Текст книги "Kobayashi Maru"

Автор книги: Andy Mangels

Соавторы: Michael Martin
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“Told you, Juan said, shaking his head.

“Oh, be quiet, Nora muttered as she knelt to pick up the little bits of hydrospanner that now lay scattered about the deck.

“Never mind us, Juan said, addressing Paul. “In spite of appearances, I think were actually ready to shove off whenever you give the word.

Couldnt have timed it better myself,Paul thought as he turned toward the man who sat fidgeting impatiently behind the helm, awaiting the order to break orbit.

“Set us on a course for Gamma Hydra, Charlie. Warp two. Take us out when youre ready. And try not to shake our fillings loose this time.

Charlie grinned. “Aye, aye, Capn, he said, then immediately began updating the navcomputer with his left hand while entering velocity data with his right.

Rianna began moving toward the open archway at the aft part of the bridge. “If were heading out now, Id better keep an eye on my babies down in the engine room.

“Find something to hang on to, Paul said to her departing back.

“Just remember, she said over her shoulder. “If I find out you gave away my big book about old‑time Chicago, Im gonna make you walk the plank. And with that she disappeared into the access corridor behind the bridge.

“The Chicago book, Nora said, now apparently done clearing away the mess shed made and discreetly disposing of the wreckage. “Wasnt that the big old white hardcover that the village elder fell in love with?

Oh, crap.Paul swallowed hard. He wasnt sure, but that bookwhich told the story of a crucial time in the history of Moms hometownjust mighthave gone out with the trade goods that circumstances had forced him to sacrifice. He hoped that Travis still had hiscopy of the book with him in his billet aboard Enterprise.

And that he would be willing to rush it over to the Horizonon short notice to save his little brothers life.

“Hang on to your butts, Charlie said. A moment later he pushed the throttle forward.

Paul grabbed the back of the big chair in the center of the busy little control area as the Horizonlurched into motion. The freighters forward surge launched squadrons of butterflies deep in his guts, but they flew only for the split second it took for the inertial damping system to catch up to the warp drives sudden burst of superluminal acceleration. The blue‑and‑white world on the viewer immediately shrank to a small pinpoint of light before losing itself amid the myriads of other celestial fires scattered throughout the boundless interstellar deeps like so many grains of sand on a beach.

The ship roared and rattled, but held together. Charlie grinned up at him from the helm. “Warp one point six. One point seven. One point eight. One point nine.

“Warp two.

The rattling and shaking gradually evened out, and after a seeming eternity Paul realized that he had been holding his breath. He released it in a great relieved rush.

“Youre gonna get it, Nora said, shaking her head gently at Paul.

“Come again? he said.

“Your moms book, remember? Since we didnt get vaporized in a warp core breach just now, youre going to have to deal with that.

He nodded glumly before pushing that problem off to one side. “Well just have to find a way to divert that particular asteroid before it hits us.

Nora grinned mischievously. “We? Us?

He sighed. “All right. Its myproblem. Yours is transmitting my first contact report to ECS Central.

“Im all over it, Skipper, she said, turning toward the port communications console.

“Please dont call me that, he muttered under his breath, sighing as he sent the log files from his chair console to Noras station.

“Message transmitted to ECS Central, Nora reported a few moments later.

“No, it isnt, Juan said.

“What are you talking about? Nora said, scowling. “My console shows the message as sent.

Paul walked over to Noras station and confirmed that fact with a glance.

“True enough, said Juan, who was staring at the com interface from the opposite side. “But look at the frequency bands the transmitter used.

“Hell, Nora said. “I didnt tell the damned thing to use the snail channel.

“Looks like the transmitters subspace capabilities must have gone down, Juan said with a cool, appraising nod, his hitch aboard the Horizonevidently having inoculated him against finding any sort of technological glitch surprising. He turned toward Paul. “The computer must have automatically enabled the regular EM radio antenna as a backup. So ECS Central isnt going to receive thattransmission for over a century, Jefe.

“You know, I think I like Jefe even less than I like Skipper, Paul said.

“Sorry, boss, Juan said as he returned to scrutinizing the com console. Paul wasnt sure whether he was talking about the title or the balky transmitter.

Regardless, he knew there was no point in chewing anyone out over this little setback. After all, virtually instantaneous interstellar communication via the subspace bands was still a relatively recent innovation, at least for humans, and therefore wasnt yet completely trouble‑free even under ideal circumstances. And that micrometeoroid swarm that had forced the Horizons most recent unscheduled layover couldnt exactly be described as an ideal circumstance; the crew might continue to encounter yet‑undiscovered meteoroid damage for weeks to come.

“Well have to take the entire com system offline for a few hours at least while we get this problem sorted out, Juan said.

“The sooner you two get those subspace bands tuned back in, Paul said, “the sooner I can cross that report off my list.

Perhaps ten minutes after Nora and Juan had pulled open the bridges primary com system access panel, Charlie pointed directly toward the main viewer.

“What the hell is that? he said with a puzzled frown.

Looking at the forward screen, Paul could see for himself that his helmsman wasnt simply imagining things. A long, tapered shape had indeed suddenly appeared like an apparition before his startled gaze, seemingly materializing out of nowhere.

Nora and Juan both abruptly set aside their com system repairs, transfixed by the approaching ship.

“Must have roared in pretty damned fast, Juan said. “Id guess she must have been doing warp four or better before she went sublight.

“What kind of ship is she? Nora wanted to know.

“I hope its not what it looks like, Charlie said, his eyes suddenly going nearly wide enough to see in the radio spectrum.

Paul swallowed hard as he nodded in silent agreement with the Horizons pilot. The bulbous projection at the nearer end of the incoming vessels long, narrow body marked it as something no freighter captain wanted to encounter. As did its two widely spaced, ventrally curved engine nacelles.

The dull glow Paul saw emanating from the depths of the newcomers forward weapons tube wasnt exactly an encouraging sign, either.

“Whats a Klingon battle cruiser doing way out here in the Gamma Hydra sector? he said, addressing nobody in particular. “Were a hell of a lot closer to the Romulans stomping grounds right now than we are to Klingon space.

“Lets just hope they keep right on going without noticing us, Juan said, standing beside the com console, transfixed by the image on the screen.

Equally absorbed by the approaching apparition, Charlie said, “Not much chance of that. What are the odds theyd just happen to drop out of warp almost right on top of us?

“Im receiving a hail, Nora said. “Audio only.

“Put it on speakers, Paul said, nodding.

A deep, gravel‑coated voice resounded through the small bridge. “Nov Duj. Pejeghbe Duj. Ghuh tIjta pagh QIH.

“Dunno what hes saying, Charlie said. “But it doesnt sound friendly.

Paul was forced to agree. “Run that through the translation matrix, Nora.

“Already on it, she said as she finished entering a brief series of commands into her console.

A few tense heartbeats later, the computer substituted a synthetic English‑speaking voice for that of the Klingon who was hailing them. “Alien vessel. Surrender your ship. Prepare to be boarded or destroyed.

Paul sighed. “Thats pretty much what I thoughtyou were going to say, he muttered under his breath. He flipped a switch on his chair console, opening an intercom channel to the engine room. “Mom, Im going to need all the speed you can give me.

“You dont seriously expect to outrun that monster, do you, son?Rianna said, evidently having already monitored the developing situation from her station.

“Weve got a better chance of doing that than we do of winning a straight fight, Paul said. Even though his brother had persuaded him of the wisdom of upgrading the Horizons weaponry during his last visit more than two years earlier, a Klingon battle cruiser was nowhere near as easy to dissuade from using force as was your garden‑variety pirate ship.

“All right, son,Rianna said. “Ive got my hand on the throttle. You just give the word.

“Consider it given. Charlie, take us back down into the gravity well of the system we just left, pedal down all the way. Maybe we can lose em in one of the asteroid fields.

“Hang on to your butts, Charlie said again as he entered the appropriate commands. Paul felt his stomach lurch once more as the freighter accelerated and the inertial dampers again took a few microseconds to catch up. His lunch seemed to desire escape nearly as urgently as he did, but he somehow held on to it until the mercifully brief peristaltic impulse passed.

“Nora, send a distress signal, Paul said once hed found his voice again. He knew that transmitting a Mayday via ordinary EM‑band radiothe only option available with the subspace gear still downwould be about as useful as waving semaphore flags. But he had to do something.

“Its no good, Nora said, shaking her head in evident frustration. “Theyre jamming us!

“Then launch the log buoy, Paul said, swallowing hard.

“Done, Nora said a moment later.

Paul felt a subtle change in the vibrations coming through the deck plates. Something wasnt right.

At the helm, Charlie seemed to be beating back panic, but only barely. “The helm just went dead. Navigation is completely offline.

Pauls heart raced. “Did the log buoy get away?

Nora slammed her fist down on her console, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath as though struggling to compose herself. “Afraid I cant tell. My station just went down, too.

Darkness suddenly enfolded the bridge. Paul heard a brief chorus of startled cries and gasps.

“Life support, too, Charlie said. Only then did Paul notice the sudden total absence of the ubiquitous background hum of the air‑circulation fans.

Paul fumbled for the intercom controls. “Engine room! Mom! Nothing. Despite the failure of the helm and just about everything else, the ever‑present aural backdrop created by the warp engines was gradually intensifying.

Then an eerie but welcome reddish glow slowly began to suffuse the chamber as the battery‑powered emergency backup circuits dutifully yawned, stretched, and began to wake up.

“At least somethingsstill working, Paul said.

“We still dont have any control over anything up here, Juan said, speaking from the gloomy shadows near one of the port stations.

The vibration in the deck plates shifted yet again. Paul knew the ship was accelerating.

“Were still generating warp power, Nora said.

The deck rattled and vibrated. The effect was very different from anything he had ever experienced before. More powerful, and more out of control. Deck segments slammed into one another like a planets tectonic plates suddenly cranked into absurdly fast motion, a billion years crammed into a few fleeting heartbeats.

“Wed better get the escape pods ready, he said, raising his voice to be heard above the din. “Just in case.

Charlie entered a command, checked a readout, then cursed. “Not functioning.

Why doesnt that surprise me?Paul thought, struggling to remain calm, or at least to sound that way the next time he spoke. “Nora, get that viewer back up. I need to see what that Klingon ship is up to.

“Working on it, she said, a keen edge of terror audible in her voice. “But I cant seem to

She stopped abruptly when the forward viewer suddenly winked back to life, displaying an aft view. Looming against the star‑bejeweled blackness of deep space, the Klingon battle cruiser was still closing in inexorably on the Horizons retreating stern.

“Good work, Paul said, thankful for whatever small miracles might appear.

“I didnt do it, Nora said, sounding flummoxed. “I still havent figured out why the hell the lights went out in the first place.

Theyre why,Paul thought, staring straight ahead at the approaching harbinger of death. They must have a new weapon that can cripple us without having to blow us full of holes first. And the screen came up just now because theywanted us to see whatevers going to happen next.

“Charlie, he said aloud as renewed determination and plain, old‑fashioned anger stiffened his spine. The Horizonwas both his home and his livelihood, and he wasnt going to give up either without one hell of a fight. “Were going to have to get clever with these guys.

I.K.S. MupchIch

“The remote system is working flawlessly so far, Commander, Centurion TVak said, his gaze still riveted on the broad bank of gauges and indicators that stretched across three bridge workstations.

Of course, the still experimental arrenhehwiuatelecapture weapon had worked somewhat less than flawlessly during its initial outings, Commander TVoras recalled; still, it had enabled the capture of the klivamcruiser he was currently using as the systems test bed, and had done so in fairly short order. And thanks to the Romulan Star Empires long and acrimonious association with the Klingon Empire, the translation device that the chief technologists office had integrated into the prototype had succeeded in transmitting a convincingly barbaric‑sounding klivamhail.

It was a pity that it couldnt also do something about the lingering stench of the hirsute, overly armored animals that had once infested this otherwise adequate vessel.

“We have achieved complete control over the Terran freighters propulsion, navigation, and life‑support systems, the centurion said as he entered a few adjustments into the system interface.

“Very good, Centurion, TVoras said. “Admiral Valdore and Chief Technologist Nijil will both be pleased indeed. I shall not neglect to mention your diligence to them.

The centurion immediately stood at attention and offered the traditional salute, his clenched right fist raised to high chest level just below the left shoulder, his bent elbow positioned precisely above the lower abdominal ribs that protected his heart. “You do me honor, Commander, the junior officer said.

Let us hope that this device will prove as effective against Terran military vessels,TVoras thought, as it has thus far against their civilian freighters and theklivam warship that now carries us.

An ominous blood‑green light on the devices central console suddenly began flashing rhythmically, matching the staccato wail of a klaxon. The centurion immediately returned his full attention to his readouts.

“The freighter crew is attempting to bypass both its primary and secondary systems, he said, sounding surprised at his opponents apparent ingenuity.

TVoras nodded, taking the revelation in stride. “Theyre no doubt trying some novel method of recovering their console functions. Respond accordingly, Centurion, and maintain control.

The centurions brow ridge crumpled with concern, as though hed suddenly become worried that the commendation he had been expecting earlier might suddenly metamorphose into a reprimand. Or perhaps something far worse.

TVoras placed a hand gently on the hilt of his razor‑sharp datheanofv‑sen,his Honor Blade. That shall be entirely up to him,he thought.

E.C.S. Horizon

“Damn it! Nora shouted.

“Whats wrong? Paul said. Apart from the obvious.

“Almost had helm control rerouted and recovered. Then I lost it again. Its like the Klingons have found a way to monitor everything we try to do, using our own systems against us.

Paul nodded. That was no doubt exactlywhat they were doing, though he was completely at a loss as to how to explain it. Fear gnawed at his insides, like an animal trying to escape.

But he was no less determined to get his crewhis familyout of this mess.

“You and Juan keep at it, Paul said, trying his best to conceal his steadily increasing desperation. “Charliejust keep pushing those buttons.

I.K.S. MupchIch

“Control recovered, Centurion TVak said, looking intensely relieved after several siureof genuine uncertainty.

After the struggle hed just witnessed, TVoras wasnt entirely certain that the centurions renewed confidence was justified. But he was nevertheless satisfied that todays activities had garnered enough operational data to produce real, substantive refinements to the equipment. And he knew it would not do to linger here any longer than necessary, lest any transient vessel from Vulcan, Andoria, Tellar, or even Earth discover anything about the operation being conducted here todayor even begin asking questions about what a Klingon vessel might be doing so far from home.

“Is the test data safely recorded, Centurion? TVoras asked.

“It is, Commander.

“Very well, TVoras said. “Dispose of any evidence that we were ever here. Including the small distress beacon the freighter launched.

“Immediately, Commander. TVoras watched as the centurion deftly entered a series of commands into his primary board.

TVoras turned toward the young female decurion who was serving at the communications station.

“Get me Admiral Valdore on a secure frequency, he said.

E.C.S. Horizon

The deck plates shuddered even more violently than before, signaling further acceleration. The engine noise continued to increase along with it, rising to a nearly ear‑splitting roar.

“I dunno how, but were stillgathering delta vee, Charlie said. “Warp three point two and steadily climbing. Didnt think this tub could gothis fast.

“I noticed, Paul said. “Whats our heading?

Charlie turned toward the center of the bridge. The harsh, ruddy‑tinted shadows that fell across his face did nothing to soften the terror Paul saw etched across his usually placid features.

“Were locked on a ballistic course directly for Sigma Iotia! he shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the ever‑escalating whine of the engines.

Sigma Iotia. The primary star of the world the Horizonhad just departed.

Paul Mayweather turned and saw Rianna Mayweather standing by his side. He could see from the haunted look in his mothers brown eyes that engine control was a lost cause. There was no point in asking whether a warp‑core jettison was even possible. Besides, the din of the engines had become so loud as to make conversation essentially impossible except in the form of top‑of‑the‑lungs shouts. He took both of her hands between his own as he looked at the forward viewer.

The dazzling golden‑orange brilliance of Sigma Iotia overwhelmed the screen, prompting the automatic imaging system to damp the light down to a tolerable level. Paul imagined he could already feel the searing heat of the photosphere toward which the Horizonwas falling at multiwarp speed. Time seemed to stretch, and he truly didnt want to know precisely how many seconds remained to him and his crew.

His family. Paul Mayweather gently put his arm around his mothers shoulders. She had brought him into the world. Protected him from the occasional teasing of his older brother Travis. Taught him how to fly a ship. Comforted him after Jaliye had left him for another pilot.

And now she would die beside him.

He suppressed a morbid laugh as he drew some comfort from a final absurd thought: At least I wont have to fess up to her about giving away that damned book.

NINE

Day Thirty‑one, Month of KriBrax The Hall of State, Dartha, Romulus

A DMIRAL V ALDORE FROWNED, his face creasing sharply.

“What do you mean, you believethat it was destroyed? he asked, displeasure fairly dripping from his lips as he spoke.

The holographic image of Commander TVoras didnt blink, though Nijil did note that he cast a sidelong glancepresumably at some unlucky guilty party, or his corpsebefore he answered. “It seemed prudent to destroy any elements that might relate to this attack. The log buoy was following the same general trajectory of the Coalition ship when we sent it into the sun. But unlike the ship itself, we were unable to ascertain either its destruction or its safety.

Nijil cleared his throat slightly, and glanced over at Valdore. They had worked together for so long on and off over the years that most gestures between them were unspoken, though Nijil was always aware of the need to appear appropriately obsequious before the admiral in the presence of lower‑ranking officers.

“Were the klivamsensors unable to target the buoy effectively? Nijil asked. “I was under the impression, from your reports, that their ships sensor systems were rather similar to those of our own vessels.

The holographic TVoras turned slightly to favor Nijil with his answer. “There is significant spatial debris obscuring close scans of the systems sun. Once the Coalition ship entered the photosphere, we could not easily locate a device as small as a log buoy.

Valdore put his knuckles to his forehead, clearly vexed. “So, what youre saying now is that the buoy mighthave been sent on an unknown independent trajectory, or it might possibly have dropped into the sun?

Now, TVoras looked a bit more nervous. “YesThe orders wereI was unclear on protocol, sir. In all of our previous attacks on theklivam vessels, we specifically jammed their communications and prevented them from sending out messages. It wasIt seemed prudent to do the same here. And, if I may remind you, Admiral, everyother aspect of this operation was a complete success.

Valdore leaned forward, sighing. “ Youdo not need to remind me of anything, Commander. Nor do I authorize you to punish anyof your crew for thislapse in judgment. But to be clear, Commander, we undertook all our previous attacks on klivamships for two reasons: to test the arrenhehwiuatelecapture system, and to seize some of their battle cruisers, bothfor technological study and covert sabotage.

“ Youwere engaged in both a technological test andan act of covert sabotage. The log buoy of the Coalition ship you destroyed would have furnished our adversaries with positive proofof Klingon aggression. It might even have been enough to spark a war between the Klingon Empire and this Coalition of Planets. Instead, we are left with no proof of any Klingon attack.

“But the test of our tactical system on the Coalition ship went flawlessly, Admiral,TVoras said. Nijil imagined he could see beads of sweat appear on the commanders heavily ridged brow.

“That is the reason you do not face disciplinary action, Commander, Valdore said, standing. “Yet, he added, his voice lowering to a near growl. “The next mission you undertake will answer whether or not you have a future withwell, lets just leave it at that.

As Valdore stabbed his finger down upon a button on the desk‑mounted com system, the holographic TVoras saluted nervously, but the salute wasnt even finished before the image winked out of existence.

“I dont believe that Commander TVorass error in judgment will create any lasting repercussions for your plans, sir, Nijil said, hoping to soothe Valdore, whose head was bowed and shadowed.

Valdore lifted his face, smiling. “Neither do I, Nijil. We still have other tests to conduct, and there will be more than enough time and opportunity to implicate the Klingons or, conversely, to convince the Klingons that the Coalition has destroyed one of theirships. But Commander TVoras had gotten a bit too cocky after our last several triumphs; I needed to remind him that he is fallible, and can be replaced.

Nijil nodded, smiling at Valdores cunning. Although he had designs on furthering his own standing in the power structure of Romulus, for now, Valdore was the right man to back. Of all the officers in the Romulan military, Valdore appeared to be the one who was most adaptable to changing technologies, and to the myriad possibilities of the future.

Despite Valdores failure with the initial telepresence drone‑ship remote‑control units, which had required telepathic Aenar to operate them, the concept had led to this latest technological breakthrough. Nijil had been ecstatic when hed been moved from the mostly stalled project charged with the creation of a functional large‑scale cloaking devicea unit capable, in theory, of rendering even large war vessels effectively invisible to an adversaryto his present post. Despite the best efforts of some of the finest minds on Romulus, the power needed to cloak a large ship still invariably resulted in a complete loss of fuel containmentand therefore the utter destruction of both a test ship and a hugely expensive cloaking‑device prototype. By contrast, the prospect of overcoming an enemy by using direct subspace contact to remotely seize his own consoles and control computers had proved to be a much more fruitful area of research.

Nijil now felt extremely confident that the recent telecapture breakthroughs over which he had presided for the past couple of khaidoahad proven to Valdore that he had decided to back not only the right technology for the next war, but also the right technologist to bring the Praetors dreams to fruition.

Now, after the convenient death of Ehrehinat the hands of Nijils own agents, though no one seemed to have discovered this inconvenient fact as of yetand the success of the arrenhehwiuatelecapture system, Nijil was all but certain that a place of honor in the annals of Romulan scientific and military history awaited him.

Once his ideas had been thoroughly tested and properly deployed, of course.

As had often been the case during the last few months he had spent both on and off Romulus, Trip Tucker was feeling exceedingly ill at ease. Playing his public role of the junior engineer named Cunaehr, he was attending the funeral services for Ehrehin iRamnau trAvrak. Trip had discovered only today that the old man had no surviving relatives; his five sons and one daughter had all been killed in action during various Romulan military incursions. This revelation certainly made Ehrehins having balked at completing his warp‑drive project easier to understand.

As he stood beneath the midday shadows cast by one of the great stone archways of Darthas ancient mausoleum district, Trip found he had little to do other than to concentrate on not making a public spectacle of himself. After all, none of his pre‑mission intelligence cramming, or any of his other studies to date, had brought him up to speed on Romulan funerary customs, a fact that was especially unfortunate given that his covert persona was supposed to be quitefamiliar with allRomulan customs. Whenever he hadnt been working alongside Ehrehin, Trip had spent a great deal of his time poring over Romulan texts, which he absorbed as quickly as he could translate them. He had even gone so far as to improvise a text‑scanning‑and‑conversion device, which read to him aloud in standard English through the translation units the Adigeons had mounted inside his ears.

Lucky for me there arent too many people here,Trip thought. Less than a dozen others had come to the crypt, and most of these were fellow scientists or lab assistants with whom Tucker was already familiar, having worked alongside them fairly closely for the past few months. A few uniformed centurions and other military officers were present as well, the most conspicuous of which was a tall, broad‑shouldered brute who seemed to be scrutinizing all the mourners very carefully as they came and went.

Trip recognized the man as the same brusque centurion who had been in charge of the security team that had come to Ehrehins lab after the Ejhoi Ormiinassassins had attacked. He had taken the lone surviving assassin away, promising to interrogate her. So whats he doing here, giving the stink‑eye to all ofus? Trip wondered, his hackles rising.

Trip watched as the others began to approach the raised granite bier upon which stood the half‑meter‑high ceramic tibulecvessel that contained Ehrehins mortal remains; per Romulan custom, the scientist had been cremated within an eisaea single revolution of the imperial homeworldafter his death. Each person who approached the urn performed an intricate series of hand movements while simultaneously murmuring words that Trip interpreted as some sort of ancient prayer. He couldnt see exactly what the other visitors were doing, or hear their words precisely, but the whole business strongly resembled the burial ritual he had learned a few months earlier, when he and TPol had interred the body of their infant daughter Elizabeth at the TKarath Sanctuary on Vulcan.

I should be able to fake my way through this easily enough,Trip thought, his confidence rising as his turn neared to mount the few narrow steps that led up to the highly decorated, tubular vessel. Despite his covert mission, he still had every reason to pay his heartfelt personal respects to Ehrehinthe man had saved his life and taken him under his wing even after discovering that Trip was actually a non‑Romulan spyand he needed to do whatever he could to send his fondest, most positive thoughts toward whatever afterlife Ehrehin might have anticipated. As he approached the raised bier, prepared to make a quickbut not tooquickrun‑through of the gestures and murmurs hed seen the other mourners make, he redoubled his concentration on remaining as inconspicuous as possible.

As he moved forward, Trip caught a flash of movement to his left, and his newly acquired confidence sank like a stone dropped into a canyon.

“Please, feel free, Ehrehins young laboratory assistant said, making an “after you gesture.

Centurion Terix studied the young man again carefully, just as he had done earlier in todays animaurolhao,the Ceremony of Respect. Something seemed out of place with the man, and he couldnt quite put his finger on it. The dead scientists assistant seemed nervous; perhaps the loss of his colleague was the sole reason for his apparent discomfiture, or maybe it was something else, something less than seemly.

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