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Chane, I'm promoting you to captain ofWindrammer." He listened. And ten
minutes later he agreed to Lizina'soutrageously generous offer.
Windrammer was his in exchange for hauling HOME'ssupplies and equipment
to Barbro. After all, a spacer had room for but onecaptain. And Misfit
was Lizina's ship now. The master of Misfit was Dorjan ofHarb. That was
the way she wanted it. Two months after that cautious meeting
with Captain Nibaw within the Hub Bar, Misfit (with Lizina beside her
captain)
slipped onto the Tachyon Trail on its way HOME. 22 "You aren't serious!"
Dorjan's smile faded when he saw the expressions on Songan's and Varn's
faces.
His two friends were serious. "Booda! Why? HOME will be ready to launch
in twodays. Two days, Songan, and we'll be under weigh for the Kuzih
planets!" Thetattooed giant nodded heavily. "Those two days are what
forced my decision,
Dorjan. HOME will be traveling in the opposite direction fromHawking."
Hawking? Dorjan stared at his friend. What had Hawking to do with... He
remembered. He had been so caught up in preparations-and withLizina-that
he had forgotten. The research team! "Yoluta-there's apossibility?" "I
don't know. I've followed the reports out of Hawking. There'sstill no
conclusive evidence the cellular approach to memory retrieval isvalid."
Songan sucked at his cheeks and shrugged. "But if there is a chance,
Ihave to try. I have to know." Dorjan understood. He understood-damn it!
Songanhad to go. Had to do what he felt was required. Kuzih-the stars!
They weresupposed to belong to Songan, too! And Varn! Dorjan, confused
and feeling asif his whole world had gone topsy turvy, looked at
Misfit'scomputrician. "What can I say? I've never served a better
captain or crewedonboard a ship as fine as Misfit. It's been good. But
HOME won't be the same."
Varn shrugged. 221 222 "Besides, this tattooed genius will be lost
withoutsomeone to keep an eye on him. Genius he might be. But we Duties
areslippery!" Something rang hollow in Varn's flippant answer. But
thenVarnalgeran Yuw had always been an enigma to Dorjan. Yuw's past
remained asshadowy now as it had been when Misfit's crew had rescued him
from slavers onthe planet Lyon. Dorjan didn't question him further. The
choice to leave HOMEwas Varn's, the same as it was Songan's. "You both
know that HOME will alwayshave a place for you." "I'll be back." Songan
smiled weakly. ''I've alreadyprepared a cassette with the coordinates of
the Kuzih worlds encoded tocrystal. Someday I'll slot that cassette into
a SIPACUM. But first, I have totravel to Hawking." "Who knows, I might
be onboard with this ugly Harbian."
Yuw grinned. "Ships don't grow on trees!" Dorjan shook his head. "We
mighthave to find another Shadow Walker, but we'll get a ship." Songan
glanced athis friend. "We've stolen more heavily guarded items than a
spacer, oldfriend." "I think the original Shadow Walker has a better
plan." If these twowere set on leaving, he had no intention of jaunting
to Barbro TransferStation and leaving them there as they had suggested.
"Lung T'ou is yours. Asto who will be its captain is something you'll
have to argue out amongyourselves." "SotKil's ship?" A wide grin split
Songan's tattooed face. "It'ssupposed to be a backup to Misfit." Dorjan
shook his head. "The Demon Cat isretired. Misfit doesn't need a backup.
It's ready-complete with a newfacelift-whenever you are. It'll need
forged registration, but then both ofyou have done that before." "And "a
new name." Varn winked at thewinged 223 Harbian. "Something that'll suit
its new captain. Something likeRainbow Runner or . . ." "In the morning,
