The collies bracketed the nose of the vessel now, manoeuvring it carefully down a half degree, to the port another fraction and then slowly forwards until it moved out of sight.
‘Wonder what happened to it?' Bunny said.
‘We could go see,' Diego suggested.
‘Could we?' she asked, brightening, and turning to Millard.
‘Bailey has some cronies down in the ship dock,' Millard said. Their faces fell. 'You really will have to wait until Bailey and Charmion are available,' he said and then his wrist set bleeped. 'Excuse me.' He read the message that came in and turned to Yana. 'This is interesting. The PTS is newly registered as a tourist transport in the civilian section of the Intergal Station. A B. Makem is listed as owner.’
‘B. Makem?' Yana blinked. The name was somehow familiar but, after last night's inundation of names, she couldn't put the name to a face.
‘Braddock Makem?' Sally asked, in a startled tone as she looked up from the report she was working on.
‘One of Matthew's little men?’
‘He isn't one of Dr Luzon's men any more,' Sally said. 'Luzon fired him. Scuttlebutt is that when Luzon woke up with broken legs, loss of pride and that massive deflation of amuition, he fired the lot of them.’
Yana grinned. 'Anything else, Millard?’
‘Funding's low but it's got a waiting list and paid passages for twenty on each of three weekly scheduled flights from Intergal Station.’
Yana gasped. 'There isn't room at Kilcoole for twenty extra bodies much less a hundred and twenty. What is Makem up to?’
‘I'd hazard Makem isn't up to anything,' Millard said, his eyes narrowing, 'but I'd suspect Matthew Luzon is. Does Sean say who's been landed?’
Just then Marmion came into the room, a flimsy in her hand and a look of total exasperation on her face.
‘Once again, there can be no meeting,' she said, waving the sheet.
‘But Phon Tho was coming back this morning. He said we'd hear today,' Yana said in protest.
‘We did,' Marmion said grimly, with another crisp flutter of the message, 'but not at all what we hoped to hear. Really, I think we are just going to have to do something.' She tapped her index finger across her lips and then brightened. 'Of course, we will put it about that you're leaving!’
‘But… but what good will that do?' Yana said, almost wailing with disappointment. She wanted to be back with Sean, to help him with these unexpected visitors - if only to shove them off-planet as fast as they arrived. She didn't want to have to come back here again whenever the CIS Council finally got its act together and all its members in attendance so she, Bunny and Diego could say their piece and have it done with. Mainly she wanted to be back with Sean. She was feeling'deprived'. She hadn't finally married again to spend her time away from the man of her heart and the father of her child.
‘Well, as long as they think you'll just sit about and wait for them to organize themselves, that's what they'll do,' Marmion said, then paused thoughtfully, regarding the flimsy as if there were unseen lines that required decoding. 'Though why this delay when they were so bloody eager to get you here in the first place… And we came as fast as anyone can… Hmmm. Well, they do have the depositions to work from…’
‘Something's rotten in Denmark?' Sally asked.
‘If it were on Denmark, I wouldn't give it a second thought. But this is Gal-Three… And it was presented to me as an in-and-out appearance.' Giving her shoulders a massive shrug, Marmion returned to her office.
‘Why,' Yana asked the room, 'would B. Makem want to start trouble for us on Petaybee? I thought we'd opened his eyes to that erstwhile employer of his.’
‘Yes,' Millard said thoughtfully, and began to tap out codes on his terminal. 'We'll just see.’
Yana began pacing restlessly, fretting about Sean. He'd have so much more to do now with who knows how many people foisted off on Petaybee. She reread the communique, her free hand going automatically to the little bag of Petaybean dirt that generally provided her with comfort as she tried to get more of Sean than the words conveyed. Even if Johnny Greene had sent the message, it was from Sean and by Sean and therefore 'Sean' and she gathered what comfort she could out of that contact. It was stupid of her, at her age, to need the man so desperately and yet she did. Here she was in the lap of luxury, being scrupulously cared for and pampered and wined and dined, and not liking it a bit simply because Sean wasn't here to share the absurdities with her like Macci and his Second-Skin and loincloth. Sean would have looked just as well in such attire: probably better since he had a second skin of his own, if it came to that. The memories that thought provoked made her smile, and she nibbled at the edge of the message, until she realized what she was doing. She really was being ungrateful, especially when Marmion was going out of her way to be so accommodating and helpful. Not that she didn't appreciate it all, except that she had managed to get accustomed to the discomforts of Petaybee. Now she'd have to learn to love them all over again. It would be snowing soon, and she'd miss it, and freeze-up and all the other wonders that Petaybee had in store for people in their first year. She resented her absence terribly and that reminded her of who might be responsible for all the delays.
‘Do you know where Matthew Luzon is right now?' she asked, stopping and turning to survey those in the lounge. 'And where are Diego and Bunny for that matter?' she asked Sally and Millard, and asked the same question of Bailey and Charmion who entered at that critical moment.
‘Must be around here somewhere,' Millard said, swivelling about as if the two had to be in the lounge, visible or invisible.
At that precise moment, there was a request for entry.
‘Macci Sendal,' was the response in a resonant voice.
Sally and Millard exchanged astonished glances.
‘You made a conquest, Yana,' Sally said, grinning. 'Shall I admit him?’
Yana was flustered. 'Whatever would he want with me?’
‘I suspect business,' Sally said. 'After all, Rothschild's have always diversified. I don't recall them having any Pharmaceuticals…’
‘Yes, they do,' Millard replied. 'They have recently acquired a major holding in SpayDe.’
‘You're quite right,' and Sally hurried to press the door release. Til just replicate some refreshments.’
Despite the fact the man was wearing more normal station apparel instead of the formal SecondSkin, he was as devastating as ever as he came forward to greet Yana. He had a small posy for her, smiles for Sally, Millard and Marmion's young relatives, and he accepted Sally's invitation for mid-morningses even as he led Yana, still holding the hand he had kissed so extravagantly, to one of the smaller seating arrangements on one side of the large room. Sally passed the refreshments and then, to Yana's amazement, left her with him. He bent a lambent gaze on her, ravishing her with his eyes, which was disconcerting to say the least. Had he been another officer she'd have known how to handle the situation but he was too highly placed in society, as well as the financial circles, for her to use those forthright tactics.
‘Now, tell me more about this magical planet you come from, Yana. There was no chance to discuss anything intelligent with you last night. Especially when Pies was acting hostess.' He caught her eyes with another of his ravishing glances - she did wish he wouldn't - and she felt herself flushing at the ardour he was projecting. Really, it was much too early in the morning - or did she mean too late - for this sort of… foreplay. He was leaning forward towards her now and the scent he was using oughtn't to be allowed, it was so aphrodisiac.