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“Then, no nonsense, the lieutenant ordered Beulah to let loose of me. She did, too.

“After that they left, stopping for just one drink of my good bourbon. I didn’t drink rhial then.

“I wirelessed Port Control my penalty fees and another twelve hour’s hire in the orbit, and started shifting the load. I was working on an empty stomach, and Beulah still didn’t feel hungry, so she didn’t remind me that I hadn’t eaten. I almost collapsed before I got the job done.

“Then I put spin on, which made Beulah comfortable at last, and tried to juggle the ship into a hyper-trajectory, still without stopping for food or sleep. It didn’t take long before Beulah started squalling for supper. After I fed her I had to adjust balance all over again. By that time I was pushing my new twelve-hour limit, and I didn’t give much of a damn any more. I just counted to ten and pushed the button. Then I turned in and slept until Beulah started squalling for breakfast. I ignored her until I ate about three squares in a row, then I fed her and adjusted balance. After that I checked my trajectory.