Subdued, the crew returned to their quarters. The men seemed dazed, unsure of what to think. All of them except Min Dwin, the Laotian hill woman. She went directly to her bunk and pulled out her spacebag. From it she took out a long object in a flat leather sheath. She pulled it free. It was a machete, sharpened to a razor edge.

Badger said, "What are you up to, Min?"

"Those bastards killed Johnny," Min said. "I'm going to get me some officer meat"

"With that? They'll cut you down before you get within ten feet of them."

"Maybe I can pick up a gun. One of those that fires the softslugs. I'd like to see that weird doctor with the glasses take one in the gut." She started toward the passageway leading back to the main ship's stations.

"Hold on a minute, Min," Badger said.

She stopped and turned. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Johnny was your man, huh?"

"Yeah. It was a recent thing. Now it's over. What about it?"

"Come over here and sit down," Badger said. Reluctantly she complied, sitting on a locker with the machete balanced on her knees.

"Min, I understand you're plenty pissed off. I am, too. I wasn't all that fond of Steroid Johnny, or his friend Harris, but I wouldn't have wanted what happened to them."

"Right. So?"

"So this. It was Johnny's own fault, Min."

"It would never have happened if that professor guy hadn't brought that thing along."

"Sure. That thing he calls Norbert is obviously dangerous. But so what? We work around dangerous stuff all the time. That's what we volunteered for."

"I know. But Johnny—"

"Johnny disobeyed a direct order. He thought he knew better. I hate to say it, Min, but him and Harris got what they deserved."

"I never thought I'd hear you saying this, Red," Min said. "Who's side you on, anyhow? You suddenly turned into a company man?"

"I'm just telling it like it is," Badger said. "It's like somebody told Johnny not to stick his hand into a buzz saw, and he went and did it anyway. Who would you kill then?"

Min twisted her fingers together in an agony of indecision. "I don't know, Red. It doesn't seem right just to leave it."

"You're right about that," Badger said. "But now's not the time to do anything about it. You go walking out of here with that machete, they'll put you down fast and ask questions later."

"Aren't we going to do anything?"

"Sure we are. But not now."

"When, then?"

"Look," Badger said, "don't push it with me. I know you're sad over Johnny. You'll get over it soon and find someone else. As for what we're going to do, we're going to wait and see how things develop. When we make a move—if we do—they won't be expecting it Is that fair enough?"

"Yeah," Min said. "I guess it is. You got any drugs on you, Red?"

"Walter here takes care of my supply. What have you got, Glint?"

Glint had a first-rate stock of assorted chemicals. He was the crew's supplier and he always had plenty to sell.

"Try this one," he said, taking a pillbox out of his spacebag and shaking out two into his hand. "This'll make you forget Johnny ever existed. If you like them, I'll make you a good price for a hundred. But these two are on the house."

"Thanks, Walter," she said.

"Hey, what are friends for?" said Walter Glint.