“No,” he answered. “At least not until after I hear what it is and decide.”
“Don’t leave the ship when we land. You should be safe enough aboard, and I’ll be flying a cargo out within a few weeks.”
“I’ll promise nothing of the sort. I’ll leave when I – want to leave.”
Jason knew there was undoubtedly a reason for her words, but he resented her automatic superiority.
Mete finished the jump settings without another word. There was a tension in the room that prevented them both from talking.
It was the next shipday before he saw her again, then it was completely by accident. She was in the astrogation dome when he entered, looking up at the spark-filled blackness of the jump sky. For the first time he saw her off duty, wearing something other than a shipsuit. This was a thin and softly shining robe that clung to her body.
She smiled at him. “The stars are so wonderful. Come see.” Jason stood close to her, looking up. The oddly geometric patterns of the jump sky were familiar to him, yet they still had the power to draw him forward. Even more so now. Meta’s presence made a disturbing difference in the dark silence of the dome. Her tilted head almost rested on his shoulder, the crown of her hair eclipsing part of the sky, the smell of it soft in his nostrils.
Almost without thought his arms went around her, aware of the warm firmness of her flesh beneath the thin robe. She did not resent it, for she covered his hands with hers.
“You’re smiling,” she said. “You like the stars too.”
“Very much,” he answered. “But more than that. I remembered the story you told me. Do you want to break my arm, Mete?”
“Of course not,” she said very seriously, then smiled back. “I like you, Jason. Even though you’re not a Pyrran, I like you very much. And I’ve been so lonely.”
When she looked up at him, he kissed her. She returned the kiss with a passion that had no shame or false modesty.
“My cabin is just down this corridor,” she said.
6
After that they were together constantly. When Mete was on duty he brought her meals to the bridge and they talked. Jason learned little more about her world since, by unspoken agreement, they didn’t discuss it. He talked of the many planets he had visited and the people be had known. She was an appreciative listener and the time went quickly by. They enjoyed each other’s company and it was a wonderful trip. –
Then it ended.
There were fourteen people aboard the ship, yet Jason had never seen more than two or three at a time. There was a fixed rotation of duties that they followed in the ship’s operation. When not on duty, the Pyrrans minded their own business in an intense and self-sufficient manner. Only when the ship came out of jump and the PA barked assembly did they all get together. –
Kerk was giving orders for the landing and questions were snapped back and forth. It was all technical and Jason didn’t bother following it. It was the attitude of the Pyrrans that drew his attention. Their talk tended to be faster now as were their motions. They were like soldiers preparing for battle.
Their sameness struck Jason for the first time. Not that they looked alike or did the same things. It was the way they moved and reacted that caused the striking similarity. They were like great, stalking cats. Walking fast, tense and ready to spring at all times, their eyes never still for an instant.
Jason tried to talk to Meta after the meeting, but she was almost a stranger. She answered in monosyllables and her eyes never met his, just brushed over them and went on. There was nothing he could really say, so she moved to leave. He started to put his hand out to stop her-then thought better of it. There would be other times to talk.
Kerk was the only one who took any notice of him-and then only to order him to an acceleration couch.