"Officially, I can't confirm or deny something like that," Jacob says. Then he shrugs. Jacob Taylor can keep a secret when it's important, but he will never be the Galaxy's most reliable devotee of regulations and red tape. There's obviously something big on Isaac's mind, something painful and frightening, and Jacob has dedicated his life to confronting painful and frightening things. "But off the record? The fact that I have to say 'off the record' should answer the question."