Her voice was compassionate. Bart felt his throat tighten, and had the
awful feeling that he was going to cry. He reached with his good hand
for hers, seeking the comfort of a human touch, but she flinched
instinctively away.
He was a monster to this pretty girl....
"It looks so real," she said helplessly. "Yes, now I can see, you have
tiny moons at the base of the nail, and the Lhari don't." Her face
worked. "It's--it's horrifying! How could you--"
There was a noise in the corridor. Meta gasped and ran to unlock the
door, stood back as the medic and the Second Officer came in, staggering
under Ringg's weight. Carefully, they put him into a bunk. The medic
straightened, shaking his crest.
"Did you get that wrist taken care of, Bartol?"
Meta stepped between Bart and the officer, reaching for a roll of
bandage. "I'm working on it now, rieko mori," she said. "It only wants
strapping up." But her fingers trembled as she wound the gauze, pulling
each fold tight.
"How's--Ringg?"
"Needs quiet," grunted the medic, "and a few sutures. Lucky you got him
under cover when you did."
Ringg said weakly from his bunk, "Bartol saved my life. I can think of
plenty who'd have run for cover, instead of staying out in that stuff
long enough to drag me inside. Thanks, shipmate."
Meta's hand, with a swift hard pressure, lingered on Bart's shoulder as
she cut the bandage and fastened the end. "I don't think that will
bother you much now," she whispered, fleetingly. "I didn't dare say it
was broken or they'd insist on X-rays. If it hurts I'll get you
something later for the pain. If you keep it strapped up tight--"
"It will do," Bart said aloud. The tight bandage made it feel a little
better, but he felt sick and dizzy, and when the medic turned and saw
him, the officer said brusquely "Watch off for you, Bartol. I'll fix the
sign-out sheet, but you go to your cabin and get yourself at least four
hours of sleep. That's an order."
Bart stumbled out of the cabin with relief. Safe in his own quarters, he
flung himself down on his bunk, shaking all over. He'd come safely
through one more nightmare, one more terror--for the moment! Had he put
Meta in danger, too? Was there no end to this ceaseless fear? Not only
for himself, but for others, the innocent bystanders who stumbled into
plots they did not understand?