Grendel Larry Niven Produced by calibre 0.6.40 GRENDEL There were the sounds of a passenger starship. You learn those sounds and you dont forget even after four years. They are never loud enoughto distract except during takeoff and most are too low to hear anyway but you dont forgetand you wake knowing where you are. There were the sensations of being alone. A sleeper field is not a straight no-gee field theres an imbalance that keeps you more orless centered so you dont float out the edge and fall to the floor. When your field holds twoyou set two imbalances for the distance you want and somehow you feel that in your muscles.You touch from time to time you and your love twisting in sleep. There are rustlings and thesounds of breathing. Nobody had touched me this night. Nothing breathed here but me. I was dead center in thesleeping field. I woke knowing I was alone in a tiny sleeping cabin of the Argos bound fromDown to Gummidgy. And where was Sharrol Sharrol was on Earth. She couldnt travel some people cant take space. That was half ourproblem but it did narrow it down and if I wanted her I need only go to Earth and hunt herup in a transfer-booth directory.I didnt want to find her. Not now. Our bargain had been clear and also inevitable and thereare advantages to sleeping alone. Ill think of them in a moment. I found the field control switch. The sleeper field collapsed letting me down easy. I climbedinto a navy-blue falling jumper moving carefully in the narrow sleeping cabin started myhair and went out. Margo hailed me in the hall looking refreshingly trim and lovely in a clinging pilotsuniform. Her long dark hair streamed behind her rippling as if underwater or in freefall.quotYoure just in time. I was about to wake everyone up.quot quotIts only nine-thirty. You want to get lynchedquot She laughed. quotIll tell them it was your idea. No Im serious Bey. A month ago a starseedwent through the Gummidgy system. Im going to drop the ship out a light-