Abby looked at Kris like she had just crawled out from under a rock… on some airless moon. ''Doesn't everyone know what the newsies pay. My word, Princess, back on Earth a kindergartner knows one juicy story can make you set for life.''
Behind Abby, Jack's face went from someone who was about to bite into a juicy apple, to a guy who'd bitten and found a worm.
''Everyone knows?'' Kris went on. ''I never heard it.''
''Kid,'' Abby went on, ''don't you watch anything but what the media is doing to dis your old man? Okay, you are the folks we folks want to get the story on, so maybe it ain't all that big. Just as well. I hiked up the price. How was I to know that you'd double it. I figured you'd haggle us down. How you gonna stay so rich if you do things like that?''
''I was more worried about staying alive,'' Kris said. ''Jack, you ever heard what the going rate was for juicy news stories?''
''Come to think of it, I think Abby's spurred my memory.'' He didn't look like he'd much enjoyed the spurring.
Kris settled down at her desk. ''Okay, we'll forget that for the time being. I need to come up with some contracts. You two want to hang around. You might have some comments on what Nelly and I propose,'' Kris said eyeing Abby. ''Seeing how you folks are the ones that know how the folks that want the money live.''
''Always glad to be of service,'' Abby said, settling into the only spare chair in the room like the hawk that laid the golden egg.
And she'd again dodged the question. Oh, Kris's maid had answered the question asked: How she knew what she did know. But the question Kris really wanted answered had been shuffled to the bottom of the deck. Just who are you?
Once more, Kris was no closer to getting to the bottom of who Abby was than she'd been before. Once again, that answer had eluded her. And she had other things biting at her ankles and would have to tend to them and ignore the question… again.
''I can't hire people for Nuu Inc.,'' Kris said before Nelly had a chance to remind her. ''So, Nelly, let's set up our own corporation, to be funded with some of my stocks from Nuu. I want 51 percent of the voting stock, the others to be distributed evenly among those here.'' Jack raised an eyebrow.
''Yes, Jack, you're included. You earned it.''
''He earned it,'' Abby said. ''He's just worried about a conflict of interests.''
''Anyone gets close to Kris, the interests start getting conflicted,'' Jack sighed.
So Nelly drew up the papers of incorporation for BDQ, Inc., which Kris defined as Burrow, Dig, and Question. Abby suggested Better Do it Quick. Jack shook his head. ''Better Done Quietly.''
What BDQ actually meant was not defined in the documents.
All the i's were dotted and the t's crossed before they docked at High Chance. And, unlike Kris's last leave, she was actually back a day early. Given enough time, Kris was sure she could become the very model of a modern Naval Officer.
Kris was almost prancing up the Resolute's gangway, when Penny charged out of the elevator.
''You'll never guess what we've found,'' Kris beamed.
''You'll never guess the trouble that just came through Jump Point Alpha,'' Penny interrupted, her face business deadly.
Kris stopped, shook her head, and tried to change gears from her planned ''I've got a wonderful secret'' bit of girl talk with her best friend, to whatever was coming at her. ''Trouble?''
''Yeah, six Greenfeld light cruisers.''
''Six!'' Kris said, mind going down the Naval assets she had just now. It was a short list. Nil. Nothing. Nada.
''The good news is they aren't demanding our surrender.''
That was good news. ''And the bad?'' Kris asked, hoping Penny was just using a figure of speech. Six cruisers were bad enough.
''Oh, that depends on if you mind that their commanding officer is an old buddy of yours?''
Kris blinked. ''I don't know any Greenfeld Naval officers.''
''You do now. Henry Smythe-Peterwald the thirteenth is a commodore in the Greenfeld Navy.'' Penny was wearing khakis, but she held up her arm as if pointing to the rank insignia strip on a blues uniform. ''No thin ensign stripe for our Hank. Nope, one thick-and-wide commodore stripe for Harry's little boy. Oh, and his flagship, it's the Incredible.''
Kris said a very bad word a princess shouldn't use. But she'd heard it enough from Navy types, and this was Navy business.
''Oh,'' Penny said, falling in step with Kris as she quick timed for the elevator to the main station level. ''You said something about what you found. I was curious when you disappeared into that anomaly. Was it a real jump point?''
''Yeah, though that's a secret,'' Kris said, going up the escalator with Jack on her heels. ''But what we found will have to wait.''
Chapter 9
Kris headed for the shuttle bay. ''When did you spot Hank?''
''I was on the Patton's bridge when one of the kids noticed a ship come through the jump. We stood around gawking. Most of them had never seen a ship's sensor suite up and working. When the number hit six and held, I figured you'd want to know.''
Which explained why Sulwan hadn't told Kris. In just two minutes they'd gone from the greatest secret in human history to Oh my God, look who's coming for dinner.
Dinner or conquest? Was there a difference when the Peterwalds were involved? Kris almost missed a step. A month ago, the loss of Chance to the Peterwalds would be embarrassing for King Ray's alliance, but you win a few, you lose a few.
Lose Chance now and… Kris cut off that thought. It was her command and loss was not an option.
And exactly how do you intend to avoid that, your Princess-hood, Commandership, Longknifeness? She asked herself.
Kris sighed; she didn't even have twelve mosquito boats to defend Chance. Just the two officers walking with her. And a chief. And Abby. And the contents of twelve steamer trunks. Did that include the Resolute? Hmm. ''Nelly, tell Beni to guard all channels. If the cruisers talk, I want to know immediately.''
''He heard about the ship situation from the Comm Boss on Resolute and already has set up the watch. He assumes you will not want your name used on net.''
''Good,'' Kris said as they reached the shuttle.
''Where are you going?'' Penny asked.
''I need some face time dirtside. I'll need both of you. You are my entire command, in case you haven't noticed.''
Kris grounded at Last Chance thirty minutes later. The boys were out with the tug beside a yellow cab with Steve and Mamma Torn. Kris and crew piled into the backseat, leaving the ground crew to find a place to park the shuttle on a ramp already growing crowded. The cab laid rubber gunning off the runway.
''I take it you've noticed your system is kind of full of warships,'' Kris said.
''It did not escape our attention,'' Marta said. Steve just scowled. ''My son wants to talk to you. Steve suggested you do the talking face to face.''
''The lieutenant knows security,'' Kris said.
Steve snorted at Kris's use of his old Navy rank. He might be a long-haired chicken farmer and taxi driver but he'd spent twenty years in blues. Even as he flew the cab low toward town, it looked like his mind was back in uniform. Good.
They pulled to a halt before a sports arena with a crowded parking lot. Ron hurried from it as Kris got out.
''We don't have much time,'' Ron said. ''We're getting close to a quorum in there. I don't know everything we'll do but I have a pretty good idea what we'll deliver for you and Steve. I want you to start on it now, not later. Kris, what's your biggest problem?''
''Mayor Torn,'' Kris began formally. ''I'd prefer not to have the Marines and armed Naval detachments on six Greenfeld cruisers just a quick rush from seizing control of High Chance. But by right and custom, those six cruisers have a claim on High Chance for docking privileges. Absent a pressing need, like all our docks being full, we should offer them the opportunity to dock. We can charge them for it, but money won't defend us.''