''And what are you sending in such a muscle-bound code?'' Jack demanded.
Abby eyed Kris who raised an eyebrow to reinforce Jack's question. ''That the princess, here, arrived safely at Chance.''
''Nothing else?'' came from both Kris and Jack.
Penny leaned forward from her place on the bed. ''So that's how you earn extra money, reporting for the social circuit?''
''I'll never get rich like Kris here, but it does add to my retirement account.''
''You're reporting on my movements?''
''Only what you'd read on any social page in a few days,'' Abby said, evenly.
''Social spy?'' Jack didn't quite get it out evenly.
''I'm surprised you didn't spot it sooner,'' Penny said. ''I used to get those reports and, frankly, I'm glad that no one asked me to write them. Saved me time.''
''You knew!'' Kris said, half out of her seat.
''Kris, servants have been making extra money reporting on their, ah, clients for years. It's part of my basic training to know who to hit on; how to. Not really necessary, now that most of them are working for your standard information providers.''
''But if she gave out the wrong thing, it could…'' Jack sputtered. ''Kris could get killed if people knew…''
Kris, now standing, looked hard at her maid. Abby seemed intent on studying her hands. She didn't look up when she said. ''I have never passed information that I knew or even suspected could lead to my employer's harm.''
''But it didn't always work out that way,'' Kris said.
''No.'' Abby looked up. ''There was one time when what I said, and what a couple of other people said, not all of us in her employ, added up to what someone needed. Yes.''
Kris shook her head. ''I need time to think about this, absorb it. Abby, consider yourself under house arrest. Don't even try to send out a message, coded or not.''
Kris turned to the door. ''Kris, I've been there for you,'' Abby said to her back. ''I covered for you. I've never done anything to harm you.''
Kris said nothing, but continued out the door. Jack and Penny followed her to collect in the hallway.
''Should I post a guard?'' Jack asked.
''We don't have anyone,'' Kris said, thinking on her maid's words. ''And who could stop her? You want to guard her?''
''I'm supposed to be guarding you,'' Jack said.
''Captain Drago is in the Command Center,'' Nelly said.
A moment later, Kris found Captain Drago at a workstation playing a complicated game against the computer. He stood when Kris entered. ''Steve said you needed to see me.''
''You know about Hank's U-turn at the jump point?''
''Rather hard not to.''
''What are your plans for the immediate future?''
''I was thinking of heading for Jump Point Beta, until Sulwan showed me where it went. Peterwald. Peterwald, or, ah, Peterwald. Not so good an idea, I decided.''
''What are you under contract for?'' Kris asked.
''Ah, I signed up to check and restation jump buoys, at least that was what your lieutenant told me. But I've been rereading my contract and find that it's rather vague in key sections. Sections I don't much like at the moment.''
''Hank and I are about to have a fight.''
A wave of relief flowed over the captain's face. ''Oh, much better. You two, pick your weapons, find a nice field down on Chance. Then you and him fight. Man to man, or girl to girl.'' ''Peterwald to Longknife,'' Kris said dryly.
''Right. You know what I mean! Just the two of you, cause if you were thinking of fighting it out, his squadron against whatever you can scrounge, and I know you're quite a scrounger, but, señorita, even you couldn't win against those odds. My Resolute, that ancient cruiser, and maybe your Wasp if you could find a crew for it. No. That is not a fight. It is suicide.''
''We won't be using the Patton,'' Kris said.
''Right, good,'' the captain smiled. Then swallowed his smile. ''We. Won't. For what?''
''For the coming fight. Just me on the Wasp, you on the Resolute,'' Kris said.
''Señorita!''
''You want the money for keeping the news about the aliens quiet?'' Kris said.
''Woman, you drive a hard bargain,'' Captain Drago said, scowling. ''I will talk to my crew.''
''And check in with them about who might want to fight the Wasp with me,'' Kris called as he stomped out.
Kris turned to Steve, but he was eyeing his board. ''Ron's calling. Want to take it here or in your room?''
''How are things dirtside?''
''Went from dancing in the streets to digging shelters in about two seconds,'' Ron said. Kris hoped that was hyperbola. ''I think I know how Hank found out about your alien find.''
''What's your guess?'' Kris said.
''No guess. I just finished talking to a barkeep of a small bistro on the south side. A couple of days ago, some of the crew from the Resolute took to drinking there with that chief of yours.''
''I think I heard about it,'' Kris said. Jack nodded.
''That last night, while all of us were otherwise occupied, it seems two fellows, decked out like locals but as strange a pair as this barkeep ever saw, were buying drinks for that table. After your chief and sailor left, the strangers and the last two did some serious drinking. They talked in whispers, got real quiet when he was around, but one word came up several times while he was in earshot. Aliens.''
Kris said a very unprincesslike word.
''Yeah, kind of my thoughts, too.''
''Well, it takes a lot of pressure off my maid, though I've found out more about her than I really wanted to. How are things really down there?''
''About what I'd expect. Some of our businessmen are making plans to profit from the coming adjustments. Other folks are stocking food and ammunition where they figure to need it. Have you noticed how some of the planets that the Peterwalds take over just drop off the news coverage. I don't think Chance will be getting many tourists if Hank takes over. Much of anything.''
''I'll try to do something about that,'' Kris said.
''That a Longknife promise?''
''Yep.''
''Don't promise more than you can deliver.''
''Right,'' Kris said. ''Now, I've got to talk to some folks on the Resolute, then explain to some optimists that they can't fight a ship as old as the Patton, then get ready for a fight. At least this time, we won't have to wait so long. Hank's coming in at two g's.''
''Good luck on the Patton,'' Ron said, and hung up.
Kris headed for the door, but paused. ''Steve, can you get four shuttles up here to evacuate the Patton?''
''I've got six shuttles due in two hours. That enough?''
''Probably,'' Kris said, and headed for her contract ship. On the Resolute, Penny did the interrogation. It quickly became apparent that Chief Beni and the Comm Chief had left the bistro early to catch the midnight shuttle. That left the Engineer and Doc. Both returned late the next morning and claimed to remember little of their talk with their benefactors. Pressed on the point of aliens, they allowed that the topic may have come up but that they had said nothing, or had no memory of it. Really, they had no memory of saying anything.
Captain Drago took Kris aside. ''You think my guys spilled the chili peppers?'' Kris nodded.
''You're going to fight this Hank fellow.''
''Can't let him take this planet down. Folks dirtside are getting ready to form a guerilla resistance. Least I can do is try to hold the space above them.''
The captain shook his head, then glanced around his bridge. Sulwan Kann shrugged. Most of the crew looked like they'd rather be boosting out, but… ''I guess we'll be fighting with you.''
''Thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to rain on some happy optimists' parade.''
''You aren't cutting us out of any support, are you?''