Ishikawa paid a social call on Captain Llarenos while Reckall continued directing the rescue. Her steward showed him into her cabin, holding the door with one hand, ushering him in with another, positioning a chair with a third and handing him a drink with a fourth. While he waited for the captain, Ishikawa looked about.

On the captain’s desk, the computer keyboard was enormous. And a decorative arrangement of Quadrimanian weapons behind it left him thoughtful. A large framed photograph of FTL Jumpgate 3 occupied the opposite bulkhead. It had been taken from a Quadrimanian ship, and so wasn’t subject to USNE military censorship.

A freighter not unlike his old Hakudo Maru was well into its intake. He stepped up to the picture with his hand-lens. A speck near the edge of the photograph caught his attention. It resolved into a specialized ship—a jumpgate tender.

“I see you appreciate fine art,” said Llarenos. “My second wife took that.”

“I like it a lot,” he said. “Would you consider selling it?”