“Hey, Steve.” His voice wasquiet, the tone informal.
Gillespie turned around.
“You still playing tonight?”
“Mondays and Thursdays. Regularas clockwork… You know you’re always welcome to join us.”
Gillespie’s poker games weresomething that John had missed after leaving Magellan. It was not so much thegame as the socialising it provided. It enabled him to keep contact with thecrew, picking up on little problems before they grew into larger ones, bridgingthe huge gap between captain and crew. Now, he found he had little time. Hehad full responsibility of the ship, but he didn’t want to lose that vital linkwith the crew.
* * *
The next morning saw noimprovement in their situation. Bismarck was way off course and running slow. John had faith in his engineers to fix her, but the extent of damage was onlyjust starting to come in now that they were at a sensible speed. Red baulkedat John’s suggestion of switching some systems off to conserve power as he haddoubts whether they’d come back online again.
“We’ll manage, sir,” heinsisted. “And we’ll try and get you back on schedule.”
“Don’t worry about the schedule,”John told him. “Look after the ship.”
Helping out the fleet had onlycaused a minor time loss that they could easily make up. Going back for theconvoy and those subsequent results was going to put them nearly a weekbehind. That kind of delay was something John was not looking forward totelling the admiral. And, if the next few worlds they had to visit weren’texpecting them – as Lushon hadn’t – maybe he wouldn’t have to.
With the ship a good fortnightaway from its next destination, John skimmed through the upcoming protocols. It just seemed like too much hard work.
He looked up. Hartford wasadequate at navigation in McReidy’s absence and Giacomo had rostered Lynn tocover navigation for night shift. Under any other circumstances, thecartographer would have been pleased. As it was, she avoided eye contact with Johnfrom the moment he arrived in the mornings and barely seemed to breathe againuntil she left the bridge with the rest of the night shift.
The bridge was quiet, but thetension was there. They were all on eggshells; no one willing to risk hismood. That was fine by him.
Anna’s soft voice caught hisattention as she asked Gillespie something. She was a science officer and herexperience at communications was limited. North had been there in Tan’sabsence. For a moment, John was tempted to call him back. But things hadsettled down to some sort of normality since they were no longer being chased. Anna would do, and Gillespie had enough experience at the station to help herthrough any difficulties – or take over if the situation called for it.
John rubbed his forehead andreturned to the protocols. All worlds he wasn’t familiar with. The computerhad crossmatched the crew’s personnel files with each world and listed anyonewho had been there. There were huge gaps as the system only knew what someonehad bothered to put into it. He also had Mark’s information, but that wasn’tcomplete either.
“Anyone been to Neelund?” Johnasked.
Heads shook in the silence beforeGillespie ventured, “McReidy.”
John let out a low growl and thetension on the bridge elevated a fraction.
* * *
Kowalski skidded through the opendoorway to a halt. “Sorry I’m late,” he apologised. “We’re still havingproblems in engineering.” His eyes fell on McReidy.
The tan blouse she had chosen towear wasn’t revealing, but it was open at the throat. The black sleevelessvest that fitted her snugly was left unbuttoned all the way down the front. Onher head was a peaked poker cap, shading her eyes from the telltale signs ofthe state of her cards.
“Hey, she’s out of uniform. That’scheating!” Kowalski claimed.
“Too much of a distraction foryou, Sam?” she teased.
“No, I… no.” He wasn’t about toreveal his thoughts.
“I’ve been out of uniform for thepast week, if you hadn’t heard.”
The entire ship had heard.
“Didn’t think you were coming,”Giacomo commented. “You missed the other night.”
“You want to give us a handbuilding more torpedoes, I’ll have more time,” Kowalski threw back.
“Are we going to play or what?” Gillespie’s hands fiddled with the cards, impatient to begin. They took theirplaces and he dealt.
The cards flicked effortlesslyaround the table while they threw their opening chips into the pot. Kowalskicashed a handful of credits in for chips and tossed in his opening stake. Gillespiefinished dealing and put the deck down beside him. Bets came in and chips flewinto the pot. Before they knew it, half a dozen hands had been played andMcReidy had a nice pile of chips in front of her.
Giacomo dived into the bowl ofpotato chips and began munching noisily.
“No greasy hands on the cards,”Gillespie instructed.
“Sorry,” Giacomo mumbled througha mouthful of chips. His hand dropped beneath the table.
“Don’t wipe it on your pants,”McReidy chastised. “Use a serviette.”
Serviettes and coasters were heridea and she insisted they be used. There was no excuse for bad manners.
Giacomo obeyed instantly, placinghis cards face down and wiping his fingers clean before picking them up.
“I see you’ve got him welltrained already,” Dunlop observed. “By the way, how is Miss Engineering?”
Giacomo muttered somethingunintelligible.
Dunlop raised his hand and cuthim off. “English, please.”
“I wouldn’t repeat it in front ofa lady.”
“So you are going out withBricks,” Kowalski made the connection.
Giacomo raised his hands to his headand looked helplessly up at the ceiling. That was just what he needed! To bethe latest topic of gossip! Kowalski couldn’t keep his mouth shut aboutanything. He was saved by Gillespie’s timely intervention.
“Sam, I believe it’s your call.”
Kowalski glanced at his cards,sighed and tossed them face down into the centre of the table. “I’m out.” Heturned to Giacomo. “Did you really –?”
“Shut up, Sam.” McReidy’swarning was accompanied by a swift kick under the table.
“That hurt.”
“It was meant to. I’m in for adollar. What about you, Doc?”
“I’m in. And I will raise you…”Dunlop paused for dramatic effect. “A whole fifty cents.”
“Oooh, last of the big spenders,”Gillespie teased.
“I got burnt the other night. I’m not taking chances.”
Gillespie and Giacomo folded,leaving only
