Kris snagged an apple and took her plate to an overstuffed chair set against what looked like a wall papered with an ancient Chinese river scene. On close examination, it proved to be a computer screen. Abby and Jack settled into opposite ends of the couch. Tommy munched his eggs Benedict in an overstuffed chair, Penny at his elbow in the straight-backed one that was usually Abby's. For a long moment, the listening bugs picked up nothing but chewing sounds as breakfast held them in its pleasant grip.
Kris broke her muffin into small portions, then slowly chewed them as she ignored the people in front of her and let her eyes rove over the carved filigrees of the wood moldings where the walls, probably all screens, met the ceiling. A chandelier of finely cut glass cast gentle shadows on the walls and even the occasional rainbow. Would a penniless whore like Kris had masqueraded as last night ever see a room like this? Not likely she'd ever catch the eye of a man who might admit her for a brief moment to someplace like this.
No, places like this were reserved for people with money and power. People who mattered. People like Kris. And to get at a person like Kris, would someone kill an entire town?
''Jack, kill the bugs,'' she said as she finished her muffin.
The agent produced a bug burner from his pocket, no bigger than his hand, with two metal horns extending from it. Bursts of crackling sounds marked his movement over the breakfast cart. When he finished there, he took care of one on the end table beside Kris's chair, then ducked into his bedroom. ''We're clean,'' he said when he returned.
''Nelly, what's the death toll so far in Bremen?''
''Only two, but they don't know how many have contracted it.''
Kris rubbed the back of her neck. ''Ebola takes six or seven days to kill anyone. I didn't even know Tommy was on leave back then. You can't blame this on me!'' The last words tasted too much of a plea for Kris's liking. These people were not her judges. She had no right to task them with absolving her.
''Kris could be right,'' Tommy said.
''The young, weak, or elderly often fail from it much faster,'' Abby said in a tone that echoed of the sepulcher.
Kris was out of her chair, pacing. ''We got in yesterday, broke Tommy loose last night, and were ready to bolt this place today. We've only had Tommy for six hours! Nobody could arrange a plague in six hours.''
''Yet the dying words of the woman last night were you'd never get out of here,'' Jack said as he sat back down and resumed eating. Holding a slice of waffle just short of his mouth, he finished, ''Sandfire knows you can move fast. He's showing you he can react just as fast.''
''Three apartments were rented,'' Penny noted. ''We busted Tom out of the second one. I think we did get inside their decision-making cycle.''
''Right. That shows we acted faster than he expected,'' Kris quickly agreed. ''He expected to use that third apartment.''
Abby set down the small plate that had held her meal of toast and fruit. ''Still, the timing of the rentals also tells us this plan has been in the works for some time.'' A glance around the room got her nods of agreement. She went on. ''The Ebola event must also have been planned well in advance. It could have been initiated as soon as you booked passage for here. I suspect if we looked closely at the incident, we'd find the present situation is more window dressing than real. No doubt, that will be corrected in a few days.''
''All this to get Kris?'' Tommy shook his head. ''She is one of those Longknifes, but this is ridiculous.''
''Right,'' Kris said, but a look at the others didn't show any similar doubt. She scrubbed at her face for a moment, trying to wash away feelings she didn't have time to catalogue, then brightened, ''Nelly, message to Grampa Al. ‘I'm stuck on Turantic. Could you please send me a ship to bust me out?' There, we'll use a damn Longknife thing to put an end to this.''
''I have filed the message,'' Nelly said. ''However, I am advised there may be a significant delay in transmitting it.''
Kris lost her breath as well as the confidence she'd found. ''Tell us why, Nelly.''
''There seems to have been a major system failure in the stellar communications equipment last night. Nearly ninety percent of capacity is inoperative. I have paid extra to get us priority, but it will still be a three-hour delay.''
Penny pulled out her wallet and extracted a Wardhaven bill. ''Five will get you ten. Kris's message doesn't go out before the rest of the system crashes.''
''Whose side are you on?''
''Hey, Kris, I'm just learning to bet the odds. Somebody wants you here and seems willing to do damn near anything to keep you here.''
''But why?'' Abby said, just the hint of a puzzled frown passing quickly over her well-controlled face.
''That,'' Jack said, getting up and collecting the dish from Kris's end table, ''is the question I've been asking since we learned Tommy had been snatched.''
''I suspect if we find that out,'' Abby said, adding her dirty plate to the cart, ''we will find a snake much larger than we bargained for.''
''Penny, what's going on here?'' Kris asked. ''Stipulated, someone wants me on Turantic. But why here?''
Penny took a deep breath. Nelly cut her off. ''Kris, you have a call coming in.''
''Put it on-screen. Show me only.''
''I'm so glad to have you with us, Princess Kristine,'' gushed a man with graying hair and jowls far too large for his face.
NELLY, WHO IS HE?
AMBASSADOR MIDDENMITE, WARDHAVEN'S REP—
RIGHT, I know. ''And I'm glad to see you this morning, Mr. Ambassador. I was trying to book passage home, and I'm told that I can't.''
''Yes, I've heard that, too. I'll have someone look into it. What I was calling for was something much more enjoyable. They are inaugurating the Top of Turantic tonight, a ballroom at the very top of the elevator station. Dinner and dancing with a truly marvelous view. I'm told it may be as enjoyable as any state ball on Wardhaven,'' he said wistfully. Kris kept a smile on her face. Balls were the least of her problems at the moment.
''When I received my invitation,'' the Ambassador went on, ''it included one for Your Highness. Might I send it on?''
Kris had many things to do today; top among them was being a long way from Turantic before evening. Still, she swallowed the No that jumped to her lips. How often did Father say, ''When you are trapped into doing something you hate, it is best to do it with grace. Think of it as fighting your way across a raging river. It is foolish to swim against the current.'' Even at five, when Kris first received that lecture, she could not picture her father struggling across a raging river. Still, politics was full of sudden and fast currents, and Father did always arrive where he wanted. Maybe it was time to do a little floating with the flow while she dog-paddled like hell out of sight. Kris let her face form a frown for the Ambassador as she juggled a dozen thoughts at once. Someone was doing their level best to keep her here. How might she return this ''favor''?
''Mr. Ambassador, I didn't come prepared for a full round of formal affairs,'' Kris started. Abby shook her head, letting the merest hint of a smile crease her lips. ''But I could probably throw something together,'' Kris added. Abby took flaming affront to that and headed for Kris's room in full huff. ''I would appreciate it if you could arrange for the host of tonight's gala to offer me the invitation personally. There are security matters to consider.'' She glanced at Jack. He shook his head with a sigh. Kris suspected that protecting her through the mob scene of a ball was the last thing Jack was prepared to do solo.
''I will be glad to pass along to Mr. Sandfire your openness to an invitation. He thought you might be in need of some entertainment,'' the Ambassador effused.
At the word Sandfire, Tommy and Penny were off their chairs, showing a range of emotions that would have earned any media actor the highest honor. Kris froze her face. So Sandfire thought she might be bored this morning. And not going anyplace either. Guess I didn't spring Tom so fast.