Josiah West 1: Kaleidoscope (18 page)

He pointed at the rest of the standing people, “September eighth last was your day, and I thank you all for being there with me. Good day to you all.”

Fatigue was closing in on him now; he retrieved the cane from where it leaned against the stool and headed offstage while the thunder of applause rose around him.

Admiral Jacks was waiting for him and grinning broadly, “I am impressed; there was laughter, tears, and pride. You kept it short and left them wanting more, which is what I hear you’re supposed to do.”

PROPOSITION

By the time they had walked back to his suite, he was really dragging. Captain Beltozi was there with an older couple that Josiah had never seen before. Josiah sat down before he fell down.

Admiral Jacks apparently knew them, “Josiah West, this is Doctor Axel Weissman and his wife Doctor Ruth Weissman; I have no idea why they are here, but SECNAV told me to expect them.”

They were both in their sixties or better, slim and nearly as tall as Nora. He shook hands with them from his sitting position, “Sorry to sit down like this, but that walk was the longest one I’ve had in months, and my hips are screaming.”

They took seats across from him while Doctor Balistra got him something to wash down the pill she had just handed him. Ruth Weissman spoke first, “That is quite alright Commander; we are well aware of your circumstance.”

Her English was precise with an accent that had Palestine-Hebrew written all over it. Josiah waved a hand at them, “I’ve got a load of doctors around here; is this going to be a psych evaluation?”

Axel Weissman smiled, “No, no, Commander. We are not those kinds of doctors. I am a theoretical physicist and Ruth is a gravitational applications mathematician. We need a pilot.”

That was right to the point
, “There are plenty of pilots around. I’m a very good one when I’m flying, but just because I’ve lived through more crashes than most does not seem to be a reason for you to seek my services. How many ships have you got to crash?”

They both smiled and looked at each other. Josiah got the impression that he had just tripped over an inside joke. Ruth took over, “No, Commander, we are in the process of constructing a ship that we have no desire to have crashed. What brought us here are your extensive and unique qualifications and the way you have demonstrated your ability to solve problems under pressure. You have, on two occasions, demonstrated a depth of understanding of the vessel you were piloting that allowed you to make a correct decision that saved lives. We are in the first stages of building a ship that is the first of its kind; we need the best pilot in the world.”

“Well…that certainly is flattering. What kind of ship is it?”

Again there was that exchanged look. Axel Weissman put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, “Commander West, how would you like to go faster than light?”