“What do you think it means?” Loomie asked.

“Maybe our friends from Verbena still have some issues.”Gerrin mused.

Loomie looked at him. “What do you want me to do?”

Gerrin thought for a second. “Sit tight for now. Don’t run unless they see us or shoot at us. If you have to run, tell us all to grab on and just take off.”

“Aye, cap’n.”

“I’ll be in the engine room.” Gerrin was about to leave when he noticed that his pilot looked scared. He turned back, placed a hand on her shoulder and said “By the way, you’re doing a great job. You’re a hell of an outstanding pilot.”

Loomie smiled as Gerrin left the cockpit.

On the other ship Maddox said “Well?”

Pearsoll was getting irritated. “They’ll move when they move. Now sit down and wait for it.”

Maddox leaned close to the pilot. “I paid you very well to track Turgenyev for me, and the only stipulation I made is that I get to fire the shot that kills him. I want that kill. Now if you can’t give it to me, we can go back and I can cancel the payment. What’s your choice?”

Pearsoll let out an exasperated hiss. “You really live in a FANG-tsang FONG-kwong duh jie (knot of self-indulgent lunacy), don’t you?” He left his seat. “I’ll modify some of the countermeasures and use ‘em as mines. But I don’t promise nothing.”

In the Troll’s med bay Doc and Lewis continued their vigil over Anna. Lewis was worried. “How much longer ‘till she wakes up?”

“It could take awhile, but that doesn’t mean anything.” Doc reassured him. “We just have to wait for it.”

“But you’re a doctor, right? You can fix her?”-- Doc hesitated: she knew he’d find out eventually. “Yes and no, Lewis. I’m actually a medic. I never got licensed as a doctor.”

“But if you’re just a medic, why do they call you ‘Doc’?”

“I got the name ‘Doc’ because I spent so