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Mister Lorre was another puzzle, though to be true the puzzle was more his position than his nature. He had introduced himself as the carpenter, which Stephen had originally taken to mean the person responsible for repairs to Roth’s meager woodwork. But when the Roth had been damaged during her jump to hyperspace (Stephen closed his eyes at the memory), her evaluation and repair seemed to have been Mister Lorre’s responsibility. Welder or metal worker might be a better title, or even foreman, since he oversaw several other people in their work to repair the ship.
Regardless, the carpenter was of that cast of person whom Stephen had met several times before: knowledgeable within his field and somewhat street smart without it, reliable in everyday situations and likely in some extraordinary ones, and willing to join one in a drink though never one to propose one. He was solid, but not special. His way of speaking betrayed a lower-class upbringing, which was no demerit in Stephen’s eyes, though it may have stunted Mister Lorre’s creativity through want of nurturing.
Mister Humphries, the engineer, was a Surrey man, though he had been born on Earth’s moon. He had been raised by his grandparents - the reason was a little vague - and had run away to space after completing an M.S. in engineering in Boston (the reason for this was a little vague, too). But he was knowledgeable, and kind, and cared deeply for his people, seeing himself as the father to the family of the engineering crew, for whom the rest of the Roths were a great extended family. In his leisure time, he was likely to be found pacing the engine and mechanical rooms, trying to tease out another ounce of efficiency form his beloved ship.
Which left only the master, Mister Henreid. What exactly a master did remained something of a mystery to Stephen - or rather, what exactly what exactly his responsibilities were, since he seemed to do or oversee just about everything, and Stephen wasn’t sure whether the master or Mister Greenstreet held a higher position in the command chain. But here the Roth suddenly jerked - Stephen was reminded of the time as a boy when the Staten Island Ferry had rammed the pier - throwing him to the floor and shattering his reverie.
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