Around 08:00 we stepped off the lift on the dock level. She had checked out of the room and had a duffel over her shoulder. “Work this afternoon, duty tonight, underway tomorrow,” she shrugged helplessly.
“Thanks,” I said.
“For what?”
“Just thanks. See ya round the docks, maybe.”
She growled, wrapped a fist in my shirt, and backed me up against the bulkhead. When she let me go, I felt thoroughly kissed. Several of the passersby seemed to think so, judging from their stares. I hoped she did, too. We did not say goodbye. She waved and headed to the Duchamp’s lock. I could not watch so I headed to starboard and back to the Lois.
The docks were really chilly and I tightened my coat around me. I could smell her on it. I wondered if I could get it cleaned—not physically but whether I could voluntarily give up that scent. “You’re being stupid,” I told myself. I agreed with me, but sometimes being right does not help one bit.
I keyed my way into the lock and signed aboard. Sandy Belterson had the duty. “Welcome home, Ish.”
“Thanks, Sandy. Anything shaking?”
“Well, you’re the talk of the ship. Again.”
“Which part?” I asked.
“Where should I begin?”
“Great gods! How bad is it?”
“No, no,” she said with a smile. “It’s all good.”
“Okay, just the highlights?”
“Chez Henri?”
“Old news. Days ago.”
“You trashed Murdock?”
“Well, not trashed. I just didn’t find her that interesting.”
“Brill spewed beer—twice?”
“Just once. First time was a near miss.”
“You danced with Alvarez?”
“True.”
“The last time anybody saw you, Alvarez was dragging you out of Jump!”
“False.”
“False?”
“I went willingly.”
“Al offered to take you home?”
“You do have good sources!”
She looked at me sympathetically. “It’s hard, though, isn’t it?” she said softly.
I shrugged. “Yeah. It’s just one of the things you need to get used to if you’re gonna be a spacer, eh?”
“Pretty much,” she said a bit wistfully.
“Well, I better get on with being a spacer then, I suppose. I need to get some stuff from my locker and head up to the flea market. Who’s up there today?”
“I think it’s Rhon’s day to manage.”
“Thanks, Sandy.”
“You done good, Ish. Tough as it is,” she told me.
Down in the berthing area, I pulled out the small bag of whelkies, intending to take them to the flea. I took the bag around to my bunk and started going through them, trying to remember what I had picked out. I opened the first one. It was a wolf in a pre-pounce pose, knees bent, head up with a kind of playful/predatory smile, haunches gathered. I wrapped it back up and tied the string carefully around it.
The second was a fox, sitting upright with ears up and tail wrapped around its paws in front. I re-wrapped that one as well.
The third was a peregrine falcon. It was in flight, wings swept back, talons ready, head and neck fully extended, eyes focused ahead—fiercely sleek and beautiful. The deep purple heart seemed to pulse in the berthing overheads. I re-wrapped it carefully, tying the red string snugly around the bit of cloth. I put the wolf and fox back in the bag and stowed it back in my locker. I slipped the falcon in my jacket and headed off the ship. I went to the Duchamp’s lock and rang the delivery buzzer. One of the ratings came out, and said, “Can I help you?”
“I have a delivery for Alvarez, second mate?”
“I’ll take it.”
I pulled the small bundle out of my pocket and handed it to him.
“That’s it?” he asked.
“Yup.”
“Do I need to sign for it?”
I shook my head. “Just see that she gets it.”
“Sure thing.” He shrugged, made a note on his tablet, and went back through the lock.
I headed back to the ship. I needed to find somebody to go shopping with.
Sandy was still on duty and just laughed at my coming and going. “Can’t make up your mind?”
“Ah, you know what it’s like when you’re running errands. You always get halfway and find you forgot something. Is anybody around?”
“Besides the watch section, you mean?”
“Yeah, I need to find somebody to go shopping with me.”
She laughed out loud at that one. “Good luck! I don’t know who’s awake. Anybody with the duty is on it, almost anybody who had the mid is sleeping. Why don’t you get a nap? You’ve got the night watch tonight, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Listen to yer Aunt Sandy. Grab a nap now, the midwatch will be getting up at noon, most of them, at least. Grab some lunch and go up this afternoon.”
“Good advice, Aunt Sandy,” I told her with a grin. “Besides, better deals in the afternoon.”
She laughed. “Oh, Ish, humor me? I gotta ask?”
“Ask,” I said with a shrug. “I seem to be the primary entertainment these days.”
“Well, that’s not new. You and Pip have been the prime entertainment on this ship for months now. But would you have gone?”
“Where?”
“Would you have gone with Al?”
I shrugged and told her, “A gentleman doesn’t tell.”
“Damn, you are good,” she told me.
I winced a little, but I waved and headed for my bunk. She made good sense and I was a bit tired.