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I was startled by Mr. Maxwell, who stepped up beside me to shake my hand. “Best wishes, Ishmael. The captain sends her compliments. She wishes she could attend but the obligations of command prevent it.”

“Thank you for everything, Mr. Maxwell. You’ve been great to serve under.”

“Please don’t let that get around, Mr. Wang,” he said with a grin and a twinkle in his eye. “I have a reputation to protect.” Before I could answer he pulled an envelope from his inner pocket and slipped it into my jacket. “A little something personal from the officers to help you on your way. You’ll do us proud.” He smiled at me then and winked. He was gone before I could even thank him.

Mr. Kelley and Mr. Cotton came up together while I was still looking to see where Mr. Maxwell had gone. They smiled and clapped me on the shoulders. Mr. Cotton even gave me a hug. They wished me well. “Thank you, both,” I told them. They just smiled and took their exit cue. I realized then that the officers were clearing the decks for the crew to have a serious party.

Ms Avril was next in line and she leaned in to speak softly in my ear. “Alicia was my roommate at the academy. She sends her love,” she said. Then she kissed me on the ear, flicking her tongue delightfully across the lobe. “Good luck, Ishmael,” she said with a smoldering look and I suddenly had the image of her and Alicia Alvarez practicing that same look on each other at the academy.

“Thank you, and if you can let me know how those astrogation enhancements work?”

“I’ll do that,” she said, and brushed my mouth with her lips. “That’s from me,” she said with a wink. Before she joined the parade of officers leaving the party.

Lee was the last of the officers there and he stepped up next with a small flat box in his hand. He handed it to me. “When you go to the academy, they make you buy a tablet—one of theirs. When I heard the captain finally got you to apply, I ordered one for you and it was waiting for us here when we got in. It’s not much, but from one systems guy to another, best wishes and use it well. Drop me a line now and again to let me know how you’re doing.”

I was speechless. I had no idea how much they cost, but it was an extravagant gift. “You shouldn’t have,” I said at last.

“Probably not. But I only ordered it. I didn’t pay for it, so it’s okay.”

“Lois?” I asked.

“Who else?”

“Lois is being awfully nice to me.”

He looked at me for a long moment. “You earned it.”

“Thank Lois for me. She gave me a home when I needed one.” It was all I could say without losing it again.

Lee seemed to realize that, and clapped me on the shoulder. “Maybe we’ll have time to grab a quiet beer before you leave. Message me,” he said, nodding at the package in my hands. Then he, too, headed out of the bar.

I looked around and Bev and Brill had arrived amid a swirl of shipmates so I just took a deep breath and a swig of my drink. I looked around and saw Pip at the center of another group of women, at least half of whom weren’t from the
Lois
. He caught me looking in his direction and smiled. I grinned back and raised my glass. We had not been there a full stan yet, but the party had already started to warm up. The band finished setting up, the officers were gone, and the place was beginning to fill.

Salina Matteo came up to me then and gave me a kiss. It was not the lose a tonsil kind of kiss but still warm enough from a married lady with two kids, one of whom was watching with amusement. “Well,” she said softly, “now I understand.” Then she winked at me and stepped back. “Jennifer,” she called to her daughter, “you might want to try this one. Just to see if you like it.” She turned back to me and said, “I certainly did.” I’m pretty sure I blushed then and she backed off a little. “You’re a good man, Ishmael. You’re going to make a great officer. The Agotto Trader’s co-op is always looking for good officers to handle their business.” She said it so salaciously that I had to laugh. It made me wonder what business needed handling.

“Mother, he’s young enough to be your son!” Jennifer complained, but she did step up and give me a peck on the lips and then a longer, smoochy kiss. “Keep your hands of my mother, you home wrecker!” she said with a grin. “Maybe you’d like to keep them on me, instead?” She arched her body into me while her mother laughed.

“Jennifer, stop teasing him,” she scolded, playfully.

“Who’s teasing?” she asked, looking straight in my eyes. “You’re the one who said he was a good kisser. Can I help it if you’re right?” She winked at me on the side away from her mother and kissed me again.

Salina just huffed. “Well, I never!” she said with a grin.

Jennifer pulled back from me then with a smile and said, “You have had too. At least twice, unless you’re claiming immaculate conception.”

“You’ll pay for that, young lady!”

Jennifer pouted a little. “I suppose I better behave. Being grounded has a special meaning in our family.” We all laughed and she said, “Good luck, Ish. Take care.” Then they wandered off and I was left alone again.

The band started up for real then and the whole group moved out to the dance floor. I drained my drink and left the empty on a table before joining the group myself. I was a member in good standing in this tribe and I took my place among them one last time.

For the next couple of stans we danced together, all of us, the past and present crew of the
Lois McKendrick
. We danced together and we danced with the crews of the other vessels in port. I had been on that dance floor before but not really part of the dance the way I was that night—it felt good.

At some point in the evening, Pip disappeared. I was pretty sure I knew where to find him, but also knew why he had taken the other bedroom in the suite. As time went on more and more people faded from the floor and paired off according to the rules they had set for themselves. Eventually the band shut down and with it a lot of the patrons shut down as well. They left in small groups, occasional pairs and, even rarer, alone. The night was winding down and it was time to head back to the room. I looked around to see if I could spot either Bev or Brill, and no sooner had the thought of them hit me, that they were there.

“Shall we sit awhile?” I asked.

“We can if you want,” Bev said. “Personally, I’m ready for bed.”

Brill looked at her then and asked, “Did you have any particular bed in mind?”

“Why yes, I know of a lovely full sized bed up on level seven. I was thinking of that one.”

“Well, might wanna see if there’s anybody using it at the moment,” Brill observed.

Bev turned her predatory eyes on me, and if she hadn’t been smiling warmly, I might have felt a bit more afraid. “I don’t think he’s there, yet,” she said to Brill while looking straight into my eyes.

Brill grinned and leaned over to kiss me. “You guys take care. See you soon.”

My heart lay heavy in my chest. I tried to remember to breathe as I watched that magnificent woman turn and sail out of my life forever.

Bev nudged me and took my arm. “Come on, sailor. I’ve got some plans for you that don’t include mooning over your ex-boss.” She said it with a softness in her voice that told me she understood, but it was an offer I could not easily ignore.

It was one of those nights that lives in your heart and warms you in the cold times. We sailed into my room and managed to get the door closed and locked behind us before clothes started flying. Then we were on the bed, giggling and rolling around in a pile like puppies—stroking, and licking—kissing and even nipping. Skin, everywhere skin, soft and smooth, some with downy pelt, some delightfully naked. Some of it tattooed and some of it pierced with steel, gold, or silver. Eventually, all of it wet and slippery. The giggles and squeals eventually gave way to gasps and moans and, much later, cries and sighs. Eventually the night won over and we fell asleep in a satisfied and quivering heap.

Pip woke me by pounding on the door. “Hey! Anybody still alive in there?”

Bev answered, “No,” before I was really awake.

Pip pounded on the door again. “If you people don’t get out here and help me eat this food, I’m going to send it back to the kitchen.”

“Food?” she asked.

“Breakfast. Should be enough if there’s only one army in there.”

Bev was out of bed first and for an instant I thought she was going to go as she was, that is naked, barring the odd patch of sweat and her tattoos. But she went to the closet and pulled out a fluffy robe, threw it over herself, and then another one was coming my way. I had a mental overlay of the suit drill months before, when she had opened the locker and handed out environmental suits clad in her ship-tee and boxers.

Even before Pip had stepped all the way back from the door, Bev flung it open and said, “Good morning, Pip.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and headed for breakfast, still tying her robe. She left me standing there, still half tangled in mine.

Pip stuck his head in the door and grinned at me. “You need me to show you how to put that on?” he asked and managed to duck before the pillow I threw at him arrived.

I got the robe on and wandered out to find Pip and Bev loading plates from a mobile buffet cart that had been wheeled into the suite. I also found Rebecca Saltzman looking very seriously pleased with herself and dressed in the same clothes I’d seen her in the night before. “Morning, Bev. Hi, Ish,” she said in her growly purr. It sounded even a little more like a purr than normal to me and judging from the look on Pip’s face, he had had quite a night himself.

“Good morning, Rebecca,” Bev said, but wasted no more time on chit-chat before loading a plate with meat, eggs, potatoes and what looked like a spicy red salsa.

“Hi, Rebecca,” I said. The day was off to a great start. Who was I to complain?

We made short work of the food. From the way Bev was looking around for more, I thought maybe we should call for another cart. “You want some more breakfast, Bev?” I asked with a smile.

“Oh no, I’m fine. Just didn’t want any to go to waste.”

“I think we ate everything but the plates,” Pip said. “And I’m not sure we didn’t eat one of those.” He made a show of counting them. “Anybody notice something real crunchy?”

We all chuckled and Rebecca stood up. “Well, I have to get back to work.”

I glanced at the chrono by the bar, 07:30. “You’re kinda late for watch, aren’t you?”

“Co-op duty. I’m breaking in a new manager this morning, Sarah Krugg. I said I’d help out, but that woman needs no help when it comes to selling. She could sell water to a drowning man.”

We all laughed again. Rebecca went around the room and kissed everybody. On her way out the door she said, “Safe voyage. See ya round the docks.” Then she left.

My portable gave the little bee-boop sound it made when a new message arrived and I went to see who it was. I should have known it was Aunt P.

“They’re at the inner marker, Pip. Aunt P says they’ll be docked by 10:00 and clear of customs by noon.” The last line caught me off guard. “She also says she wants to leave by tomorrow afternoon.”

Pip grinned. “I told ya she’d have a hot cargo lined up. We’ll go down and meet ’em when they clear customs.” He turned to Bev. “You wanna come say hi?”

She shrugged. “I’m off today. Why not?”

My dream of taking her back to bed evaporated, but I was in no position to complain. “Maybe we should get cleaned up and dressed first?” I suggested.

“Dibs on the shower,” Bev called and bolted for the other room. She had the robe half off before clearing the door. Pip blinked, it was quite an eyeful.

“No false modesty in her family, huh?” I said.

Pip grinned, “Actually, I think her family are nudists. She’s the least self-conscious when she’s naked.”

“Now you tell me,” I groaned. “I’ve been bunking with a gorgeous and repressed nudist for two stanyers and you wait until now to tell me?”

“Sorry, but it’s probably just as well you didn’t know.”

I looked at Pip and said, “Good point.”

We were silent for a moment before he asked, “You okay, Ish?”

“Yeah,” I said but paused for a few heartbeats.”No, not really. I thought we’d have a little more time.”

He shrugged at that. “When the boat leaves, you gotta be on it. What can I say?”

“Yeah, I know, but it’s just—” I started but then I couldn’t finish.

“I know. I know.” He slapped his thighs with both hands and said, “Still we have the suite for the night and we’d have to check out tomorrow anyway. Some breaks probably are best made quickly.”

I rubbed my face with my hands. “Yeah, but being right doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

“You got that right, brother,” he said then sighed. “I better get my own act together here.” He headed for his room and presumably a shower.

I looked at the chronometer, 08:00, and thought,
What am I going to do with that animal in my shower?
The realization of what had just run through my head hit me and I hurried to the bathroom myself. At the very least I was going to watch.

The morning went too quickly, but we made it to the dock by noon, dressed and presentable to the public. Just strolling the corridors with Bev felt decadent. Watching other people’s reactions was priceless. Just before we got to the lock, we met Brill and invited her along.