“Captain?” I asked again.

I grunted as a thick finger stabbed me in the chest.

“You’ve got some explaining to do.” Firus said. Red blotching gave his bearded face a vaguely demonic look in the fuzzy lighting of the armory’s elp-lamps. His voice did not reflect the emotion that I could read in his face- and that scared me.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“You’re part of the Air Corp.”

“Captain, we’re all part of the Air Corp now. As I recall we weren’t given a whole hell of a lot of choice- join up, watch them take the ship, or worse- die trying to defend it from our own people.”

“Don’t give me that. You were part of the Air Corps before you signed on with me.” He spat. “You’re a spy for them!”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know how he had found out but he knew.

“How long? How long have you been spying on me? And why shouldn’t I bounce your corpse off the rocks below?”

“Preacher Brown sends his regards!” I shouted.

“I don’t care what reason you- what did you say?” Firus asked, momentarily stunned.