"Ah, it just wouldn't be dinner without one of our rousing professional differences of opinion! Though you'll find, Dr. Wolfe, that these discussions can become quite personal as the evening wears on ƒ "

Slow, heavy steps on the metal staircase indicated that Tressalian was making his way down with the aid of his crutches; and soon he appeared, his light blue eyes bearing no trace of the agony that had earlier filled them. Behind him I could see Colonel Slayton, ever on the alert for any sign of trouble, as well as Larissa, who looked only more beautiful for having brought us through a hard-fought engagement with law enforcement.

"Well, gentlemen, on whom are we beating up tonight?" Tressalian went on. It occurred to me that once they saw that he had recovered from his bout of illness, none of the others thought to ask the man how he felt, even though the attack that had seized first his head and then his entire body had been savage; and I took my cue from their example, remembering Tarbell's statement that these episodes were something of a regular occurrence and assuming, as I had when I'd first seen him struggle out of his wheelchair, that help and sympathy were not things Tressalian desired.

"Oh Malcolm, it's absurd!" bellowed FouchÚ, who appeared from the galley. "Eli and Jonah continue to maintain that their Florida escapade was worth the trouble it brought!"

As a general though still good-natured uproar ensued, Larissa Tressalian moved up close to me. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to settle you in," she said quietly, her dark eyes gleaming in the soft light even more than her silver hair. "Was everything all right?"

"Yes, perfectly," I answered, again feeling very self-conscious in her presence. "Dr. Tarbell did his best to help me get my bearings, though it was a tall order. But your brother-is he-?"

"Fine, now," she said, even more quietly. "But we can talk about that later ..." The argument around the table continued, eventually prompting Tressalian to hold up his hands: "Decorum, gentlemen, please! Jonah, Eli-I think that for the foreseeable future we'll have to ask you to confine your activities concerning the gambling issue to informational pursuits. No one faults your zeal-we all know the extent of the problem and the false assumptions that underlie it. But there are far larger matters at hand just now. Not to mention that we are being unspeakably rude to our guest, who, unless I'm mistaken, understands only a fraction of what we're talking about."

I shook my head once with a smile. "You are certainly not mistaken." "Then let's be seated, while Julien serves." Tressalian moved to the head of the table, directing me to sit beside him. "We shall try to clarify the situation, Doctor, after which you can see our ideas at work in Afghanistan. And then-" He leaned toward me, the blue eyes alight. "Then you can decide if a life of brewing global chaos holds any appeal ..."

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Read Chapter One of Killing Time

Will We Travel to the Stars?