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the most entertaining cruises I've ever had."
"I suppose you want into the act," said Ramsey.
"Good heavens, no! I already have my part to play. Just one thing, old fellow.
Don't sell our Captain
Savvy Sparrow short."
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"Oh?"
"He's the director of this show. Whether you know it or not, he controls the
script."
Ramsey fought down the vague tuggings of disquiet. "Is that why you're not
giving me away?"
"You obviously mean well," said Garcia. His voice went lower, more harsh.
"Now, give me my other shot and get the hell out of here! Your air of
superiority is beginning to wear on me."
Ramsey felt the hot blood suffusing his features. He took two quick breaths,
surged to his feet.
Garcia deliberately turned over, spoke with his mouth muffled slightly by the
pillow. "Left buttock this time, old thing. Try not to work your temper out on
me while you're about it."
Ramsey went to the pharmacy locker, returned with the hypo, administered the
shot, replaced the hypo in its rack.. "That was very gentle," said Garcia.
"Good control."
Ramsey walked across the room, stood over the cot. "What air of superiority?"
he demanded.
Garcia rolled onto his back, grimaced, said, "I don't mind your dislike of me,
or Les, but by Heaven, you owe your life to --"
"That's enough!" barked Ramsey. "You talk about superior! Every damned one of
you has been so superior it --"
"Oh, I say!" Garcia stared up at him. "We all have our soft spots. Evidently
the junior ensign --"
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"You've had your inning," gritted Ramsey.
"So I have." Garcia nodded. "Maybe you've just wanted to be one of the gang.
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In spite of --" He fell silent.
"In spite of what?"
"Your other job."
"Maybe because of it," said Ramsey.
Garcia digested this. "I never thought of that. But it makes sense. You psych
boys must be pretty lonely.
All your friends -- outside the profession, that is -- always on guard lest
you pounce."
Ramsey shoved his hands into his hip pockets. "Where'd you get this low
opinion of psych?"
"Watching you operate, Doctor."
Ramsey sniffed. "You've never seen me operate." He kicked the stool closer to
Garcia's cot, sat down.
"You're going to talk shop."
Garcia raised on one elbow. "Now see here, old thing, I really --"
"Your secret's showing," said Ramsey.
Garcia's face went blank. "What . . . did . . . you . . . mean . . . by . . .
that?"
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"You act like a man under some contra-survival threat greater than the fear of
death. You keep making sacrificial gestures, as though you were seeking to
excuse --" Ramsey fell silent, staring at Garcia.
"Well?"
"I never brought it into concrete focus before, Joe. Did you have anything to
do with the death of that
Security lieutenant?"
Garcia sank back onto his pillow. "No."
"Even indirectly?"
"I didn't know a thing about him until we found him!"
Ramsey started to nod, then thought: Wait a minute! That's not a direct
answer. A clever evasion phrased like an answer. He said, "Wouldn't an
outright lie be preferable?"
Garcia stared at the ceiling, mouth held in a harsh line.
"Okay, we'll talk about something else, Joe."
"Why don't you go talk by yourself?"
"You're such pleasant company I can't bear to leave. Tell me, Joe, outside of
psych men who look through your sham wall of inadequate defenses --"
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"Look, fellow!" Garcia turned his head on the pillow until he was staring
directly at Ramsey. "So you came out after me when I was caught in the slug.
That was your boy-scout good deed for the day and I
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thanked you nicely when we got back, but --"
"Thanked me?"
"Oh, I forgot, you goofed with the detergent jet and had your hearing aid
turned off. No matter. I was about to say that your gesture wasn't necessary.
I could've cut myself out of the slug if the need arose. So we're --"
"What with?"
"Huh?"
"You stripped your pockets before getting into the lung suit. Your knife was
right there on the suit ledge when I got ready to go out. What were you going
to cut yourself out with -- the patch scraper?" Garcia's dark features grew
pale.
"You're welcome," said Ramsey.
"You've suddenly built your part up greater than it first appeared, Johnny.
Who does your scripts?"
"It's just that you've never really seen me operate," said Ramsey. "Now, I
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