Free The Man-Kzin Wars 01 by Larry Niven Page B

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    Eagerness made Tregennis tremble as he obliged .
    In his galley, Ryan frowned. Something didn't feel quite right. While be followed the session he continued slicing the mahi mahi he had brought frozen from Earth, but his mind was no longer entirely on either .
    Time passed. It became clear that the Quarta approach was going to be an intellectual orgy, the more so because Quinta happened to be near inferior conjunction and thus a lot of information about that planet would be arriving, too. Ryan wiped hands on apron, left his preparations, and stumped up toward the flight deck .
    He met Markham coming back. They halted and regarded each other. The companionway thrummed around them. “ H ello, there," the quartermaster said slowly. “ I thought you were in your cabin. ”
    Markham stiffened. I am on my way, if it is any of your business. ”
    “ L ong way 'round. ”
    “ I t ... occurred to me to check certain stations. This is an old ship, refitted. Frankly, Captain Saxtorph relies too much on his machinery. ”
    “ W hat sort of thing did you want to check on? ”
    “ W ho are you to ask?" Markham flung. “ Y ou are the quartermaster." “ A nd you are the passenger." Ryan's bulk blocked the stairs. I wouldn't be in this crew if I didn't have a pretty fair idea of how all the equipment works. I'm responsible for maintaining a lot of it. ”
    I have commanded spacecraft. ”
    Then you know each system keeps its own record." Ryan's smile approximated a leer, or a snarl. “ S ave the skipper a bunch of data retrievals. Where were you and what were you doing? ”
    Markham stood silent while the ship drove onward. At length: I should, I shall report directly to the captain. But to avoid rumors, I tell you first. Listen well and do not distort what I say if you are able not to. I beamed a radio signal on a standard band at Secunda. It is against the possibility-the very remote possibility, Mlle. Brozik assured us that sentient beings are present. Natives, Outsiders, who knows? In the interest of peaceful contact, we must provide evidence that we did not try to sneak in on them. Not that it is likely they exist, but-this is the sort of contingency I am here for. Saxtorph and I can dispute it later if he wishes. I have presented him with a fait accompli. Now let me by." Ryan stood aside. Markham passed downward. Ryan stared after him till he was gone from sight, then went back to his galley.
    Quarta fell astern as Rover moved on sunward. In the boat called Fido, Juan Yoshii swung around the giant planet and accelerated to overtake his ship. Vectors programmed, he could relax, look out the ports, seek to sort the jumbled marvels in his mind. Most had gone directly from instruments to the astronomers; he was carrying back certain observations taken farside. A couple of times there had been opportunity for Laurinda Brozik to tell him briefly about the latest interpretation, but he had been too busy on his flit to think much beyond the piloting .
    Stars thronged, the Milky Way torrented, a sky little different from the skies he remembered. Less than 30 light-years' travel-a mite's leap in the galaxy. Clearly alien was the sun ahead. Tiny but perceptible, its ember of a disc was slow to dazzle his eyes, yet already cast sufficient light for him to see things by.
    An outer moon drifted across vision. This was his last close passage, and instruments worked greedily. Clicks and whirrs awoke beneath the susurrus of air through the hull. Yoshii pointed his personal camera; photography was an enthusiasm of his. The globe glimmered wan red under its sun. It was mainly ice, and smooth; any cracks and craters had slumped in the course of gigayears. The surface was lighter than it might have been and mottled with yellow spots. Ore deposits? The same material that tinted most airless bodies here? Tregennis was puzzled. You got dark spots in Solar-type systems. They were due to photolysis of frozen methane. Of course, this sun was so