Vicky turned back to Kris. ''Are you saying that it's better to do a job you know how to do than fake doing a job you can't handle?''
''I think so.''
''I paid good money to get a copy of your file. It sure doesn't look like you practice what you preach.''
Beside Kris, Jack snorted. ''Amen to that.''
''Whose side are you on?'' Kris asked, elbowing Jack.
''The side of me staying alive,'' he said.
Kris got serious. ''You bought my file. You read it. Did an analyst explain it to you?''
''I just got the file.''
''Captain, you might walk her through it. You can explain to her where I was just bleeding lucky and where maybe I had a little help from my friends.''
''Would you, sir?'' Vicky asked, sounding like a boot ensign talking to her superior officer for the first time that evening.
''My orders are to educate you. To help you stay alive and learn. I think that could be considered part of my job. Though I warn you, your father probably would not consider Kris Longknife a proper role model for his daughter.''
''I don't think any father would consider me a good role model,'' Kris said dryly.
''Certainly not for any of my daughters,'' Captain Krätz agreed. ''But I remind you, Ensign Peterwald, anyone without dumb Longknife luck would have died a dozen times doing what is recorded in that file. And no, none would have occurred while you were paying the piper.''
Vicky looked very thoughtful as they finished their dinner.
Done, Captain Krätz stood. But before he turned to leave, he gave Kris an informal bow. ''I believe your file says that your first skipper was a Captain Thorpe?''
''Yes,'' Kris said, avoiding adding anything more.
''He is no longer serving in the Wardhaven Navy.''
''I believe not,'' Kris said, trying not to sound evasive.
''I ran into him recently. He has hired on with a merchant shipping line that is providing irregular service to ports out beyond the Rim. Are you aware of these illegal colonies?''
''I've visited a few. Never ran into Captain Thorpe.''
''I understand such shipping lines are the main prey of the pirates. I hope nothing happens to your former captain.''
''So do I,'' Kris said, not sure exactly what she was being told or how she felt about it.
Outside the restaurant, Jack leaned close to Kris's ear. ''How much you want to bet me you are going to regret helping that young woman stay alive?''
That was a bet Kris was not willing to take.
7
Four hours with lawyers experienced in what passed for a modern, up-to-date legal system on Cuzco, and Kris was missing Chance's nice informal approach to the law.
While Kris had blown Compton's bridge and all its watch standards to kingdom come, and with it the ship's papers, what was left of the hulk still told a tale. The reactors had the serial numbers stamped on them by Westinghouse. That company's database said they had been installed on the Big Bad Bustard, presently under Lorna Do registry. Its last-known port of call had been Nobel Pride six months ago.
A fast message to the port authority there brought back a ship's bill of lading and, suddenly, the containers were talking, and the cargo was matching up … some of it.
Some containers were missing and some new ones had been added. Apparently Nobel Pride had not been the last port of call.
This might have been of minor interest, except the owners had insured the ship and cargo with a consortium of assurance companies. Now they were retaining lawyers. The case of Humanity v. the Compton Maru pirates moved into a larger courtroom.
Kris was taken aside by half a dozen pale men in suits and told that there would be a finders' award for her and her crew. Now would the Navy kindly go back to doing whatever it was Navy people did when decent citizens weren't interested in them.
Kris took one look at the quaint sum of the finders' fee and had to leave before she punched out some well-dressed type.
The crew of the Wasp had gone through the experience of capturing her from pirates, and well remembered the prize money the Chance court had awarded them when the pirate ship was sold to become the Wasp. For the last two weeks there had been little talk among the different tribes aboard the Wasp other than how they would spend their portion of the prize money.
The crew of the Wasp firmly held that they had the main claim on the prize money. They had fought the Compton and captured her fair and square.
The Marines pointed out that they certainly had something to do with the capture of the pirates. So advised, the sailors graciously concluded that the Marines did have a point.
Few people are dumb enough to argue with Marines.
But when the boffins waded in with their claim, things got heated. ''Where were you when they were shooting at us?'' was a rather strong point in the sailors' and Marines' favor.
''Our necks were as much on the line as yours when that pirate was taking potshots at us.'' And ''It was three of the containers that we were in that got sliced open to space.'' And ''It was our sensors you were using for ship ID and targeting.''
That did seem to provide a certain counterbalance to ''You was all hiding under your bunks.''
The atmosphere on the Wasp got downright frosty, and several mixed work details almost came to blows before Kris called a public meeting and let each side choose four speakers to say their piece. Being well aware her crew could implode, Kris took the extra precaution of having Captain Drago and Professor mFumbo included in their four. And met with them beforehand. Some might say the fix was already in.
Both captain and professor let their hotheads have their say, then carefully got the stampede going in a circle. The final conclusion had the advantage of a certain logic.
Clearly, the crew and Marines of the Wasp had their necks on the line as the Compton attacked. And they fought her until she was dead in space and surrendered. There was also no question the boffins had their necks on the chopping block when the Compton started shooting. Not a totally unforeseen event, since they had all signed on to a ship with one of those Longknifes, if not at the helm, then too close to it for any real comfort.
The final agreement split the prize money. The crew and Marines who fought the ship would get a double allotment from those who risked their neck aboard it. With portions being organized in accordance with the old law of the sea.
That left the crew in a happy mood. Gliding back to her quarters with Abby and Cara, Kris discovered just how far that happy mood went.
''And you will get part of that money, too,'' Abby told Cara.
''Me!'' said the twelve-year-old. ''I didn't do nothing.''
''Even the cabin boys on those old sailing ships got a portion,'' Abby assured her.
''I could get some money?'' Cara let out a squeal.
''For your college fund,'' Abby pointed out.
''I'm going to college?''
''Why not. I did,'' Abby said. Now Kris listened closely. Any new word about Abby's hidden life before she started running Kris's life was always to be treasured.
''But Ganny Ganna said a girl didn't need to know more than she needed to—''
''You ain't with Ganny Ganna, and you saw what her way of living ended up doing to your momma and Ganna.''
That left the youngster silent.
''I put myself through college at night,'' Abby said. ''I worked hard to earn the money and learn what I could. You, girl, can go to college like people like the princess do. The right way. And this money will be the start of your nest egg.''