“You mean that?” He probed my expression. “Then we have another chance! Still, I suppose we’ll have to move inland. You’re the second group to camp within sight of the falls.”

“We can move next spring,” Jana told him. “Plant a new field farther away.” She added wistfully, “We could still hike to the pool sometimes.”

Amanda inspected her glass. “Two questions. Where do you get coffee?”

“We plant a little of everything,” Grone said, as if proud to show off his accomplishments. “We, uh, borrowed a couple of coffee plants from Hopewell, along with the other vegetables. They grow quite well here. See? They’re in the seventh row over.” I peered. It all looked the same to me.

“And your other question?” Jana.

“What are you people doing here?”

The two exchanged glances. Jana said, “Tell her.”

He glanced about with caution and dropped his voice.’ The meteors.”

“What meteors?” Derek and Amanda, as one.

Grone spoke in a whisper. “It was night. I was piloting the ten-seater shuttle, helping out a friend. I was almost through the ionosphere when they came. Dozens of them.”

“Meteorites,” I said. He needed hormone rebalancing. A case for the psych wards.

“Yeah, meteorites. Some real ones, but others too. The ones that sprayed.”

“What in hell are you talking about?” My shoulder blades twitched with the same eerie feeling as when I’d confronted Darla’s glitch.

“My trajectory almost matched the meteorites. I rode with them a long while. I saw them spray something.”

“Oh, come on!” For a moment I’d actually considered putting him on Hibernia’sbridge. I shuddered.

“No, they did! Long trails of vapor. You know what it reminded me of? Insecticide.”

“So you jumped ship and came here?” My tone was wondering.

“! got out as fast as I could. After I landed I got Jana and we took a heli and a whole bunch of supplies and stopped at Hopewell and got some plants and we took off.” His words tumbled. “I smashed the transponder so they couldn’t track us.”“But why?”

“If you’d seen the spray you’d know!”

He was starting to bore me. “Know what?”

“They were spraying us, I told you. And you know what happened right after? The epidemic. Some bug nobody’s ever seen, that breaks down cell walls and kills whoever it hits.

We listened on our radio before it went.”

“Who sprayed you?” Amanda was tense now.

“They were,” he said darkly.

“Water vapor.” My voice was reassuring. “Ice in the meteorites boiled into steam and vaporized. That’s all.” She studied my face, relaxed a trifle.

Vehemently, Grone shook his head. “Don’t give me that goofjuice; you think I’m some groundsider doesn’t know the difference? I’ve been around! I went interstellar three times and ran interplanetary for five years before. How old are you, sixteen? You joeykids think you know everything!”

He subsided, grumbling to himself. His wife gave him an encouraging pat. After a moment he smiled at her.

“We’re safer out here,” Grone said softly, his voice calmer. He looked up to the sky as if for more meteorites.

“If they think they’ve got everybody, they’ll stop spraying.”

I shook my head. “You’ve gone around the bend.”

“Think so?” He looked cunning. “Then there’s no point in reporting us, is there?”

Jana clasped his arm. “Peter took the time to save me before he ran for safety. That’s how much he loves me.” She squeezed his biceps and he rewarded her with an approving smile.

“The epidemic is over,” I said. “Didn’t you hear? We have a vaccine.”

“They miscalculated this time. Next time will be worse.”

I realized logic couldn’t reach him, and changed the topic.

How did they manage to survive in the wilderness? That set them both off. With pride, they took turns describing their inventions and accommodations. After a while I thought it safe to suggest leaving.

“I promise I won’t mention you,” I told him. “Good luck.

I hope you make it through the winters.” On the Western Continent, winter brought frigid winds and heavy snows.

“Oh, we have to,” Jana said. “We have a baby coming.”

On that forlorn note we parted.

Climbing back to our campsite took most of our breath.

When we finally dropped our backpacks near the firepit it was almost dark. Derek and Amanda consulted on a farewell dinner and broke out a bottle of wine they’d saved. We dined on steak and potatoes, hot bread, coffee and wine. A lovely

meal.

In our tent, knowing it was our final night together, Amanda and I were tender and solicitous, but our passion was muted. A bittersweet moment, but I cherished it nonetheless.

In the morning we packed our tents and equipment into the heli, carefully doused the remains of our fire, and lifted off for the long flight home. Once again I was the only pilot.

From time to time I let Derek handle the controls and he was as pleased as a child.

Near home our conversation turned to Captain Grone and his pathetic state of mind. Amanda said, “Imagine the two of them trying to nurse a baby through a mountain winter.”

“They’ll be all right.” I shrugged. “They’ve already been through it once.”

“You seem pretty callous about it.”

“Am I? Maybe it comes from being in the Navy. People make their own beds, then have to lie in them.” I recalled saying the same to Pilot Haynes, and quickly changed the subject. “It’s what can happen to a Captain under too much stress. Sitting alone in his cabin brooding, imagining everyone is out to get him... “ Derek shot me a thoughtful glance, and I hurried on. “Having no one to talk to is the worst of it. That’s probably why Grone snapped.”

“Poor man.”

“That’s why I’m so worried about going on.”

“About what?”

I should have been more cautious. Instead, I said with disgust, “Didn’t I tell you? They can’t find a Captain to replace me. I’m still senior. I’ll have to sail to Detour and home again.”

“You can’t!”

“I have to,” I said. “It’s my job.”

Her voice was ominous. “How long have you known about this, Nicky?”

“Since I reported to Admiralty.” I made a helpless gesture.

“There’s no way out.”

“You could resign!” With an effort, she took the edge from her tone. “I know you tried your best, Nicky. But you were very lucky; you know that. You could have lost the ship.”

“More than once.”

“But you’ll still go? Is glory so important to you?”

“Not glory,” I said shortly. “You know I can’t break my oath.”

It seemed to anger her more. “All this time you knew you would go again as Captain, and didn’t tell me?”

“That’s why I was so upset all week!”

“I’m the one who has a right to be upset. I hate dishonesty!”

“Dishon--Amanda, I’d have told you if I thought about it. I figured everyone in Centraltown knew. And what choice did I have? I--”

“You have one honorable choice! Resign!” .

“He’s senior officer,” Derek said. “It’s his respon--”

“Midshipman, stay out of this! Amanda, that’s not fair.”

“I hate having gone with you under false pretenses.”

Amanda’s tone was harsh. “And I hate you more for tricking me. I won’t discuss it further!”

Enraged, I throttled as high as the motor would allow, indifferent to engine wear. After an hour of mutual sullen silence I spotted the coastline and followed it north to Centraltown.

Amanda, still refusing to speak to me, stalked off with her gear to find a taxi. I remained with Derek to return the heli and sort out our belongings. Late in the evening I saw Derek to the shuttle and thumbed a ride to Amanda’s house on the edge of town.

The lights were out but I knocked nonetheless. After several raps she came to the door wearing a night robe. “What is it?” She spoke through the glass door. I took a deep breath. She deserved honesty, no matter the cost. “Amanda, I love you. I’ll never see you again and I want a better memory to carry home. I’m sorry for my faults.