Rance raised an eyebrow. "And what are you going to do with that knife? There won't be no ears to collect down there except ours."
"You never know what will come along."
Conchela turned away from the skyscape. "Oh, hell, I pray nothing will come along. You believe that the recstar really was destroyed when we jumped?"
Rance nodded. "The aliens think that it was vaporized by the backwash."
Renchett grinned. "And the Therem will assume it was the Yal."
Conchela shook her head. "I can't help thinking of all those women we left behind."
Renchett stiffened and put away his knife. "It was their choice. They thought they'd be safer as slaves."
There were sirens calling somewhere in the depths of the ship. There was a strange sadness about them.
Rance turned to go. "I guess we'd better go and start things rolling."
