sources. No previously unknown Heechee artifacts.
Samples: Chemical or mineral, 145. None adjudged of sufficient value to justify exploitation. Living organic, 31. Three of these were judged hazardous and disposed of in space. None found of exploitable value.
Science awards in period: $8,754,500.
Other cash awards in period, including royalties: $357,856,000. Awards and royalties arising from new discoveries in period (other than science awards): 0.
Personnel grounded or exiting Gateway in period: 151. Lost operationally: 75 (including 2 lost in lander exercises). Medically unfit at end of year: 84. Total losses: 310.
New personnel arriving in period: 415. Returned to duty: 66. Total increment during period: 481. Net gain in personnel: 171.
I got up as inconspicuously as I could and headed for the bathroom, needing a lot to throw up some more. It took quite a while, and I topped it off with another shower, my second in four days and a wild extravagance, considering my financial state. But I felt a little better, and when I got back to my room Klara had got up, fetched tea, probably from Shicky, and was waiting for me.
"Thanks," I said, meaning it. I was infinitely dehydrated.
"A sip at a time, old horse," she said anxiously, but I knew enough not to force much into my stomach. I managed two swallows and stretched out in the hammock again, but by then I was pretty sure I would live.
"I didn't expect to see you here," I said.
"You were, ah, insistent," she told me. "Not much on performance. But awfully anxious to try."
"Sorry about that."
She reached over and squeezed my foot. "Not to worry. How've things been, anyway?"
"Oh, all right. It was a nice party. I don't remember seeing you there?"
She shrugged. "I came late. Wasn't invited, as a matter of fact." I didn't say anything; I had been aware Klara and Shed were not very friendly, and assumed it was because of me. Klara, reading my mind, said, "I've never cared for Scorpios, especially unevolved ones with that awful huge jaw. Never get an intelligent, spiritual thought from one of them." Then she said, to be fair, "But she has courage, you have to give her that."
"I don't believe I'm up to this argument," I said.
"Not an argument, Rob." She leaned over, cradling my head. She smelled sweaty and female; rather nice, in some circumstances, but not quite what I wanted right then.
"Hey," I said. "What ever became of musk oil?"
"What?"
"I mean," I said, suddenly realizing something that had been true for quite a while, "you used to wear that perfume a lot. That was the first thing I remember noticing about you." I thought of Francy Hereira's remark about the Gateway smell and realized it had been a long time since I had noticed Klara smelling particularly nice.
"Honey-Rob, are you trying to start an argument with me?"
"Certainly not. But I'm curious. When did you stop wearing it?"
She shrugged and didn't answer, unless looking annoyed is an answer. It was enough of an answer for me, because I'd told her often enough that I liked the perfume. "So how are you doing with your shrink?" I asked, to change the subject.
It didn't seem to be any improvement. Kiara said, without warmth, "I guess you're feeling pretty rotten with that remark. I think I'll go home now."
"No, I mean it," I insisted. "I'm curious about your progress." She hadn't told me a word, though I knew she had signed up weeks before. She seemed to spend two or three hours a day with him. Or it — she had elected to try the machine service from the Corporation puter, I knew.
"Not bad," she said distantly.
"Get over your father fixation yet?" I inquired.
Klara said, "Rob, did it ever occur to you that you might get some good out of a little help yourself?"
"Funny you should say that. Louise Forehand said the same thing to me the other day."
"Not funny. Think about it. See you later."
I dropped my head back after she had gone and closed my eyes. Go to a shrink! What did I need with that? All I needed was one lucky find like Shed's… And all I needed to make that was— was— Was the guts to sign up for another trip. But that kind of guts, for me, seemed to be in very short supply.
Time was slipping by, or I was destroying it, and the way I began destroying one day was to go to the museum. They had already installed a complete holo set of Shed's find.