Settling In

Actually, there was no risk that she'd wander anywhere I didn't want her to go. I had taken the precaution of locking all the doors leading to "sensitive" areas of the ship, such as the cargo hold, before she came aboard.

I wondered why she seemed to be in such a bad mood. Surely a little gratitude for her rescuer wouldn't have come amiss? After all, I'd saved her from all but certain death. Could it be that she didn't like the thought of whatever it was that she had to do on Weston II? She'd spoken of a diplomatic meeting, but that could mean many things, and - as I'd warned her - Weston II was a pretty tough place.

After a while, Lady Aresia came back onto the Vellus's bridge - rather a grand term for the not very large cabin in the nose from where I piloted the ship. "Would you like me to show you your cabin?" I asked her.

"Thank you," she said, managing the faintest hint of a smile. Perhaps her mood had mellowed a bit. I hoped so, or five days in her company could prove rather trying.

The tub wasn't meant for carrying passengers, so apart from my own cabin there were only two others fitted out as bedrooms. I showed her into the better one of the two, though even that wasn't up to much. It contained two single beds, with minimal other furniture. Everything in the room was a bit on the scruffy side, especially the carpet.

Off the bedroom was a small bathroom, containing a toilet, washbasin and shower. No actual bath, of course. None but the most luxurious of passenger liners could afford to carry enough water to make baths practical. Not that we should complain. A couple of generations ago, before artificial gravity was widely fitted, even showers wouldn't have been possible. Apart from the drinking water, all the ship's water was recycled, as was normal practice. I preferred not to know the details of how that worked.

To give her due credit, Aresia didn't turn up her nose at her accommodation. "Thank you," she said. "This will be fine."

She put on the bedside table the only piece of luggage she had brought with her from the lifeboat: a small case. Either she liked to travel light, or this was all she had had time to rescue when she took to the lifeboat. My perscan had been unable to show me what was inside; it must have been lined with lead or something.

1. "I'd better show you the galley and the lounge," I said.

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