Yet he came waddling through the great steel valves as confidently as if he had come to take command of the station.
The nurse followed him, immaculate in white.
A glowing, bronze-eyed, athletic girl, she looked too young and fresh and lovely to be so far from the stars men had mastered.
A gasp of admiration came from the lock sergeant behind me.
My own pulse was quickening— until I saw her ring.
The ring was a heavy platinum band set with an odd black stone.
An unpleasant gem, the dull black stone was carved into a grinning skull with hot ruby eyes that glowed like live coals.
That ugly death’s-head struck me with a puzzling shock of evil, because it seemed to deny her clean, strong vitality.
“Captain Ulnar?”
Neglecting to salute, the old soldier stopped to stare at me with eyes like flat wet pebbles.
“Captain Lars Ulnar? You want to talk to us?”
“If you want to come aboard the station.”
“Why else do you think we’ve come forty trillion miles on Scab-bard’s miserable bucket of rust?”
His round face was baby-smooth and baby-soft, and it reddened now like an angry infant’s.
“We were expecting a warmer welcome.
My name’s Habibula.
Corporal Giles Habibula.”
His bald pink head nodded toward the girl.
“Nurse Lilith Adams.
We’re here as guests of the blessed Legion.
You have orders to supply us rations and quarters in the station.”
“I’ve received no such orders.”
“Our visit was arranged through Legion channels.”
His indignant voice was nasal and high, oddly irritating.
“Orders to expect us were sent you a year ago.”
“The ship last year was lost.”
“We’re well aware of that.”
He grimaced pinkly.
“We’ve been sweating for a miserable month at your sector headquarters, waiting for a brass-capped fool to arrange our passage on the Erewhon.
We were warned that our papers had been on that unlucky ship.
We had duplicates sent you more recently, in care of Commander Star.”
“Commander Star?”
“Ken Star, commander of the Legion survey ship Quasar Quest.”
Indignation buzzed in his high nasal voice.
“He’d taken off before we got to sector base.
He must have left our papers here.”
“Commander Star has not been here.”
My first astonishment was changing to irritated disbelief.
“Not for years, anyhow.
I’ve seen his name in the station records.
He was the first commanding officer, years before I got here.
I’ve never seen him.”
“Life’s precious sake!”
The old man’s mud-colored eyes rolled apprehensively toward the silent girl.
“I’m afraid poor Ken has blundered into mortal trouble.”
He lurched forward as if he meant to pass me.
“Well, Captain, it looks as if you’ll have to take my precious word about those orders.”
“Hold it, soldier!”
The riddle was growing queerer.
No Legion survey ship had been expected at the station.