The Silent Stars Go By by James White

Author:James White [White, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780345371102
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: 1991-08-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

NEITHER of them could say with certainty what the monsignor would do, and in tones that grew louder in direct proportion to their shortening tempers, they argued about it for more than a day. It was Dervla who had the last word for the simple reason that she also had the rank.

"Enough!" she said, raising her hand in the imperious gesture that so irritated him. "Is it likely, from what we know of him, that Monsignor O'Riordan will toss their caskets out of an airlock in midvoyage? It is not. And for the few hours of warm time remaining to me, you will change the subject forthwith or remain silent."

For a few moments Nolan considered choosing the latter option, then his anger cooled and he said, "Very well, I shall change the subject. I think we are agreed that no action can or should be taken until we are orbiting the New World, and before then we will each have to stand three two-year watches, which should be enough time for us to decide on the proper action to take. We are further agreed that our knowledge of the plot must be concealed from the monsignor, and everyone else connected in it, until then. Our best chance of success lies in pretending that—"

"Healer Nolan," said Dervla sharply, "the subject has not changed."

"Healer Dervla," said Nolan firmly, "the subject has changed. I am talking now about ensuring your future safety. Please hear me out."

Since the monsignor did not know about the Cathay spacesuit, Nolan went on to explain, it would be best if O'Riordan thought that only one suit, the one used by Dervla, had been needed for the work on Golden Rain's casket. In the watch-keepers' log entry that Nolan would make, he would report that it had been a very simple fault—that, at least, was the truth—which had been remedied without moving the casket. He would say that he had ignored the monsignor's advice about not going aft on this one occasion because he wanted to retrieve the hammock and equipment left behind in the grain storage compartment—he was, after all, a man of tidy habits—and on the way back he had taken a wrong turn and found himself in a casket stack where a malfunction light was burning. It had been too cold to investigate properly at the time and too cold for the sleeper to spoil quickly. He would say that he had thought long and carefully before disobeying the monsignor's order against the use of spacesuits by watch-keeping officers, but had decided that the situation constituted a medical emergency and his duty as a Healer had greater force in this case than a ship's regulation. He had taken a suit and returned to repair the faulty casket.

To answer any later questions regarding the number of air tanks that had been used by Dervla and himself, he would say that he had been worried by the malfunction and had thought it wise to check on a

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