assuming that i would want her to supervise the feasibility study he could , if i wished , let me have her as an advisor for one month , starting today , ( he was unusually flush with deck officers at the moment ) , but he didnt have the authority to release her from her contract with the company , she had only recently signed on for a further four months , although he could , if i didnt have a problem with it , dismiss her from the ship ( sack her ) whenever i liked , and then he hinted at her sexual orientation .