Free Starhawk by Jack McDevitt Page A

time.”
    â€œTry a little patience,” he said. His voice was flat.
    Finally, Priscilla got up. “I’ve had enough of this. I’m going down to see what’s going on.”
    He put a hand on her wrist. “Wait. He asked for ten minutes. Give it to him.”
    So they sat. The girls backed away. Shahlah had disappeared, too. Then suddenly she was on the circuit: “Priscilla, I can’t get into the cargo bay.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI can’t open the hatch. Can you put air into it from up there? I think Joshua is in there.”
    Priscilla was already doing it. “Don’t know how I missed it,” she said. “It’s been decompressed.”
    Â * * * 
    SHAHLAH WAS STILL waiting at the hatch when they arrived. It wouldn’t open until the air pressure equalized on both sides. She was in tears.
    When finally they got through, the first thing Priscilla saw was Josh, floating a foot or two above the deck, his wrist tied to a frame. They tried to revive him, although Priscilla thought it was probably a cruel thing to do. If they succeeded, he would only feel that he had to go through it again.
    But she needn’t have worried. He was gone.
    Shahlah was sobbing. “No, no, no. He was our captain. There was no way he was going to allow one of his passengers to die. I should have known.”
    Priscilla looked accusingly at Jake. It was hard to believe he hadn’t realized what was happening.
    Â * * * 
    LIBRARY ENTRY
    Courage is of no value if the gods do not assist.
    â€”Euripides,
The Suppliant Women

Chapter 10
    EVENTUALLY, THERE WERE lights in the sky, and the
Sydney Thompson
came out of the darkness and eased alongside. Priscilla faced the girls in the passenger cabin. “Who wants to go over to the
Thompson
with Shahlah for the ride home?”
    Ten hands went up. Priscilla wasn’t surprised. No happy memories here. And, of course, they liked Shahlah. “All right. But we can only send five.”
    â€œWe do not wish you to misunderstand,” said Ishraq. “It’s not because we didn’t enjoy our time on the
Copperhead
—”
    â€œI know,” she said. “I think I’d want off, too. But we need five of you to stay here. Food and water issues on the
Thompson
. Can you guys decide? Do it quickly so we can get everybody some fresh air again.”
    Ishraq and Ashira volunteered to stay. Layla raised her hand. And Karida and Kareema.
    â€œOkay,” Priscilla said. “Good. Get your luggage. The
Thompson
shuttle will be here in a few minutes. No spacewalk this time.”
    Johara pretended to be disappointed.
    There were hugs and a few tears and an agreement that they’d all try to get together back at Union. That was speculative. Depending on where the ships were when they surfaced in the solar system, there could be as much as three days’ difference in arrival times.
    Jake looked as if he were in a distant place. He returned the embraces with the emotion of a robot and watched the five girls, escorted by Drake Peifer, pass through the cargo-bay air lock into the
Thompson
lander. Shahlah was the last to leave.
    â€œThanks, guys,” she said. “I hate to think where we’d have been without you.”
    Priscilla helped carry the baggage. Then Shahlah took her aside. “Is he all right?” she asked, meaning Jake.
    â€œHe’s a bit rattled. But he’ll get past it.”
    â€œI hope so.” She wiped away a tear. “Let me know if I can ever do anything.”
    â€œOf course. Thank you. I just wish things had turned out differently.”
    â€œSo do I, Priscilla. So do I.”
    They embraced, and Priscilla returned to the cargo bay. The air lock closed, and the lander was gone.
    Â * * * 
    THE
THOMPSON LEFT first. Priscilla was just taking her place on the bridge when a message came in from Union.
“Jake.”
A male