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He spread his hands。 〃So that's that；〃 he said。 〃You have to admit it's a big Spiral for a single man to lose himself in。〃
〃I once thought it was a big Spiral for a single starship to lose itself in；〃 I countered。 〃I don't think so anymore。 So then what did you do？〃
〃After he was unconscious； I spotted the bottles he'd been working with on the floor and looked them over；〃 he said。 〃Any doubts I'd had about hitting him vanished at that point； they turned out to be the ingredients for a cyanide…gas bomb。
〃I knew I didn't have much time before he either awoke or all of you came trooping back aboard the ship； and I didn't have anything I could tie him up with； so I decided all I could do would be to thwart this particular scheme and call it a draw。 The cabin door was still wedged open； so I resealed the bottles and put them as far inside as I could reach and then pulled the wrench out and let the door slam shut。 Then； just to make sure he didn't have time to try anything else； I pulled the opening mechanism's control chip and added it to the pile and smashed what was left。〃
〃Leaving a very thorny mystery in your wake；〃 I said。 〃We were going nuts trying to figure out what happened there。〃
〃I'm sorry；〃 he said。 〃All I can say is that it wasn't my intent to be so mysterious。 My plan was to hide out just for a day or two； until you'd had a chance to thoroughly search the 'tweenhull area and confirm there wasn't anyone in residence there。 At that point I expected you to conclude that it had been one of the crew you'd chased around； give up your search for stowaways； and I could e back out。 Then I'd be able to tell Elaina the whole story； and she would have found a way to warn you about future incursions into the ship from outside。〃
He shook his head； his throat tightening visibly。 〃Only it didn't quite work out that way。 I made it through that tangled mess of a depressed…wiring zone and found myself in a nice clear space。 But then gravity came on； pulling me in toward the middle。 I grabbed that striped arm to try to slow myself down； hit what I now realize was the triggering mechanism in the end； and here I am。〃
〃A long way from nowhere；〃 I said heavily； studying his slightly sunken cheeks。 〃Not to mention out of delivery range of the nearest grocery store。 I'm a little surprised you haven't starved to death。〃
〃My meals have been a bit sparse lately；〃 he conceded。 〃I wasn't planning on being here very long； though of course I made sure to leave myself a wide margin for error。 Not quite this wide； though。 That's not a water bottle you have there with your pack； is it？〃
I'd pletely forgotten about the water bottle and food bars I was carrying。 〃Sure is；〃 I said； feeling a twinge of admittedly selfish reluctance as I handed it over to him。 This wasn't going to last even one person very long； let alone two of us。 〃Your daughter must be psychic；〃 I added as he uncapped the bottle and drank deeply。 〃I was only planning a quick look into the small sphere； but she still made me take a survival pack along。〃
There was a moment of silence as he drank。 I looked around the sphere again； this time spotting his camper's mattress and catalytic waste handler half…hidden in the glare of one of the display boards。
〃Bless her heart；〃 he said when he finally came up for air。 I noticed with another twinge that the bottle was now only two…thirds full。 〃Fortunately for us； we're not going to need it。〃
I frowned。 〃What do you mean？〃
〃I mean we're going home；〃 he said。 He raised the bottle and had another drink； a shorter one this time。 〃Just as soon as we can gather my things together。〃
〃Really；〃 I said； my tone studiously neutral。 I'd never heard of anyone going insane between eye blinks； which implied that he must have gone round the bend before I even got here。 〃Tell me how。〃
〃No； my mind hasn't snapped； McKell；〃 he assured me as he lifted an arm and pointed off to my right。 〃Look over there。〃
I followed the direction of his finger and found myself looking at one of the alien displays； this one marked with yellow…and…black squares。 〃All right。 What is it？〃
〃It's the destination setting；〃 he said。 〃Destination being defined as the particular stargate you'll be traveling to if you slide down the centering arm and hit the trigger。 Now； do you see the display to its left？〃
〃Such as it is；〃 I said。 The second display was an identical array of squares； except that all of them were black。
〃That one gives the identification code for the stargate you just left；〃 he said。 〃Unfortunately； whether by design or malfunction； it only stays lit for a few minutes after transport before going blank again。 That's why I couldn't get back by myself； by the time I realized the significance of that particular display； it had long since gone black。 However…〃
〃Wait a minute；〃 I said； frowning。 〃How do you know all this？ Tera told me the Meima archaeologists didn't get very far in their analysis of the thing。〃
He shrugged。 〃Well； I have been here eleven days； you know；〃 he reminded me。 〃I couldn't just sit around and do nothing。 And though you probably didn't know it； I was once a Trem'sky Scholar in Alien Studies。 I did quite a fair bit of archaeology and alien translation back in my youth。〃
It was a speech clearly and carefully designed to impress and lull the gullible。 But I wasn't in the mood to be impressed； and lulling was pletely out of the question。 〃That's baloney； and you know it；〃 I said bluntly。 〃You had one course in archaeology and three in alien language； all of which focused on known species and didn't have a thing to do with interpreting unknown scripts。 And that Trem'sky Scholarship was an honorary title Kaplanin University gave you after you donated fifty million marks to them for a new archaeological research center。〃
His face had gone rigid。 〃You're very well informed；〃 he said softly。 〃One might wonder how。 And why。〃
〃The how is that I have friends with good memories；〃 I said。 〃The why is just as simple： I like to know who it is I'm working for。 I certainly won't find that out by taking what you say at face value。〃
He eyed me speculatively。 〃You can see for yourself why I've been secretive about myself and my agenda；〃 he said； waving a hand around him。 〃What's your excuse？〃
〃I like my life；〃 I told him。 〃Not my current circumstances； necessarily； but the basic idea of continued existence。〃
〃And what are your current circumstances？〃
〃Somewhat messy；〃 I said。 〃But we're getting away from the point。 How do you know so much about the stargate？〃
We locked gazes for another few seconds。 Then his eyes drifted away from mine； as if he was too tired to keep up his end of the nonverbal battle。 〃Elaina doesn't know this；〃 he said； 〃but the archaeologists had already cracked much of the alien script before my people and I arrived on Meima to build the Icarus。 With that hurdle crossed； we were able to gain considerable knowledge of the inner workings of the artifact。〃
His lips puckered。 〃Though we still thought that what we had was a new stardrive； with the destination and ining displays having to do with navigation。〃
〃So where is all this knowledge？〃 I asked。 〃I presume you're not g