Miles unlatched the lock and let himself out. He didnt think Nikki had bought more than one word of his in three, though for a change and in contrast to several of his historic negotiations, it had all been true. But at least hed managed to offer a line of retreat from an impossible position.
Ekaterin was waiting in the hall. He put his finger to his lips and waited a moment. The door stayed closed, but the lock did not click again. Miles motioned Ekaterin to follow, and tiptoed away to the living room.
Whew, said Miles. I think thats the toughest audience Ive ever played to.
What happened? demanded Ekaterin anxiously. Is he coming out?
Not sure yet. I gave him a couple of new things to think about. He didnt seem as panicked. And its going to get really boring in there after a bit. Lets give him some time and see.
Miles was just finishing his groats and coffee when Nikki cautiously poked his head around the kitchen door. He lingered in the doorway, kicking his heel against the frame. Ekaterin, seated across from Miles, put her hand to her lips and waited.
Wherere my shoes? asked Nikki after a moment.
Under the table, said Ekaterin, maintaining, with obvious effort, a perfectly neutral tone. Nikki crawled under to retrieve them, and sat cross-legged on the floor by the door to put them on.
When he stood up again, Ekaterin said carefully, Do you want anyone to go with you?
Naw. His gaze crossed Miless just briefly, then he slouched into the living room to collect his school bag and let himself out the front door.
Ekaterin, turning back from her arrested half-rise from her chair, sank down limply. My word. I wonder if I ought to call the school to make sure he arrives.
Miles thought it over. Yes. But dont let Nikki know you checked.
Right. She swirled the coffee around in the bottom of her cup, and added hesitantly, How did you do that?
Do what?
Get him out of there. If it had been Tien they were both stubborn. Tien would get so frustrated with Nikki sometimes, not without cause. He would have threatened to take the door down and drag Nikki to school; I would have run around in circles placating, frantically afraid things would get out of hand. Though they never quite seemed to. I dont know if that was because of me, or Tien would always be a little ashamed later, not that he would ever apologize, but he would buy well, it doesnt matter now.
Miles made a crosshatch pattern in the bottom of his dish with his spoon, hoping his desire for her approval was not too embarrassingly obvious. Physical solutions have never come easily to me. I just played with his mind, eased him out. I try never to take away somebodys face when Im negotiating.
Not even a childs? Her lips quirked, and her brows flicked up in an expression he wasnt sure how to interpret. A rare approach.
So, maybe my tactics had the novelty of surprise. I admit, I did think of ordering my ImpSec minions into the breach, but it would have looked like a very silly order. Nikkis dignity wasnt the only one on the line.
Well thank you for being so patient. One doesnt normally expect busy and important men to take the time for kids.
Her voice was warm; she was pleased. Oh, good. He babbled in relief, Well, I do. Expect it, that is. My Da always did, you see-take time for me. Later, when I learned not everyones Da did the same, I just assumed it was only a trait of the most busy and most important men.
Hm. She looked down at her hands, resting on either side of her cup, and smiled crookedly.
Professor Vorthys lumbered in, dressed for the day in his comfortable rumpled suit, scarcely more form-fitting than his pajamas. It was tailor-made garb, appropriate to his status as an Imperial Voice, but he must, Miles reflected, have driven his tailor to despair before coaxing just the fit he wanted, With lots of room in the pockets, as hed once explained to Miles while the Professora rolled her eyes heavenward. Vorthys was stuffing data disks into these capacious compartments. Are you ready, Miles? ImpSec just called to say theyll have an aircar and driver waiting for us at the West Locks.
Yes, very good. With an apologetic smile to Ekaterin, Miles tossed off the last of his coffee and rose. Will you be all right today, Madame Vorsoisson?
Yes, of course. I have a lot to do. I have an appointment with an estate law counselor, and any amount of sorting and packing the guard wont have to go with me, will he?
Not unless you wish. We are leaving one man on duty here, by your leave. But if our Komarrans had wanted hostages, they could have taken me and Tien that first night. And bought themselves loads more trouble. If only they had, Miles reflected regretfully. His case could be ever so much further along by now. Soudha was too damned smart. If I thought you and Nikki were in any possible danger- Id figure some way to use you for bait no, no. If you are in the least uncomfortable, Id be happy to assign you a man.
No, indeed.
That faint smile again. Miles felt he could happily spend the rest of the morning studying all the subtle expressions of her lips. Equipment lists. Youre going to go study equipment lists. Then I bid you good morning, Madame.
Lord Auditor Vorthys, after his first survey of the new situation, had chosen to set up his personal headquarters out at the Waste Heat experiment station. Miles had to admit, the security there was great; no one was likely to blunder in by accident, or wander across its bleak surroundings unobserved. Well, he and Tien had, but the occupants had been distracted at the time, and Tien had apparently possessed a dire luck which amounted to antigenius. Miles wondered which had come first, for Soudha; had the administrative acquisition of such a perfect site for secret work triggered the idea for his shadow project, or had he had the idea first, and then maneuvered himself into the right promotion to capture control of the station? Just one of a long list of questions Miles was itching to ask the man, under fast-penta.
After the ImpSec aircar delivered the two Auditors, Miles went off first to check the progress of his, or rather, ImpSec Engineering Major DEmories, inventory crews. The sergeant in charge promised completion of the tedious identification, counting, and cross-check of every portable object in the station before the end of today. Miles then returned to Vorthys, who had set up a sort of engineers nest in one of the long upstairs workrooms in the office section, with roomy tables, lots of light, and a proliferating array of high-powered comconsoles. The Professor grunted greetings from behind a multicolored spaghetti-array of mathematical projections, glimmering above his vid-plate. Miles settled down in a comconsole station chair to study the growing list of real objects Colonel Gibbs claimed Waste Heat had paid for, but which were no longer to be found on Waste Heats premises, hoping some subliminally familiar ordnance pattern might emerge.
After a while, the Professor shut off his holovid display and sighed. Well, no doubt they built something. The topside crews picked up some more fragments yesterday, mostly melted.
So does our inventory represent one something, destroyed along with Radovas, or two somethings? Miles wondered aloud.
Oh, I should think two, at least. Though the second may not have been assembled yet. If one thinks it through from Soudhas point of view, one realizes hes been having a very bad month.