Trance pulled Harper along to Command, where the rest of the crew was. "Dylan, Harper has something to tell you."
"O.K. Mister Harper, what is it? I have a feeling it's not good whatever it is."
"Um, well, it's um..." Trance and Dylan both glared at him. "O.K. O.K. It's Beka. She's off hunting the treasure of Forest Wintergreen and she didn't come back when she said she would. I've been covering for her, not really greatly, I guess."
Dylan folded his arms across his chest and took a deep breath. "All right. Please explain to me exactly what the treasure of Forest Wintergreen is."
"I
can do that." Tyr chimed in from his corner. "He was supposed to have
been a pirate who made off with untold amounts of riches during the chaos of
the immediate aftermath of the war. It's never been proven
that he ever in fact existed, although treasure seekers like to get themselves
killed going to the Sugas system, where it's supposed to be."
"That's an ice planet system." Dylan pointed out.
"Exactly."
Dylan turned to Harper again. "The rest please."
"Remember Peirpont Drift? Well, there was a map for it in the Thans Heart. We had it planned so carefully. It wasn't supposed to take long at all. Honestly."
"And now she hasn't come back." Dylan finished for him. "You know the cooridinates. Which planet did she go to? We have a lot to do."
Tyr
spoke up. "Are we really going to risk our lives and resources just to try
to save Captain Valentine from her own foolishness?
Ah, yes, I already know the answer," he added as Dylan turned to look at
him.
"I
won't abandon a member of my crew, no matter how stupid they might have
behaved."
This last remark was accompained by a significant stare at Harper, who wilted.
Rev Bem departed for his quaters saying,"I shall pray to the Divine for the ending we all seek." And they were off to try to find out what had happened to Beka.