“Because I was desperate too. We all were. At least we’d be trying. We might, againsUthe odds, eventually fill our planet with people who kept on looking and searching outward. What had we to lose? Well, this day we’ve discovered what. The universe.
“I am the captain. I am taking us to the Others.”
Tu Shan was first onto his own feet. “You can’t!” he bellowed.
“I can,” Hanno said. “Pytheas obeys me. I will order the course change at once. The sooner it’s made, the sooner—”
“No, not against our will,” Wanderer interrupted.
“It would be wrong,” Yukiko pleaded.
Svoboda regarded Hanno with something akin to horror. “You, you don’t mean what you said,” she stammered.
“Don’t you want me to do this?” he cast back.
Her jaw clenched. “Not like that.”
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t. Still, I am going to issue the order. You’ll thank me afterward.”
“Bozhe moi—“ She raised her voice. “Pytheas, you won’t .heed a single man, will you?”
“He is captain,” replied the ship. “I must.”
“No matter what?” Patulcius shouted. “Impossible!”
“Such is the programming.”
“You never told us,” Macandal whispered.
‘T didn’t expect the occasion would ever arise,” Hanno said, not quite firmly. “I arranged it as a provision in case of emergency, best kept secret till then.”
“Jesus Christ!” Aliyat yelled. “This is the emergency! You’re making it yourself!”
“Yes,” Wanderer said. Sweat studded his skin. “We didn’t bargain for a dictator, and we’re not going to knuckle under to any. We can’t.” He looked upward, as if to find another face in the air. “Pytheas, it’s become seven against one.”
“That is not a consideration,” the ship answered.
“It never was, at sea or anywhere men voyaged,” Hanno said. “It couldn’t be, if they were to make shore alive.”
“What if the captain is—is incapacitated?” Wanderer called. “Insane?”
Did the ship take a few extra microseconds to scan its bio-psychologieal database and draw its conclusion? “Derangement is impossible for any of you without the severest trauma,” it declared. “That has not occurred.”
Tu Shan snarled. He started around the table. “It can. A dead captain doesn’t give orders.”
Svoboda moved to block him. “Now you’re the crazy one,” she groaned. He sought to push her aside. She resisted. “Help me! A fight, no, we can’t!”
Wanderer joined her. They gripped Tu Shan by the arms. He halted. The wind sobbed hi and out of him.
“See what you nearly caused, Hanno.” Macandal spoke softly, though tears coursed down her cheeks. “Your command would destroy us. You can’t issue it.”
“Can and will.” The Phoenician stepped to the doorway, turned back toward them, stood alert but unmoving. His tone mildened. “Once the decision’s made, you won’t go tq pieces. I know you too well to believe you would. Nor will you try violence against me. You realize you can’t spare one-eighth of our strength, one-fourth of the forefathers to come. And I am the one of us who’s held command, not simply leadership but command, hi ships and wars, trades and ventures beyond what was known, over and over for thousands of years. Without me, your survival on Phaeacia or anywhere else is more than doubtful.”
Gentler still: “Oh, I’m no superman. All of you have your own special gifts, and we need them all. I’m as open as ever >.’ to your thoughts, advice—yes, your wishes. But someone has to take the final responsibility. Someone always had to. The captain.
“We’ve another dozen years ahead of us, with God knows what at the end. Don’t make them any harder on yourselves if than they must be.”
He left. The seven stood mute, half stupefied. At last § Wanderer released Tu Shan, as Svoboda did, and said dully, “He’s right about that. We have no choice.” I’ “The course change process will commence in an hour,” i Pytheas announced. “In order to conserve fuel and minimize the undesired vector, it begins at that time with going free. Please make ready for a weightless period of approximately six hours.”
“That … is … it,” Aliyat choked. Hanno returned. They knew he had sought the control room partly to look at its displays, as if that mattered, but mainly as a sign unto them. “We’d better get busy,” he said. “Here, I have printout copies of a checklist. Done is done. We’re on our p way.” He half smiled. “Not everybody hates this.”