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ver； but the usual cherubic smile was nowhere to be seen。 〃Do you have any idea what kind of stir you've been creating out at that end of the Spiral？〃
〃Have I； sir？〃 I asked。
The chill visibly surrounding him abruptly dropped into the subzero range。 〃Don't play innocent with me； McKell；〃 he snarled； his veneer of civility cracking like a cheap packing crate。 〃A ship from Meima； they're all saying…a rogue freighter the Patth are panting like sick dogs to get their calloused little hands on。 Are you going to sit there and tell me that's not you？〃
〃Yes； sir； it's me；〃 I said hastily。 It was impossible to grovel properly in a Starrm booth； but insofar as vocal groveling was possible I was groveling for all I was worth。 〃I'm sorry； I didn't mean it that way。 I just didn't realize how much of a stir we were actually causing。〃
The temperature stayed where it was。 〃I don't like motions； McKell；〃 he warned。 〃I don't like them at all。 motions draw attention； and I don't like attention。 You don't like attention； either。〃
〃I know； sir；〃 I agreed humbly。 〃Believe me； I'm trying as hard as I can to get out of the spotlight。〃
〃Trying how？〃 he demanded。 〃It's not your ship or your problem…just walk away from it。 Where are you？ I'll have you picked up。〃
He had a point； all right。 Half of one； anyway。 It wasn't my ship； but it was my problem。 〃I can't do that； sir；〃 I said； bracing myself for another burst of his anger。 〃I accepted a contract to fly the ship out。 A poor but honest independent shipper can't just break contracts that way。 Not and continue to look like a poor but honest shipper。〃
〃Who would know？〃 he countered。 His voice was still hard and cold； but at least he hadn't started screaming at me。 Maybe I'd gotten him to start thinking it through。
〃Too many people；〃 I told him。 〃A lot of people…some of them spaceport officials…have seen my ID in connection with it。 People who might start wondering how an independent shipper could afford to break a contract that way。 People who might start wondering if that independent shipper had another source of operating funds。〃 I shrugged； a brief twitching of my shoulders。 〃And if they did； I wouldn't be very effective as an employee anymore。〃
For a long minute he just stared at me； breathing heavily； his face unreadable。 I gazed back； visually groveling now； wondering uneasily if I'd pushed my hand too far with that last one。 Cutting me loose from our agreement would lose him most of the five hundred thousand in debt I still owed him； but the Antoniewicz organization probably blew that much a month just on paper clips。 If； on the other hand； he decided that I had bee too much of a liability to be trusted on my own； I would be summarily snuffed out like an atmosphere…test candle。
And it would be the height of irony if it turned out I was the one who had talked him into doing it。
〃You keep trying to force these decisions on me； Jordan；〃 he said at last。 His voice was still cold； but I thought I could detect a slight thawing of the chill factor。 〃These faits acplis。 There are to be no more of them。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 I said。 〃I'm really not trying to do that。 It's just that things keep happening too fast； and I keep having to improvise。〃
〃No more of them； Jordan；〃 he repeated in the same tone。 〃I make myself clear？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 I said。 〃Perfectly。〃
〃Good。 Now； why did you call？〃
I took a careful breath。 〃I need to find a dealer； sir。〃
He blinked at that； the blink turning into an even deeper frown。 〃A dealer？〃 he repeated； the chill factor diving into arctic territory again。 For all the misery he caused with his happyjam； Brother John was almost puritanical when it came to his own people using the stuff。
〃One who carries borandis；〃 I said hastily。 〃One of my crew is ill with Cole's disease； and borandis is the treatment for it。 It's also called jackalspit。〃
〃Yes； I know。〃 For a few more seconds those soulless eyes gazed into mine； his face still unreadable but almost certainly wondering if I was telling the truth or simply spinning a line。 I held my breath； trying to look as simple and honest as I possibly could。
And then； to my relief； he shrugged。 〃Why not？ Where are you？〃
I got my lungs working again。 〃Potosi；〃 I said。 〃Kacclint Spaceport。〃
He grunted。 〃A Najiki world。 Decent enough bug…eaters。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 I agreed； mildly surprised that a xenophobe like Brother John would be even that plimentary toward a nonhuman race。 Either he genuinely had some grudging respect for the Najik； or else he had business interests in the Archipelago and the Najik were doing a good job of making money for him。 If I had to guess； I'd pick the latter。 〃I need to know if the organization has a dealer here who can help us。 And if so； how to find him。〃
〃Yes。〃 Brother John's eyes flicked to his right。 〃Just a moment。〃
The screen blanked。 I took another deep breath； suddenly aware of the weight of my plasmic against my side under my jacket。 So far； it was all looking hopeful。 But I knew better than to risk relaxing； even for a moment。 Brother John's moods were notoriously mercurial； and with his already stated displeasure at my being aboard the Icarus he might suddenly decide that letting a sick crew member die would be all to the good； either as an object lesson to me or as an extra push to get me to walk away from the whole situation。 If he looked like he was going that direction I would have to remind him that Shawn's death would only serve to raise the Icarus's profile that much higher。
He was gone a long time。 Long enough that I began to wonder if perhaps he'd decided that this had bee more trouble than it was worth； that both Shawn and I were expendable； and he was off making the appropriate arrangements。 I was just thinking about pulling out my phone and seeing if Ixil had e out of his a when the screen abruptly cleared。
〃All right；〃 he said briskly。 〃He's a Drilie named Emendo Torsk； and he runs his business from a street music stand at Gystr'n Corner。 I presume your sick crewman can pay？〃
〃We should have enough； yes；〃 I assured him。 〃Thank you； sir。〃
〃Don't call here again； Jordan；〃 he said quietly。 〃Not until this is all over。 Is that clear？〃
〃Yes； sir； perfectly clear；〃 I said。 If the Icarus was going to go down； and if I was going to be stupid enough to go down with it； he had no intention of being tied in with either of us。 〃Thank you； sir。〃
〃I'll talk to you when this is all over。〃 He reached to the side； and the connection was broken。
I swallowed； noticing only then how dry my mouth had bee。 Dealing with Brother John was being increasingly hard on me； both because of him personally and because of what he represented。 To say I'd ever been genuinely happy about our arrangement would have been far too generous a statement； but lately my quiet distaste seemed to have fermented into a galloping revulsion。
And that was dangerous。 Not only because of what it was doing to my own heart and soul； not to mention my stomach； but because men like Brother John have a finely honed sense of people； particularly the people closest to them。 I was hardly close to him； just one small employee among thousands； but the Antoniewicz organi