Umbo shifted in time to a few seconds earlier. Now he was standing at the point where Odinex had taken hold of him, but now Odinex was two meters farther back on the bridge, preparing to seize him, while Umbo’s previous self was one meter away, looking surprised to see this new version of himself.
The expendable was even more surprised, though his face showed nothing.
“Which of us do you need to kill?” asked Umbo.
The earlier Umbo turned around and faced the expendable. Now that Odinex was not throwing Umbo off the bridge, that version of Umbo did not need to time-shift. Both Umbos continued to coexist, standing side-by-side on the bridge.
The Umbo who had shifted now stepped back two paces and shifted again. Now he could see both earlier versions of himself facing Odinex on the bridge. “Is this how Ram Odin was duplicated, Odinex?” asked Umbo. “Obey no one but me, expendable.”
The expendable stood transfixed.
Umbo turned and walked swiftly through the door into the ship.
Then he ran.
He knew the layout of the ship, knew exactly where the control room was, and knew, from Rigg’s account of it, what to do with the jewels. What he didn’t know was which of the jewels controlled this ship.
He stood at the verifying machine, holding the hilt of the knife into the field. “Is the jewel of control for this vessel present here?”
“It is,” said the ship’s computer.
“Rigg Sessamekesh gave me this knife,” said Umbo. “I take command of this vessel as Rigg’s subordinate.”
There was a slight hesitation. “Did Rigg authorize this procedure?” asked the ship’s computer.
“Is this the jewel of control?” asked Umbo.
“Yes.”
“Did Rigg Sessamekesh give this jewel to me as part of the knife?”
“He did.”
“I take command of this vessel as Rigg’s subordinate.”
Another hesitation. “Certified.”
“Command all expendables attached to this ship to obey me and cause me no harm.”
“Done.”
“Is the expendable still on the bridge with the other two copies of me?”
“No,” said the ship’s computer. “He killed them both and is on his way to this place.”
Umbo shuddered. “Command him to come into this room walking backward. He is forbidden to look at me.”
Moments later, Odinex backed into the room.
“Stop,” said Umbo.
The expendable stopped.
“This ship, and all the equipment of this ship, will hereby define ‘human being’ as ‘organism descended in an unbroken line from the colonists of one or more of the ships commanded by Ram Odin on their voyage to Garden.’ Do you understand?”
“Yes,” said the expendable.
“Yes,” said the ship’s computer.