“That was wonderful food,” Kaylee said, carrying Bethany into the small room.

“The best Corvus can offer,” Andrew said, following her. “Simple but we’ve got plenty.”

“Not like out in the black.” She put her sleepy child into the bed, watching her rub her eyes with her little fists. “Pretty much protein in all the colours of the rainbow.”

“Don’t you get any treats?”

She grinned. “Once in a while. Oh, I don’t mean to make it sound like we starve, ‘cause we don’t. But sometimes we have extras.”

“Like what?”

“Cap’n makes sure we have fresh stuff when we can, and just occasionally …”

“What?” he prompted.

“Strawberries.”

He smiled at the beatific look on her face. “Well, we’re not in the right season now, but Corvus has some of the finest strawberries the system has to offer.”

She looked at him. “Oh, don’t say that. Or I’ll just have to make the Cap’n bring us back here again, just so’s I can taste ‘em.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Andrew said. He stepped back out into the hall, feeling Simon at his elbow. “I heard from your father a few weeks ago,” he said quietly.

“Really.” Simon’s voice was non-committal, although his heart seemed to be running for cover.

“Not much, just a wave, seeing how I was, if I’d decided I’d made the biggest mistake of my life yet.”

“And have you?”

“Nope. Pretty much decided this is where I want to die. And I told him that. He …” His voice dropped lower. “He asked if I’d heard from you.”

“I don’t see why. I’d thought he’d pretty much disowned me.”

Andrew took his arm and led him back into the main room. “Come on, I think you and me need to have a talk.” He sat down in the old leather back chair by the fire. “Simon, if you don’t take a pew I’ll make a fuss and that’ll just upset your wife.”

Simon reluctantly sat down opposite him. “Andrew –“

“He told me what he said to you, that day when you were … when he had to come and get you after you’d been arrested in a blackout zone.”

Simon sat very still, not even breathing. “Di