Starhawk

Chapter 9

“THIS IS NOT going to work,” said Jake. “We’ll lose the lander at about 0800.”

Joshua shook his head. “We have a fifteen-hour supply of oxygen in the air tanks.”

“That doesn’t add up to seven hours for three people.”

“But it’s enough for two.”

“I’m not sure what you’re suggesting,” said Priscilla, “but I think we should try another jump. Maybe we’d get lucky.”

“No.” Joshua shook his head. “At this range, the jumps are just wasting time.” His eyes narrowed. “It would mean putting everybody at risk. We can’t do that.”

“So what do we do?” she said.

“I have an idea,” said Josh.

“What’s that?”

“Give me ten minutes. Then come down to the lander.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Jake.

“I’m not sure yet. Just let me take a look at our options.”

Priscilla thought she saw something pass between the two captains, an understanding. But then the girls were grouped around the hatch asking What’s happening?

When are they going to be here?

Is everything okay?

And Joshua was gone.

“We’ll be fine,” said Shahlah in both languages.

“What’s he going to do?” Priscilla asked.

“I don’t know,” said Jake.

She knew Jake pretty well by then. And he seemed rattled. But she let it go.

* * *

JAKE SAT STARING at nothing in particular.

“We have to get going,” said Priscilla. “We’re wasting time.”

“Try 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.”

“Why not?”

“I 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.”

* * *

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.

* * *

LIBRARY ENTRY

Courage is of no value if the gods do not assist.

—Euripides, The Suppliant Women