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sure door into the zero gee of the wraparound。 With a sigh； I lay down on the hull again and shined my light into the opening。 Pax was gone； all right； though I imagined I could hear occasional scratching sounds as he maneuvered his way through the maze。 Leaning partially over the hole； I stuck my head carefully in and played the light slowly around the inner surface。
I was halfway around in my sweep when I saw the gap。
I was still lying there studying it two minutes later when Tera returned。 〃He's really not happy about this； is he？〃 she mented as she sat down cross…legged beside me。 〃He claims they're not pets； but I think he really…〃
〃Did Chou and his people take photos of what they could see from this opening？〃 I interrupted her。
She took a half second to switch gears。 〃I think so；〃 she said。 〃At least some。 I hadn't pulled them up before because…〃
〃Pull them up now；〃 I ordered； trying to keep my sudden apprehension out of my voice。 〃Find me one that shows a gray trapezoid about half a meter across with about two dozen wires ing off gold connectors along its edges。〃
She was already at the puter； fingers playing across the keys。 〃What is it？〃 she asked tightly。
〃Just find me the picture；〃 I said tersely； getting up and stepping to her side。
Dr。 Chou's people； it turned out； had taken a lot of pictures。 It took Tera nearly a minute to find the specific area I was looking for。
And when she did； my apprehension turned to full…blown certainty。
〃Tera； you told me your dad left the ship at Potosi；〃 I said。 〃How do you know？ Did he leave a note？〃
She shook her head； her neck twisted to look up at me。 〃No； nothing like that；〃 she said； a note of uncertain dread in her voice as she picked up on my own mood。 〃I told you： He and his things were gone； and I couldn't find him anywhere on the ship。〃
〃Right；〃 I nodded。 〃Except that you didn't think to look inside the small sphere here； did you？〃
Her eyes widened； her throat muscles suddenly tense。 〃Oh； no；〃 she breathed。 〃He's not…oh； God。〃
〃No； no； I can't see him；〃 I hastened to assure her。 〃There's no…I mean…〃
〃No body？〃
〃No body；〃 I confirmed。 At least not one I could see； I carefully refrained from saying。 〃What there is by that trapezoid is a gap in the wiring。 A big gap； as if someone maneuvered his way through the thicket； creating a hole as he went。〃
〃It couldn't have been Pax？〃 she asked； her voice going even darker。
〃It's man…sized；〃 I told her gently。 〃Look； maybe he's just lying low in there。〃
She shook her head； a short； choppy movement。 〃No； we've been doing work here by the access panel off and on for the past couple of days。 He'd have heard my voice and e out。〃 She swallowed。 〃If he could。〃
I looked back over at the hole； ing to the inevitable decision。 〃I'm going in；〃 I announced； taking a step that direction。
A step was all I got。 Like a rattlesnake her hand darted out and grabbed my arm。 〃No！〃 she snapped； holding on with a strength that surprised me。 〃No！ If he's dead； it means something in there killed him。 We can't risk you； too。〃
〃What； all this concern for a soul…dead smuggler？〃 I retorted。 It wasn't a nice thing to say； but at the moment I wasn't feeling particularly nice。 〃Maybe he's not dead in there…you ever think of that？ Maybe he's injured； or unconscious； or paralyzed。 Maybe he can't get to the opening； or can't even call out to you。〃
〃If he went in while we were on Potosi； he's been in there eleven days；〃 she said。 Her voice sounded empty； but her grip on my arm hadn't slackened a bit。 〃Any injury serious enough to prevent him from getting out on his own would have killed him long before now。〃
〃Unless he just got the injury；〃 I shot back。 I wasn't ready to give in； either。 〃Maybe he got thrown around while I was dodging the ion beams off Utheno。 He could still be alive。〃
She took a deep breath。 〃We'll wait for Pax to e out。〃
〃We'll wait half an hour；〃 I countered。
〃One hour。〃
I started to protest； took another look at her face； and gave it up。 〃One hour；〃 I agreed。
She nodded； and for a long moment she stared down at the access hole。 Then； reluctantly； she keyed off the puter photo we'd been looking at and sat down on the deck。 〃Tell me about yourself； McKell；〃 she said。
I shrugged； sitting down on the deck beside her。 〃There's not very much to tell。〃
〃Of course there is；〃 she said quietly。 〃You had hopes and plans and dreams once。 Maybe you still do。 What would you be doing now if you weren't smuggling？〃
〃Who knows？〃 I said。 She didn't care about my hopes and dreams； of course。 I knew that。 She was just casting around looking for some mindless chatter； something to distract herself from the mental image of her father floating dead in there。 〃Once； I thought I might have a career in EarthGuard。 That ended when I told a superior officer exactly what I thought of him。〃
〃In public； I take it？〃
〃It was public enough to earn me a court…martial；〃 I conceded。 〃Then I thought I might have a career in customs。 I must have been a little too good at it； because someone framed me for taking bribes。 Then I tried working for a shipping firm； only I lost my temper again and slugged one of the partners。〃
〃Strange；〃 she murmured。 〃I wouldn't have taken you for the terminally self…destructive type。〃
〃Don't worry；〃 I assured her。 〃I'm only self…destructive where potentially promising careers are concerned。 When it es to personal survival； I'm not nearly so inpetent。〃
〃Maybe the problem is you're afraid of success；〃 she suggested。 〃I've seen it often enough in other people。〃
〃That's not a particularly original diagnosis；〃 I said。 〃Others of my acquaintance have suggested that from time to time。 Of course； for the immediate future my options for success of any sort are likely to be seriously limited。〃
〃Until about midway into the next century； I believe you said。〃
〃About that。〃
She was silent a moment。 〃What if I offered to buy you out of your indenture to that smuggling boss？〃
I frowned at her。 There was no humor in her face that I could detect。 〃Excuse me？〃
〃What if I offered to buy out your indenture？〃 she repeated。 〃I asked you that once； if you recall。 You rather snidely countered by asking if I had a half million in spare change on me。〃
I felt my face warm。 〃I didn't know who you were then。〃
〃But now you do；〃 she said。 〃And you also know…or you ought to if you don't…that I have considerably more than a half…million marks to play with。〃
A not…entirely…pleasant tingle ran through me。 〃And you're suggesting that bailing me out of my own pigheaded mismanagement would be worth that much to you？〃 I asked； hearing a hint of harshness in my voice。
〃Why not？〃 she asked。 〃I can certainly afford it。〃
〃I'm sure you can；〃 I said。 This was not safe territory to be walking on。 〃The Cameron Group probably spends half a million a year just on memo slips。 Which； if I may say so； is a hell of a better investment than I would be for you。〃
〃Who said anything about you being an investment？〃 she asked。
〃Process of elimination；〃 I said。 〃I don't qualify as a recognized charity； and I'm too old to adopt。〃
Somewhere along in here I'd expected her to