Slavers of Antar

By DocPaul

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Chapter Nine: Rhythm

“Everything Flows Out and In; Everything has Its Tides; All Things Rise and Fall; The pendulum Swing Manifests in Everything.

The Measure of the Swing to the Right is the Measure of the Swing to the Left; Rhythm Compensates.”

Darax IV was a planet in the continuum of planets on the Outer Rim. Unruly and vicious, it was a commerce planet that traded in all goods, but most importantly, in human flesh. Slavers brought their commodities to the planet, and here no questions were asked.

“Keep, a brisk Rigellian ale, tall pint, and glass of the clover wine for the lady.” Sean smiled engagingly. Julia bumped into his side, but her eyes moved over the crowd. Best word to describe it was ‘unclean.’ She could almost see the vermin and disease on the bodies of the inhabitants.

Trader’s bar. A place to wheel and deal objects, people, and worlds. There was no honor here, only the trade.

“Why did I have to come?” Julia whispered loudly.

“Every detail requires trained medical personal. It’s in the regs.”

Julia gave a little hop over a puddle of something. It could’ve been a spilt beer, but since there was a man over in the corner urinating, she decided to play it cautiously.

“Then why am I with you?” She had wanted to follow other members of the landing party, not Sean. He hooked on her, assigned her to his group, and dragged her to this lowlife world that he seemed comfortable to inhabit.

“Because it’s where you belong. Your first real on-world mission.” Sean answered, sipping his drink as his hand discretely removed the binding tie from his blaster. He could see two other members of his team, each were carrying phaser rifles. “I couldn’t send you off unattended. It’s best you stick with me. Close.” Sean’s eyes narrowed as he met a pair of eyes in the mirror over the bar.

Landru.

“Stay here. Drink your drink. I need to see a man about some flesh.”

“Oh great. And what about sticking close?” Julia grabbed his arm hard, looking over his shoulder at a man with long dark hair, a scar and missing teeth. The man smiled at her. Her hand clenched even harder on Sean’s arm.

“Don’t you dare leave me here alone!” Her whisper was heated and pushed out through clenched teeth.

Sean’s ears had an attractive red blush at their tip and he smiled real big at Julia. “That’s more like it! I knew that you couldn’t do without me. I knew you were just joking.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “Fine. Go! See if I care, you delusional idiot.”  She gave the highly delusional fool a push away, glaring at the man who scared her earlier. He backed away at the look in her eyes.

Sean backed away too, his hand on his heart. “Do you see how in love she is with me!” he said to the trader.

The trader snickered handing Sean another ale. “She’s right, you’re delusional. Here, have another.”

Sean tossed back the drink and threw the bottle on the ground. “I’ve gotta go talk to a man. Do me a favor and keep an eye on my woman. Don’t let anybody of questionable character come near her.” The unwashed man nodded as he spit on the floor. He settled back to watch Julia unblinking in his duty, only pausing to scratch his armpits on occasion.

Sean rushed off to find Landru while Julia ordered another drink.

“I want whatever he was drinking.”

The barkeep looked his customer over critically. “Lady, I promise you, you don’t what he was drinking.”

“Yes, I do!” Julia leaned forward hitting the bar top. “This is a bar?” The man conceded that. “You serve drinks here?” Okay, she got that one too. “So serve! Are you here to serve or what?”

The man shrugged and put the drink in front of the woman. Damn. Couldn’t argue with that kind of logic. She took a long draw of the ale, and the bitterness hit the back of her throat making her gag and cough at the same time. Hitting the bar hard, she coughed. When she straightened, it seemed the room was dimmer and spinning. That wasn’t so bad.

Julia smugly pulled her tankard of ale closer and glared at the man on her left. “Can you either back off or go bathe?”

“This place seems a tad beneath your usual haunts, my Lady.” The Pirate looked the doctor over. This brackish backwater place was definitely beneath her usual social circles.

“And you know me? How do you know that I don’t come to places like these daily, looking for a little action?” Julia blinked her eyes owlishly trying to focus. Her eyes trained on his arm and a tattoo he had. She was fascinated by its intertwining lines, a symbol much like the medical one.

The Pirate leaned his hip up against the bar, somewhat intrigued. Women like this didn’t wander in his usual hunting grounds. She looked like an easy mark. Sean’s watchdog saw the man approach his charge and he moved in to intercept, but the Pirate calmly reached out and shoved the man away with a hand to his face.

“Take off, or I’ll take something off for you.” He held his weapon in his hand targeting the man’s gentiles.

Holding up both hands and moving away slowly, Julia’s bodyguard decided to seek employment elsewhere. “Peace, I’m just doing a friend a favor. The puss is already spoken for, and her man isn’t someone you want to meet in a dark alley.”

“Noted. So scram.” The Pirate looked at Julia signaling for another round of drinks. “Is that true, my Lady? Is your man here?”

Julia looked at him with watery eyes. “Did that great unwashed man refer to me as a ‘puss’?” She started to stand, but the Pirate pushed her back in her seat.

“Don’t mind him. I’ll kill him for you later.” Julia nodded. Good. Sexist boob. Leaning on the bar, the man picked up a lock of her hair and twirled it around his finger. “So are you spoken for?”

“Spoken for?” Damn it was hard to think with the room spinning. “Hardly. I’m my own woman.”

“Good. I’d like to do a little trading with you.”

“Really?” Julia looked the man over. He wasn’t much, but in comparison to the other inhabitants, he looked like a Prince. “What do you have to trade?” Remembering their mission and what they were seeking, Julia smiled charmingly. “Something in human flesh?”

She was too drunk to note the reaction, but the man sat up a little stiffer. He took one of Julia’s hands in his. “A face of an angel, but a surprisingly dirty mind.  I like.  You looking for something specific?”

Julia was suddenly very sober.  “Actually, yes I am.” Licking her lips, she quickly pinpointed the other members of the team. Liz was on the other side of the bar with Jonesy. They were talking to a serving wench. Julia quickly pulled a picture from her clothing to show the man. “I am looking for something like this. Identical.”

His eyes swept the picture. “That is perhaps doable, but more than likely not. Can I interest you in some man meat? A little foray, one on one? It might jar my memory as to where I saw those goods.”

“What?” Julia frowned. What the hell was he talking about? The man smiled evilly and calmly pushed Julia’s hand down his front into his pants. When his erect cock filled her hand, Julia pulled away quickly. “Ugh!” she said in disgust. She was going to burn her hand, but only after she slapped it upside Sean’s head.

“Think you can try that on for size? Then we can deal.”

Julia grabbed her mug of ale taking a swallow for courage. Pulling back her arm with the mug in hand, she accidentally hit the man behind her in the face.

“Oh! Sorry!” He hit the ground hard and his two friends tried to pick him up. Suddenly a band of steel came around her small frame as the Pirate tried to take Julia out of the bar. Around them, the place seemed to explode. The friends of the first man down turned to accuse another of starting a fight, and somewhere in the miscommunication, fists started flying.

Julia struggled, kicking back at the man who was holding her when he pushed her away and tried to clip her one to the jaw. His arm barely drew back when a hand grabbed it and forestalled him hitting her.

Michael smiled at the man. “It’s not nice to hit a lady.” He grabbed the man’s head and smashed his head into the Pirate’s. The man hit the floor. Maria who caught Julia looked at her mate.

“Honey, you’re not a subtle man.” She quickly ducked as a bottle came flying at her head. She looked over across the room in time to see Liz being tossed at two men, and Jonesy flying into the fray.

Sean came charging into the room from the back. “Hey! Who started a fight without me?” He picked a man up off his feet and tossed him aside. Laughing devilishly, he picked up a chair and smashed it over a man’s back. “Damn! Sorry, Jonesy! Didn’t see it was you. Liz, get off the floor. Engineers don’t wallow.” Sean didn’t notice the bottle Liz hurled at his head as it accidentally found purchase in another person’s back.

Sean made his way over to Michael, Maria, and Julia who was on the floor. “Mikey! You came. Man, did you start this party just for me?” His boyish grin was as brilliant as the twinkle in his eyes.

“Not me.”

Sean smiled at Maria. “Maria?” Her eyebrow lifting, Maria shook her head no. She calmly pointed to the passed out Julia.

“Julia? My Julia?” Sean calmly punched a man approaching. “I told you she’s my perfect mate!”

Maria looked down at the silent Julia before hitting a person with a bottle. “Sure she is!” Michael snickered as he watched his wife toss a bar waitress, and kick some other person of questionable origin into what might have been the family rack.

“Need some help there, Princess?”

“No, I got it.” Neither of them saw the Pirate who started it all look at Maria sharply. He slunk away out a back door and into the night.

~~~

Michael pushed the drunken Sean out of the way as other members of his team tried to disembark. Maria had to fly Zephyr home, leaving Michael, the only other sober person in the landing party, to pilot the motley crew back to the Shiva. That was only after they spent three hours in a detention cell. Humiliating. Arrested on a Commerce planet! That was a disgrace. You could commit murder on a Commerce planet in the Outer Rim and not see the inside of a cell.

“Tell me you found out something. Anything.”

Sean nodded leaning up next to the wall of the craft. “Landru. Found that little mother tit sucker.”

“Oh? How’s he doing?”

Sean shrugged. “Who cares? He was still his usual disgusting self, selling whatever he can get his hands on. He wanted to know if there was a position open on the Shiva.”

Michael snorted. “Yeah, offer that to Max. One grifter on board is enough.”

“Grifter? Who?” Well hell, whoever it was, they should at least offer a guy a friendly game.

“Sean...,” said Michael in exasperation.

“Damn, you used to be so much more fun before you got all in love and shit.” Sean rubbed his stomach hiccupping. “Yeah, he says the slave trade is out of control. New meat. Lots of it. Fresh. Not the same old repeats, and used up cows. Different species.” Sean wiped his eyes. “Michael, he said that some of them were used. Their bodies experimented on. Does that remind you of anybody?”

Michael swore. “Khivar.”

Maria came up next to them. “Where’s Julia?”

“Inside. We were waiting for the rest to clear out and wobble to Med Bay . Liz had a nice black eye.”

Sean chose to ignore that information. No doubt his assistant would blame him for it the next day. He tried to straighten himself. “I’ll get Julia.”

Maria grabbed the back of the leather vest he was wearing and pulled him away from the transport. “Honey?”

“Yeah, I got her.” Michael quickly went back into the transport to retrieve one very drunk doctor.

“Let me carry her.” Sean held out his arms.

“Carry yourself first, Sparky.” Michael motioned for Maria to lead the way. “Max should have his head examined letting you go down there alone. No me. No Kyle. Insane. Lucky you didn’t gamble off the Shiva, or marry half the damn population. As it is, I think you should be checked for space herpes.”

“Man, I’m clean! I didn’t even get to whip it out.”

Maria snorted. “Of which, we’re all thankful.”

Michael put Julia down on her bed in her quarters, as Maria started pulling away her filthy clothing.  Julia was regaining partial consciousness.

“Sean—hate him. Kill Sean. Kill. Sean.” Maria frowned at her mumbling. She was going to want to kill Sean even more in the morning.

“What was she drinking?” Maria asked, almost afraid to know.

“Did she say my name?” asked Sean and he bounced on his feet trying to see Julia. Seeing Sean skulking at the doorway trying to get a peek, Michael pushed him into the other room.

“What the hell did you have her down there for?”

“You know regs. One medical per team.”

Michael perched his lips. “And you arranged for her to be on yours?” Sean grinned. “Then you left her alone, unattended?”

“No, no, man, that’s not how it was. I put a guard doggie on her. He was supposed to keep her away from drifters.”

Michael shook his head. Did the man learn nothing? In the last three years, with all the scrapes and troubles that always seemed to follow Maria around like the plague, you’d think Sean would learn to take better care.

“Max didn’t have her on rotation to go on teams, so how did she get on one?”

Sean scratched his neck. “I added her.”

“Again—Why?”

Sean smiled. “I wanted to show her a good time! You know me—all work, work, and work. I think she had this wrong impression that I’m this serious person, a workaholic. Thought I’d let her see my fun side! Sean in charge! Sean the man! Sean the love bug play puppy!”

“Uh-huh.” Michael sighed. That was it. The love bug. Sean had to have it. Nothing else could explain his highly delusional state, and reasoning on the far side of sanity. “Say goodnight, Seanie.”

“Goodnight.”

Michael laughed happily as he punched Sean’s lights out. The engineer hit the floor, and was happily sleeping it off right there in Julia’s quarters.

“What happened to Sean?” Maria asked when she came into the room shutting the door so Julia could sleep undisturbed.

Michael sniffed. “He hit the floor with his face.”

Maria poked Sean with her the toe of her boot. “Hate when that happens.” Maria squatted down to look in the snoring face of Sean. “Think we should leave him there?”

“He hasn’t been checked out for space herpes.”

“He looks real comfortable.” Maria said backing away.

~~~

They were quiet. It was far into the night sleep sequence. The power of the Shiva was diminished for night, and the staff was at the night shift low.

Isabel refilled her coffee, and offered the carafe to Maria. Stirring sugar into her coffee, she hugged the cup between her hands waiting for her husband to speak.

“Sean?”

“Dead to the world.” Michael placed his hand on Maria’s leg under the table. “The doctor is also out cold.”

Max leaned back in the chair. “How valid is the information? No parties found any open slave trades. We could intercept a few; return some of the missing home.”

“That would be a lot of credits, Max.” Maria stared in her coffee. “They’re pulling a lucrative trade. Whatever these slavers are looking for, this snatch and grab off distant planets is giving them access to experimental animals, and added bonus of slaves to sell.”

“Those poor people,” said Isabel. “We can’t not do something about them.”

“Buying them back is not an option.” Maria stared at her brother-in-law. “It helps to create a greater demand. They have the cloaking technology to come in and grab, destroy, and maim worlds. What stops them? They are looking for something specific. They have to be, and the selling of the excess is a side job.”

Isabel frowned in anger. “Maybe you could stop telling us what we can’t do, Maria, and instead be helpful in suggesting what can be done.” The room went silent at Isabel’s snappish tone. She seemed to become aware of it herself. “Damn, I’m sorry! I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m on edge and emotional.”

Maria smiled slightly at her friend. “It’s okay, Iz. I understand. It’s hard to imagine these innocents put on auction blocks like cattle, used and discarded at will.” She rubbed her eyes. She was so tired. They had left Karnak that morning and traveled to the coordinates of Antar, or as close as they could estimate. Nothing. It wasn’t there.

They had quickly changed course to rendezvous with the Shiva. Going down to the planet to seek out Sean was something Michael felt compelled to do. He didn’t trust Sean not to get into trouble. As usual, Michael’s instincts were impeccable. Their arrival saved Julia from being carted away to some place unknown.

“Do you have a suggestion, Maria?” asked Max quietly.

“The Federation. The planets of the Outer Rim have been teeming in unlawfulness since the first Great War. They tried to bring order to chaos and be admitted into Khivar’s Empire. If you think about it, that’s a sign of how out of control and wretched this area is, choosing Khivar over all else. Now they are trying to become part of the New Federation.”

Maria stood up to get more coffee. Refilling the carafe, she quickly poured herself and Michael some before offering it to the others. The darkness of the quiet officer’s mess was a world within itself with only their voices breaking the silence.

“So they have applied to the New Federation or will.” Max said. He stared at his brother who was strangely quiet. Something was wrong with Michael. He could feel it.

“Applied, yes. They’re awaiting approval. The Council can put guidelines on their admittance. If the worlds of the Rim were to outlaw slave trading, or specifically trading with slaves that have no papers or designation, it would shut the door on the trading of flesh that has been stolen from worlds. And where there is no market…”

“It will stop.” Isabel hoped that was true. The idea of people being stolen and then sold offended her, made her stomach hurt.

“No,” said Michael. “It would stop the illegal trading of them, but not the raids. Whatever these slavers of Antar are searching for, they will continue until they find it. The people they take they will herd, abuse or murder if they can not trade them.”

The group hushed to the truth behind Michael’s words. There was no cut and dried solution. Making the Universe free was a task. A hard one. One as hard as any war. People thought that after war, it was over, ended, and all life would returned to a semblance of normal. That was the furthest from the truth. Freedom was only the first step in a long hard journey. The fighting was easy. It had a clear goal and purpose—to win. Once won, the rebuilding and creating of a new world order took men of immense courage, honor, and firmness to stay the task to see it to completion.

Freedom wasn’t something easy and ready packaged, or something given. It had to be fought for, worked at and cherished as a prize above all others. The Universe was getting smaller every day as more planets aligned themselves with the New Federation, but the work was far from over.

“Then what do we do?” This couldn’t be the end. Isabel couldn’t stomach the thought. Hunted half her life by Khivar, it was hard to imagine living like that ever again.

Michael pushed his coffee cup away. He was never going to see his bed tonight. “The only thing we can. We find Antar. We find Antar and we find a way to stop them, or we destroy their worlds.”

~~~

Maria moaned tiredly, as her naked sweaty body languished across Michael. His eyes were closed, concentrating on sleeping, but his hand was moving over her back in a soothing gesture. Glancing at the digital sequencer, Michael shut his eyes again. Damn. They were knocking on the door of time. It was almost time to get up. The late night was made later by sex, and it was mere cycles before the sleep period ended and the Shiva revved up for day crews.

“We need more sleep.” Michael kissed her head. “You need more sleep. Take the morning off and rest.”

Maria’s hand came up to stroke his cheek, rolling over in the bed so she could actually see him. “What good is that? You know I need your body heat to comfortably sleep.”

Michael searched her face. He had been keeping her up late since she discovered what was wrong with him. It felt good to finally not to have to avoid her. They were doing everything except avoiding each other now. Their bodies were finding ways to merge all day long.

“You look tired.”

“Good, because I am.” Maria sighed, sitting up a little. “Let’s make a baby.”

Michael rolled out of bed conflicted. His entire body, his mind, everything inside of him was warring against itself. Baby. Even the word got him excited, like a rush in his blood. The urge. Fire that tastes in the blood. Looking at Maria, his eyes moved over her naked form. It didn’t matter how often they had made love. He needed, wanted more.

That feeling was the only constant inside. Needing Maria. Kneeling on the bed, he stretched over her, his mouth mere inches from hers. Their breaths mingled, and Maria moaned arching upward to complete the kiss. She flooded into his senses. Every cell of his body seemed to be saturated in the feel of her, the wonder. The ecstasy. The pain. She was his pain. His joy. All places.

Pulling away from her, he sat back breathing hard, out of control. Lust ran through his veins. Shaking his head, Michael tried to clear the almost dizzy sensation.

“Michael?”

He couldn’t do it. “I want children with you, I do.” Running a hand over his face, he bent over and rested his forehead on her breasts. Breathing deeply, he tried to stay the out of control beating of his heart. It hurt. His chest hurt. “But, I need to be alone with you more right now. More then I need children.”

Maria’s hand ran over the back of his neck. Closing her eyes, she held him to her. It was up to her. She could stop the birth control. “I promise you, I’ll stay on the birth control until you tell me to toss it? Okay? You tell me when you’re ready.”

Michael nodded. Maybe never. He wanted children, but he feared them as well. Or perhaps feared for them. Running after Maria took all his energy.

“Michael..., “ Maria frowned. Karnak had been more than a learning experience. Awareness. She had felt alone with all her people gone. Now she understood exactly what had been lost as she stood in those Halls, looking at the tomes of a lost world. It hurt. Like soap in the eyes, a smarting sensation. “Michael, if I should die…”

That was it. Too much. Michael rolled out of the bed and barely made the bathroom. Maria followed quickly. Her arm wrapping around him, rubbing his back as he was violently ill.

~~~

“I’m sorry, Julia.”

“It’s not a problem.” Julia put a hand to her head that was pounding out of control. “I guess drinking that ale was not such a good idea.”

Maria glanced at the bed and her sleeping husband.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s dying.” Julia didn’t know how else to say it. “His internal chemistry is all wrong. I searched Kyle’s records, and he’s been compensating. I think it’s gone on too long.”

Maria’s faced paled. Dying? She sat down heavily on the bed, her hand going to rest on Michael. “Fix him!”

“I…” Julia rubbed a hand to her forehead to alleviate the tension. “I don’t know that I can. All his hormones and chemistry are completely out of balance.” She sat at the end of the bed. “Attilaans mate for a reason. Reproduction. That’s it. There are no great love matches on their world, but mating by necessity. They almost annihilated themselves a few centuries back.”

“I know that.”

Julia sighed. “Reproduction is always in twins, but it’s more than that. Genetically, their bodies had altered to include a mating cycle. Most animals have them. Attilaans’ mating cycles activate after the first year of the completion of the bond. Some achieve pregnancy before that, and the mating cycle initiates immediately at conception. Those who go a year without becoming pregnant, are basically forced to reproduce by a genetic trigger. It turns on. Pumps the body full of hormones.”

Maria moved her hand over Michael in comfort. More for herself than for him. “Hormones? I don’t understand, what kind?”

Julia smiled slightly. “They are like pheromones. Activators of attraction. They basically act on the mate…”

“Making me horny?”

“Basically.”

Maria snorted. “Like I needed an impetus to jump him. He has all the sex appeal he needs naturally.”

“It’s not just for his mate. It’s for him too.” Julia didn’t want to ask about their sex life. It was pretty obviously healthy. Only an idiot wouldn’t realize that. “Problems are the hormone levels and his internal chemistry are stressing his heart and internal organs. He’s probably beginning to suffer migraines, blackouts, hot flashes followed by cold, and some neurological stress.”

“Why is he throwing up?”

“Stress. Fear. Something organic? I can’t tell. Not without a complete workup.” Julia looked at her time. “It’s been a few moments. Let me retest his chemistry. The injection I gave him should’ve corrected a few of the problems.”

“If I get pregnant, will that correct his problems?”

Julia sighed. “I’m not sure. How much of the damage is reversible is questionable. But your body pregnant will have its own hormonal shift, and his body will react. Shutting down his mating drive.”

Maria got up and paced the room, her body was tense as a frown marred her face. Deep in through, she tried to reason through it.

“He doesn’t want a child right now. He doesn’t want one because he’s afraid of losing me, and a child is another competitor. I know it sounds selfish, but you can’t know what we went through, what he went through. The moment he found me, he was told that he couldn’t keep me, and that left something behind.” Maria blew out the air hard. “I really don’t care when I have children. I have a long life expectancy.” Maria sat down on the bed again her hands moving over his face, “but not if he doesn’t live. I wouldn’t want to go on without him. I couldn’t. What could console me his loss?” Maria looked at Julia with tears in her eyes. “He’s my heart.”

“I know that.” Julia looked at the ceiling. “His genetics, Maria. They’re beyond changing, and if we altered him, then what distinguishes us from Khivar?”

“You can’t fix this imbalance?”

“No.” Kyle couldn’t. He bought time, almost three years. Julia knew that they were at the limit. There was no other place to go.

“Then fix me.” Maria said.

Julia stood up. “Excuse me?”

“Fix me. My body chemistry. Change it, to simulate pregnancy. What are the hormones I’d need to be pregnant? What would my body secrete?”

Julia shook her head, and suddenly a smile broke. “I could do that! You’d lactate. You’d lose your monthly menses cycle, and your breasts would be tender and sensitive. You might even put on weight. Not much. Not like pregnancy, but a few pounds.” Julia’s voice became excited. “The baby secretes a special hormone into the mother’s blood system. I can inject you with a synthetic version of that hormone. Its presence will simulate pregnancy and make your body believe it’s pregnant.”

“Do we tell Michael or not? Is it better for him mentally and physiologically to think I’m really pregnant, or can he know?”

Julia paused. “I don’t know. The brain is a very powerful machine. I think that it is best that he not know. It would be best for his body to return to a normal chemistry before we tell him. If he begins to revert after we tell him, at least he will have return to normal for a short period of time.”

Maria nodded. “How often will I need the injections?”

“Not too many. The first few injections will convince your body that you’re pregnant. It’ll be like a hysterical pregnancy.”

Maria moved her hands through Michael’s hair. She didn’t want to make him think she broke her word to him by becoming pregnant, but it was the only solution. It allowed her to keep her word, and helped him at the same time. It gave him the time he needed and wanted.

“Let’s do it. I need my husband.”

Julia got up wincing at the pain in her head and the sickness of her stomach. “I’ll go make the synthetic hormone. I’ll call Max and get you both off roster for a few days. I need you to take it easy, rest and relax. You’re body is going to shift and change fast. I need to give you high doses immediately to make a difference to Michael.” Maria nodded, her eyes never leaving his face. Julia stopped at the door. “Maria?”

“Yes?”

“How did you think of this solution? I’d never have thought of it, and obviously Kyle didn’t either.

“Life is rhythm. It swings to compensate for change. A change in him necessitates a change in me. He is not only my equal, but my opposite. We are two extremes. The answer was an equal change, but to the negative of him. That would be me.”