He shook his head. It was difficult to add up and arrive at a sensible answer. One thing he knew, though—hereafter, he'd have to be on his guard at all times.
He could go to the captain with his story. He considered and rejected that in the same instant. He'd have to tell the captain everything, which would invalidate the test. He'd have to handle this by himself.
He got up and continued his inspection of the plant, making minor adjustments to compensate for the damage. Except for that one valve, nothing seemed far out of line.
That done, he limped to the dispensary. His hand was aching where he had torn the bar loose and ripped the flesh.
"Back again?" said Franklan. "Any new information on the enemy?"
By itself, that was a suspicious statement. How could he know about the latest incident? The easiest answer was that he didn't. He was referring to the time Alsint had nearly missed the ship.
"Not a thing," Alsint muttered. Unless he wanted to reinforce Franklan's original opinion, he'd better keep this to himself.
Franklan looked at his hand. "Whatever you've done, I don't recommend it. It's not the way to get well fast—or at all."
"Grabbed something hot," Alsint said. Might as well say that. The bar was now just a bar and no examination would reveal that it had been a superconductor. Same with the insulation it had rested on. He couldn't prove anything.