This time they appeared to hesitate before Thessu finally responded, “Fluva liess within the Commonwealth'ss ssphere of influence. It would be dissingenuouss of uss to deny that we would prefer to ssee it sshift to an unaligned sstance or, yess, even to requesst some kind of formal association with the Empire.”
“That's a very political statement to make for someone who professes that his sole interest lies in flowers.”
“The Empire alwayss favorss the sstrong,” Thessu observed.
“We are all people of the ssand,” an unperturbed Jallrii added with becoming calm. “Wherever we go, the Empire travelss with uss.” Behind his mask and goggles, yellow-flecked eyes twinkled. “But to ssuggesst that we may have provided armamentss to thesse uneducated primitivess iss outrageouss!” Both clawed hands moved rapidly, executing a gesture of second-degree indignation mixed with an equal amount of resentment.
“I did not mean to imply any such thing,” she replied, when of course that was exactly what she had meant to imply. “And since you haven't been advising the Sakuntala extremists on how to conduct their uprising and you haven't been supplying them with advanced weaponry—Commonwealth weaponry, acquired on the sly so as not to implicate anyone from, say, Blassussar or Pregglin—then it stands to reason that you also aren't in any way responsible for or involved with the disappearance of the human bioprospector Shadrach Hasselemoga or the Sakuntala-Deyzara team that was sent to try to rescue him.”
It was a long sentence and it resulted in a long and, as far as she could tell, genuinely perplexed pause on the part of her guests.
It was Thessu who finally replied, choreographing his response with a third-degree gesture of puzzlement supported by second-degree confusion. The elaborateness of his hand movements belied the brevity of his response.
“Who?”
She spoke briefly to her desk. Along with their missing craft, rotating, fully formed images of the unaccounted-for trio appeared above the projection surface.
“You know nothing about any of these individuals, or their vehicles?”
Turning to face each other, the AAnn conversed briskly in their own language. Their hisses and clicks were accompanied by a vigorous semaphoring of hands. Once again, it was Thessu who spoke. For the first time since the conversation had commenced, Matthias had the feeling that her visitors were honestly mystified.
“We know nothing of the oness of whom you sspeak. Why would you think we might have knowledge of them or their whereaboutss?”
“The human bioprospector's disappearance was accompanied by the complete failure of his emergency instrumentation. The same is true of those who were sent into the southern Viisiiviisii to bring him back. One such failure verges on the unprecedented. Two such failures, occurring as they did one right after another, constitute an implausible coincidence. My people have been forced to consider the possibility that both craft were tampered with deliberately. The question is: To what end?”
Jallrii switched his scaled tail back and forth, smacking it several times against the floor. “Not thiss end, Adminisstrator.” The AAnn were known to have a sense of humor, albeit one that was singular in nature and rarely experienced by outsiders.
“You are implying, I think,” declared Thessu, “that not only may the dissappearancess of which you sspeak be in ssome way connected to uss, but that we perssonally may ssomehow be connected with them.” Eyes that verged on the hypnotic bored into her own, compelling her to blink. “How in the namess of the Four Wellss of Perdition could the dissappearance of ssome thickheaded human and ssimpleminded nativess in the unexplored Viisiiviisii be of the sslightesst benefit to my colleague and mysself, far less to the Empire?”
When the AAnn spoke the name of the Viisiiviisii, she reflected, the word emerged as a single long hiss. “You just said yourself that the AAnn favor the strong, who in this conflict you perceive to be the Sakuntala. There are several indications—nothing definite or verifiable, mind—that the Deyzara might be behind these disappearances. That could indeed be the case, though much remains to be substantiated before any formal accusations can be levied. However,” and this time it was Thessu, mesmerizing stare or not, who blinked, “if certain parties who support the uprising of the radical Sakuntala were responsible, it would go a long way toward explaining one aspect of the disappearances that continues to puzzle my advisers and myself.”
Jallrii was the perfect picture of reptilian nonchalance. “Truly, the longer such puzzlementss remain unssolved, the more elaborate consspiracy theoriess have a way of becoming. Purely for the ssake of disscussion, how could we in any way be ressponssible for the dissappearance of thosse of whom you sspeak? Ssurely you are not ssuggessting that Thessu and I ssomehow managed to evade your local ssecurity, ssneak into your sskimmer facilitiess, ssabotage the missing craft, and esscape again? All, of course, without being sso much as ssniffed by anyone elsse?”
“I am not suggesting anything of the sort.” An eerie serenity had come over her. Outside, the rain continued to fall, indifferent to the confrontation taking place inside the main administration building. “My technicians inform me that a very high degree of technical skill would be required to carry out such sabotage, particularly to manipulate a skimmer's sealed emergency instrumentation. It is a matter of some dispute as to whether any of the Deyzara technicians on local staff possess those attributes. It is also generally conceded that no Sakuntala technician does. That forces one to contemplate other possibilities.
“Now, if a Sakuntala technician or two were to receive from another, more technologically sophisticated source detailed instructions on how to carry out such deadly modifications, it's easy enough to see how the consequences could be blamed on the Deyzara. If they were to be held responsible, especially in the current political climate, this could be greatly to the advantage of the Sakuntala. For example, gullible humans, and I won't deny that there are some, who might otherwise be neutral in the current conflict, might find themselves more partial to the Sakuntala point of view. If the Sakuntala were to be favored, that would naturally also be to the benefit of those who favor the Sakuntala.” She smiled pleasantly. “The AAnn, let's say.”
She waited for a response. It was not long in coming.
“If what you ssay hass happened, and you are being truthful about the circumsstances ssurrounding it, then we will not deny ssuch a sscenario could be to the benefit of the Empire.” Thessu raised his left hand, claws extended. “But I and my colleague will sswear on the ssandss in which we were brooded that neither of uss had anything to do with the incident you sso elaborately detail. Until you sspoke of it jusst now we had no knowledge of the dissappearancess of which you sspeak. We are in no way or wisse involved in the vanisshment of the two craft to which you refer. Wonderful if it iss blamed on the Deyzara, to the benefit of our friendss among the Ssakuntala. We welcome such a development. But . . . much as we would like to take credit for ssuch a clever sscheme, we had nothing to do with it. If indeed the dissappearancess are truly due to the kind of convoluted and problematical plot you desscribe.”
Jallrii gestured first-degree concurrence. “We are not foolss. While we may approve of the active machinationss of certain Ssakuntala, we would not go sso far as to engage in an action that would take the life of a human, a Commonwealth citizen, ssimply to casst possible asspersions on the Deyzara.”
“Am I supposed to take your word on that?” she asked candidly. It was a tactless question but one that she felt had to be asked. Each of her previous inquiries had vanished, sunk in a suave sea of AAnn denial.
Thessu signaled no animosity. Among the AAnn, such candor was greatly respected. “It doess not matter if you do or you do not. Given the current ssituation, killing a human or caussing one to meet hiss death, enjoyable as ssome individuals might find ssuch a happensstance, would not be worth the rissk were we to be held ressponssible. Certainly it would not be worth it ssimply to casst the Deyzara in a bad light.”
Her visitors reposed
in silence, tails switching metronomically back and forth, waiting for the next question. She was out of questions and had received no answers. Or at least, no indictable responses. She was no more cognizant of their possible involvement now than she had been when they had first come through her office door, hissing and complaining. If they were telling the truth, then the session had been a complete waste of time. No, she told herself. Worse than a waste of time. It would leave her looking paranoid and foolish.
“Thank you for your time, sanderlings. I appreciate your answering my questions.”
Thessu gestured third-degree magnanimity. “We are ever conssciouss of our privileged possition as mere obsserverss on thiss Commonwealth-adminisstered world, and would do nothing to jeopardize it. I ssympathize with the awkward possition that pressently confrontss you.” He showed both rows of sharp, strong teeth. “You musst be under a great deal of perssonal sstress.”
“I appreciate your concern,” she replied without acknowledging the accuracy of his surmise. “It is truly a difficult time. For myself as well as for others.” She smiled back. Her teeth were not as sharp, or as numerous, but they were just as white. “That's why I'd never be able to forgive myself if either of you, as guests here, came down with an infection that could easily have been prevented. I promise you that our best medical people will make certain that doesn't happen.”
The AAnn exchanged a glance. “We are in perfect health,” Thessu assured her.
“Yes, you may be—for now. But I've been told that this new virus, to which your kind may be particularly susceptible, is truly virulent. I couldn't live with myself knowing that you could be properly vaccinated against it and had missed the opportunity. The medical team that discovered it has gengineered just such a vaccine.” Pushing back her chair, she stood behind her desk. “It shouldn't take up much of your time. A three-stage inoculation followed by a suitable period of observation to ensure there are no side effects.”
“Sside effectss? Vaccination?” Jallrii's gaze narrowed and the end of the dehumidifying mask over his snout began to show signs of fogging. “What iss thiss talk?”
Reaching down, Matthias touched a blank part of her desk. Immediately the door opened behind the AAnn to admit a brace of armed peaceforcers. She maintained her smile.
“You'll be escorted to Medical. A team is waiting for you there. I look forward to seeing you again once you have been properly treated.” She glanced down at her desk. “There will be no charge for this service, of course. It should be regarded as a complimentary benefit of being guests of the Commonwealth.”
Surrounding the irate pair, who had risen from their chairs, the peaceforcers began to shepherd them from the room.
“This iss truly unnecessary!” Thessu was hissing loudly. “We are in perfect health! We have no need of inferior Commonwealth mediciness or medical attention. I musst protesst in the sstrongesst termss!”
“Bye!” she called out to them as they were hustled out the door. “I'll see you in a few days, after you come out of quarantine. Be nice to your attending physicians: they have your best interests at heart. Truly.”
The door shut behind the stunned, sputtering pair. Jallrii's tail banged into the jamb, and then they were gone. Her office was quiet again, except for the ever-present drumming of rain falling outside.
She slumped back down in her chair, which immediately began to massage her back, backside, and upper legs. By having the two AAnn detained she knew she was running the risk of precipitating an interstellar incident, albeit a minor one. She felt the gamble was worth it. There were only two of them, Fluva was an out-of-the-way world, and it would be difficult for Imperial authorities to build a case against her for holding them for what purported to be medical treatment that was in the claimed best interests of the detained. She felt the worst they could charge her with was being overly hospitable.
Meanwhile, the two would be incommunicado from any off-world contacts. They would also be unable to advise or assist any allies they had acquired among the Sakuntala and would be prevented from causing any mischief while they were being treated for the “newly discovered virus.”
She rubbed at her eyes with the tips of her fingers. The interview and the mental strain it had exacted had drained her, and she was still no nearer any answers than she had been before it had begun. Questioning, challenging the AAnn, hadn't produced the hoped-for breakthrough. Reluctantly she called up and scanned the latest batch of communications demanding her attention. It was more of the same. Deyzara insisting she do something to put down the Sakuntala uprising. Sakuntala demanding the Commonwealth acknowledge their ancestral rights and claims. One department after another pleading for more manpower, more material assistance, further instructions. Jack reminding her that he was spending the night at the lab. Andrea wondering when and if her mother was ever going to be able to help her with her studies again. Everyone wanting, wanting, wanting something from her.
It was a dangerous time for Sethwyn Case to come barging in.
He entered as he always did; ignoring Pandusky's protestations and advancing with that confident rolling gait that suggested he owned every scrap of territory his big feet came in contact with. Her office was no exception.
Tiredly she waved the anxious, angry Pandusky off. “I'll handle it, Sanuel. Just go back to your own work.”
Tight-lipped, her ever-protective assistant favored the much bigger Case with a single corneal caveat before backing out and closing the door behind him.
Case promptly parked himself on one corner of the desk and grinned down at her. Despite her exhaustion, she was uncomfortably aware of his proximity. Not for the first time she wondered if it was pheromones or simply sweat.
“Greetings and good things a'coming at you, good-looking.” He extended a hand toward her.
She flinched back. “Stow it, Seth. I just finished some verbal sparring with our resident AAnn and I'm really bushed.”
Nodding, he pulled out a small stim stick and casually sucked it to life. “Yeah, I saw the hiss brothers being led away. They didn't look any too happy.”
A hint of a smile played across her features. “I'm having them held for a while, so we can keep an eye on them until this mess with the Sakuntala and the Deyzara is settled. They're being treated for a theoretical infection.”
He laughed. It was a wonderful laugh, deep and rich and booming, and it filled the room. “That's one way to keep 'em out of circulation. They'd better be glad my friends and I don't work in Medical. We'd leave no scaly orifice unprobed.” He leaned toward her but kept his hands back. “I have been known to play doctor on occasion, however.”
Shaking her head, she turned away from him so he wouldn't see how her smile had widened. “Sethwyn Case, you are incorrigible.”
He inhaled aromatic smoke. “Actually, I'm very corrigible, when the right person comes along.”
She waved at the stim smoke, even though it didn't affect her. “How can you stand those things?”
Holding the stick between two fingers, he eyed it with mock seriousness. “Doesn't hurt the lungs. Tastes good, smells good. Out in the Viisiiviisii, every little touch of home is important.”
“How's your luck been?” she asked, honestly interested.
He turned away and his grin faded slightly. “Not so good. Last couple of trips didn't yield anything really worthwhile. It'll get better. I've got a couple of leads on some spots down south that are thick with a new species of emergent that's supposedly festooned with half a dozen promising rusts and molds.” He took a long drag on the stick. “Next trip'll be the best. You'll see.” Turning back to face her, he leaned right over the desk. “How about a kiss for luck?”
She hesitated, internally conflicted. Eternally conflicted. What harm could a friendly kiss do? For luck. Wasn't part of her job to encourage those who worked under her? Worked under her—she kissed him hurriedly, as much to kill the thoughts (and other things) that were bubbling inside her as to comply with the request.<
br />
It lingered far too long. He was very polite about it, but when they finally separated, her lips were much wetter than they should have been. She raised a hand to wipe them dry, thought the gesture might be considered insulting, tried to rub them against each other, and ended up feeling ridiculous. Case just grinned down at her. She felt herself flushing, as if he was reading her mind. The climate conditioning that kept the room cool and dry seemed to have failed.
“How's that?” she finally managed to croak.
“It'll do for now.” Reaching out and down, he patted her on the shoulder. “We'll see how my luck goes on the next trip. I might have to come back and lean on you again for a recharge.” He slid lithely off the desk and headed for the door. “Take care of yourself, Lauren. You'll get control of this native business. I know you can handle it. You can handle anything.”
Trying desperately to think of something clever to say by way of parting, she failed miserably. “Be careful out there, Seth. Some of the more radical Sakuntala have crossed the line and attacked our people.”
He was at the door. “Thanks for the thought, good-looking, but don't worry. I'm not concerned about the Sakuntala. They won't bother me.”
Then he was gone, the sharp perfume of the stim stick and of his body lingering teasingly in the room.
She found that she was breathing hard, for no discernible reason. Speaking softly, she opened a drawer and drew herself a carbonate drink. The feel of the cold liquid sliding down her throat helped to shock her back to reality.
Damn the man! He was far too attractive. Indecently so. The way he looked through her eyes instead of into them, the play of muscles beneath his clothing, that damnable cocksure grin of his, as if he knew everything you were thinking—it was unfair! She knew she ought to ban him from her office. Every time he showed up, she told herself it would be the last time. There had been a lot of last times.
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