"I did," the Inspector General said peevishly. "You conscripted the Cridi for your illegal activity, endangering them on your mad scramble to justify your longstanding mania, Carialle. This will not sit well with Alien Outreach, or Xeno! On my arrival I am insisting that you be placed in protective custody pending a hearing on charges of constructive kidnapping."
"That's ridiculous. We didn't conscript them," Carialle said, feeling the adrenaline in her system increase twofold. "They insisted on accompanying us-their right as an intelligent species. They have saved our lives several times. I am very pleased to have had them as allies."
"They should not be there at all!" The IG's hollow cheeks went red with fury. "An insane brainship and her dupe convincing them to chase off after illusory pirates to a so-called secret base on the fifth planet of the Cridi system? Preposterous! There was a base, if you could call it that," M-C said, disdainfully. "But there were no mysterious 'griffins.' Er… griffins," he said, as Noonday moved into range of the video. She smiled at him, and he goggled at her. Carialle knew what it was like for a human the first time a Thelerie smiled, parting its lip to show the needle-sharp fangs underneath, and she enjoyed the effect it had on the Inspector General.
"Thelerie," Carialle said, sweetly. "We know. May I present Noonday, Sayas of Thelerie? She is the head of planetary government. The pirates escaped and came here, sir. They have only just arrived. The commander of that ship is called Autumn, and if you will check the video I sent you, you can see that that is indeed the ship, out there on the landing field." She inserted a view from her external camera of Ship Three, lying abandoned on the plain. "I strongly suspect that if you check their engine compartment, they flew here using components from the DSC-902."
"It is true," Autumn admitted, as Noonday's guards hustled her forward. She wrapped her wings protectively about herself. "Our ship had no propulsion unit left. Nor communications."
Maxwell-Corey stared out of the screen. "They speak Standard." He glared at Keff. "This is undoubtedly your doing. You have no right to involve this species in anything. They are not members of the Central Worlds, or if what you say is true in your transmission, possessed of their own technology."
"Breaking the Prime Directive again," Carialle said pertly. "Not guilty on that count either, sir. They spoke Standard when we arrived. That's part of the rest of the story we have to tell you."
"I am glad to encounter you, sir," the Sayas said warmly, opening sincere, striped eyes at the Inspector General. "We wish to apply for membership in the Central Worlds. We wish to be one with all of the blessed humans."
"I… I'm not really the one you should speak to about membership," Maxwell-Corey admitted, staring at the golden-eyed beast. "Er, blessed humans?"
"Then, who? We are most eager. We would like to be full members."
"I'm afraid that's impossible. You lack the necessary technology," the Inspector General said. "If the report the CK-963 sent me is accurate, all that you possess is stolen or derelict."
"We are sorry about that," Noonday said, dipping her head slightly. "What you say has recently come to my attention. We're willing to make reparation as we can, but we still wish to fly in space."
"Er, I don't see how." M-C looked bemused.
"Fait accompli," Carialle said cheerfully. "They have already been in space numerous times. Plus, they have a viable culture and society. They should be at least given ISS status. The rest will follow."
"We will help them gain access to space," Big Voice piped up, floating close enough to Keff to be included on his camera. Carialle opened up the focus so the IG could see all of the Cridi. "As we began to do many revolutions ago, we will continue. It is only right that we fulfill the promise made so long ago, if such a thing is permitted among the Central Worlds." Behind him, Narrow Leg and the others nodded energetic agreement.
Noonday was very touched. She knelt down onto her belly before the plump councillor. "We accept your offer most gratefully, blessed Cridi."
"Yes," Big Voice said, enjoying himself. "We shall be good patrons to you, and you shall be good customers to us."
Mirina stood, feeling dazed, as the conference went on. Autumn and the others were alive! Relief fought in her belly with worry. What would happen to her and her brother now that the Central Worlds authority was coming?
She felt something tap at her knee. She looked down to see one of Keff's-no, Carialle's drone robots beside her. On its platform was the tiny space-scape of Dimitri. She looked up at the wall. An image appeared, the head of the female executive that Carialle had feigned to fool Bisman. It mouthed a single word. "Go."
Mirina dithered for a moment, but only a moment. Everyone's attention was centered on the image of the Inspector General. She grabbed Zonzalo's arm, and began to edge toward the airlock. Sunset glanced up as she sidled behind him. She beckoned hopefully to him, and he nodded, sliding silently backward, away from his spot next to Thunderstorm. The servo made way for them between the guards around the perimeter of the room. At the threshold of the open airlock, the drone offered her the painting with one of its claw hands, and pointed in the direction of Autumn's ship. Mirina needed no further hint. She started running, Zonzalo and Sunset right behind her.
"And in the meantime," Carialle continued, "we've started you off by breaking up a well-established pirate ring with a fifty-year history of theft and murderous raids. That ought to be good for a bonus." M-C turned a fishy eye on Bisman.
"I want to strike a bargain," Bisman said through gritted teeth. "I want legal representation."
"You have nothing we want," Maxwell-Corey said, haughtily.
"Oh, yes?" Bisman asked. "I can give you names, starting with one of your own ex-brawns. How about that, eh?" He scanned the crowd of Thelerie, Cridi, and humans. "She's the real brain behind the operation." He turned around, searching. "Where's Mirina Don?" he demanded.
"Gone," Keff said, pretending to look astonished. "She must have slipped out in all the confusion."
"Her brother's gone, too," Bisman said, angrily. "They can't get far. There's no ship…" He turned to look at Autumn.
"Not much fuel, but it flies," Autumn said. "But there is no navigation equipment aboard for humans to use."
"They have Sunset," Thunderstorm said, softly.
The Inspector General rounded on Keff. "You've let a criminal escape!"
"Not me," Keff said, in all innocence. "I've been standing right here the whole time."
Thunderstorm rumbled a phrase in his own language. Carialle whispered the translation into Keff's ear. "My old friend, you have done a good thing." Keff smiled.
Tall Eyebrow stepped forward and addressed the angry human on the screen.
"Think what you do. If you arrest Keff and Carialle, you will jeopardize the fragile alliance between the Cridi and the Central Worlds. If so, we would certainly insist on every human being removed from Sky Clear, which you call Ozran. We could show in a galactic tribunal it was originally a Cridi colony of extreme long standing. I, Tall Eyebrow," he indicated his name in the Ozranian sign language, "speak as the senior representative."
"What?" M-C demanded. Big Voice pushed in close to the camera eye.
"And no access will become possible to our Core technology," the plump councillor insisted. "Such things are to our friends only. We like Keff and Carialle, yet you withdrew… what is word, Keff?"
"Portfolio," Keff said, with an angelic expression.
"Portfolio," Big Voice said. "A pity indeed where so much is in common. We would have traded happily for good spacecraft. But no alliance, no ships, no Cores." He shook his head, imitating the human expression of regret, a gesture that was not lost on Maxwell-Corey.