The Ethical Engineer (18 page)

"I cannot leave you! Take me with you—I'll be your slave always!" she
wailed.

"What did she say?" Meta snapped, catching some of the meaning.

"You are evil, Jason," Mikah declaimed, getting the needle back into
the familiar groove. "She will obey you, I know that, so no matter how
I labor she will always do as you say."

"I sincerely hope so," Jason said fervently. "One has to be born into
your particular brand of illogic to get any pleasure from it. The rest
of us are happier bending a bit under the impact of existence, and
exacting a mite more pleasure from the physical life around us."

"Evil I say, and you shall not go unpunished." His hand appeared from
behind the door jamb and it held a pistol that he had found below. "I
am taking command of this ship. You will secure the two women so that
they can cause no trouble, then we will proceed to Cassylia for your
trial."

Meta had her back turned to Mikah and was sitting in the control chair
a good five meters from him with her hands filled with navigational
notes. She slowly raised her head and looked at Jason and a smile
broke across her face.

"You said once you didn't want him killed."

"I still don't want him killed, but I also have no intention of going
to Cassylia." He echoed her smile and turned away.

He sighed happily and there was a sudden rush of feet behind his back.
No shots were fired but a hoarse scream, a thud and a sharp cracking
noise told him that Mikah had lost his last argument.