Robert Silverberg: Three Survived

“I was on the Clyde F. Bohmer . The overdrive blew up and destroyed the ship.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s down on the rescue list.”

“I escaped in a lifeship and landed here,” Rand said.

“You’re the first Bohmer survivor to call in. We’ll have a rescue ship your way in a day or two. You all alone?”

“No,” Rand said. “I’m with Anthony Leswick and William Dombey. As far as I know, the three of us are the only survivors.”

The voice at the other end was silent for a moment. “Leswick … Dombey … I’ve got the Bohmer’ s passenger list right here. Yeah, here they are. Dombey’s a crewman, huh? Leswick—Dombey … A metaphysical whatsit and a jetmonkey. You must have had a heck of a rough time with those two, huh?”

“It wasn’t bad,” Rand said.

“I mean, running a lifeship with all that dead weight aboard. And afterwards. Couple of guys like that, they must have been pretty useless when things got tight. A lot of good those two must have been! Dead weight!”

Rand frowned. He looked around at Dombey and Leswick, who weren’t close enough to hear what was being said. He thought of trying to explain things to the Rescue Service man. Trying to tell him how it really had been.

What was the use? The other man would never understand.

“Yeah,” Rand said quietly. “All that dead weight!”