack。〃
〃Oh；〃 he said； sounding and looking surprised。 〃Well。。。 if you're sure。〃
〃I'm sure；〃 I told him。 〃There's nothing you can do for Shawn at the moment； and you might as well be rested when we hit ground。〃
〃I suppose；〃 Everett conceded； heaving himself out of the chair。 I stepped forward out of his way as he moved to the doorway。 〃Do call me if you change your mind and want to at least catch a catnap。〃
〃I will；〃 I promised。
He left the bridge； turning right at the ladder and plodding his way up to the top deck。 I waited until his feet were out of sight； gave him another ten count； then closed the bridge door behind me and stepped over to the nav table。
Given the set of parameters I was stuck with on this； I wasn't expecting the task ahead to be an easy one。 I needed a world that was large enough and decadent enough to have an illicit drug…distribution network in place； with the kind of laissez…faire attitude toward paperwork that would let us slip in under our false ID； and yet wasn't a haven for the kind of career criminals who would be sporting crisp new hundred…mark bills and keeping their eyes peeled for anyone resembling my Mercantile Authority file photo。 And it had to be somewhere within； say； nine hours of our present position。
It took only five minutes to conclude that there was exactly one place on the charts that even came close to fitting my requirements： the Najiki colony world of Potosi； currently seven hours distant。 It had the kind of cosmopolitan populace that promised that vices of all sorts would be in evidence； and it was run by beings with such keen eyesight…and such a stratospheric self…confidence…that they seldom used scanners to check ships' papers。
There was； in fact； just one small factor that kept Potosi from being absolutely ideal。 It was also a major hub for the Patth shipping industry。
I stared at the listing for a while； perhaps hoping that in my tiredness I was imagining things and that if I looked long enough it would go away。 But no such luck。 Certain parts of Potosi； including the sky above it； were going to be crawling with Patth； and that was just the way it was。
But there was nothing for it。 Not unless we wanted to sit around and watch Shawn die。
It was a matter of two minutes to cancel the Mintarius course and recalculate a vector to take us to Potosi instead。 Listening carefully； I was just able to hear the subtle shift in thrust tone from the drive as we swung over the twenty…three degrees necessary to make the course change。
And I'm convinced that it was precisely because I was listening so carefully that even through two closed doors I heard the muted pop and the equally faint and choked…off scream。
I was in the corridor half a second later； heading for the mechanics…room door five meters away。 I crossed the distance in two seconds more； hea