Clancy dismissed that accusation with a wave of his hand. `Thian, time!’ Clancy said as the digital went from 0644 to 0645.
Thian easily located Captain Ashiant,whose quarters were on the same deck and not far away, but the man had had no warning to set down the cup he’d been drinking from when Thian transported him. He glanced quickly to be sure the liquid hadn’t spilled from the cup and seemed mildly astonished that it showed no ripple of its recent transplantation.
`Damned smooth, Thian lad, damned smooth,’ he said and then gestured for Clancy to stand down from attention. `In these quarters, Sparrow, Talents don’t stand on ceremony.
`Thank you, sir,’ Clancy said with one of his irrepressible grins, `have some more breakfast, Captain?’ Simultaneously, a chair was pulled back from the table and covers whisked off the hot food they had concealed.
`Humph,’ Ashiant remarked with a wry smile for each of the young men, `breakfast in here could get to be a pleasant habit.’ `Any time, sir,’ Thian and Rojer chorused.
Ashiant laughed. `I doubt you mean that, lads, so I’ll give advance notice.
They were all seated when Ashiant handed Thian a slender disk four centimetres square.
`From Jeff Raven. It’s his authorization for you lads to keep your minds’ ears on general – and I do mean, general – morale.’ Trying to hide his distaste for that aspect of a Talent’s ability, Thian carefully placed the square in his breast pocket.
`You don’t like it, lad, and Ashiant included Rojer and Clancy in his quick glance round the table, `and I don’t like to have to ask you to do it, but you know the trouble we had with the Washington launch.
If it hadn’t been a hologram, some of those missiles would have inflicted sufficient damage to keep her from being launched.’ Thian hadn’t known that but Clancy nodded complete understanding.
`There are dissidents aboard then?’ Thian asked, beginning to appreciate the need for Talented surveillance.
Ashiant gave him a sardonic grin. `We know who most of them are.
It’s the ones we didn’t or couldn’t identi – the sleepers – and we have to assume that there are some. You wouldn’t have had any reason to know that the subversive elements have tried to sabotage the Washington from the moment her keel plate was laid – as much as you can lay anything in space. She was built in sections, you know, as if she were four smaller ships of a revolutionary new design.’ Ashiant grinned.
`By the time we had those sections connected, we could then mount the sort of security so that her outfitting could be completed without too much risk of implanted remotes.
`Now, I’m not asking you lads to “spy” in the old-fashioned melodramatic way. I’m certainly not asking you to delve into anyone 5
private mind – unless you have bloody good reason to do so or my specific orders for such an action,’ and Ashiant swung a thick forefinger to include all three, `but I am asking you to liaise with all the Talents available on all human ships and have them keep on the alert for any anomalies, strange behaviours, oddities and report them to you. If your `Dinis can legitimately mix with the crews of the five `Dini ships, that would help, too.
`You’re expecting trouble from our Allies?’ Thian asked, since the `Dinis were the last ones he’d expect to sabotage the expedition.
Ashiant nodded once, not looking at Rojer. `We don’t want a repetition of the Xh-33 either, Prime.’ `No, sir, Captain Ashiant,’ Rojer said with more vehemence than he intended, `we don’t!’ `I don’t expect any problems immediately. This is likely to be a long, long journey. That’s why I felt that now was the most appropriate time for me to make you aware of this aspect of your duties. Even in this, you are noncombatants and, as your boss’ll tell you, it is compatible, in this instance, with Talent ethics. I’ll have more of that toast, if you please, Sparrow.’ As he buttered it, he added, `The more often you’re seen beginning today – in all parts of the Washington, and on the other ships, either singly or as a group, the sooner that sort of habit will become so established no-one will find it odd. Rojer, you’ll find immense puzzles on one ůor another cargo deck on the six human ships. We’re having intership contests of all sorts, including VR endurance rides,’ and he grinned briefly at their surprise.