She wasn’t sure where she stood on that. If Pyanfar was right her boys had gone out in the outback and died for nothing. If Pyanfar was right—it still made problems. Because the kid was unattached, he had a face you wouldn’t forget, particularly when he looked at you like that and stirred feelings that weren’t maternal at all. She tried to think about her own boys, telling herself it was Pyanfar’s new age and she was not supposed to think thoughts like that about lost, scared kids some clan had let stray out of a cloistered life to deal with people who hadn’t had to exercise their moral restraint in a long, long time.
“Tell you what,” she said, because she was ashamed of herself, “we got some mop-up to do, and if that fits your notion of work …”
“Anything that needs doing.”
“You finish that breakfast. Door’s unlocked, I’m right down the corridor, in the operations center. We’re calc’ing trim and we’re going to be taking on a fuel load. Sound familiar?”
“I can learn.” The animation that had left his face was back, his eyes were bright, his whole being was full of anxious energy. He looked strung tight, probably so scared he hadn’t been eating, scared now, too, of the word no.
“Eat your breakfast. Take a right and a left as you leave the room. You’ll know it when you see it.”
“Back again,” the kifish guards observed.
Hilfy had no comment for them, except, “I’m here to see gtst excellency.”
“Of course, of course, fine hani captain. This way, hani captain. We would never give offense to the great—“
“Shut up,” she said. And regretted losing her temper that far. But she had a bad feeling all the way to the audience hall.
“Tlstimii,” the secretary said, with a lifting of augmented, plumed eyebrows. It might not be the same secretary. The pastel body paint looked subtly different. But it was hard to tell. Gtst gathered the contract and the requisite gift into gtst long fingers and performed three increasingly deep bows.
“Tlistai na,”Hilfy said, bowing once. “I send it by your undoubtedly capable hands. There is no need to disturb the excellency.”
“So gracious. Bide a small moment, most honorable.”
She bided. She felt her stomach upset—felt an insane and thoroughly impractical urge to charge after the secretary and retrieve the contract before gtst passed the curtains.
But the deed was done. She thought after a moment that she might successfully escape back to the ship, but in that moment the secretary returned through the curtain to wave at her and to beckon her to come ahead. No’shto-shti-stlen wanted to see her, perhaps to hand the object into her keeping on the spot, for all she knew; and she was not eager to have the responsibility crossing the docks. An order to move the bank to action, on the other hand …
She had far rather the million on credit in her account, because there were cargo cans irrevocably destined for the Legacy’s empty hold; while the Hoas cans, already on their carriers, were scheduled for Notaiji, a very happy, very grateful Notaiji, who could not quite believe the good fortune that had landed in their laps, from ‘the good, the great hani captain.’
So they had stepped over the brink. Figuratively speaking. As she walked into the audience hall.
“We are exceedingly pleased,” said No’shto-shti-stlen as she seated herself.
“We have concurred with your excellency. We are pleased at our agreement on the contract and look forward to continued association with your illustrious self.”
“Your response is gracious. The elegance of your utterances and your circumspect behavior is a credit to your species.”
Then why are you back to using kifish guards? occurred to her, but stsho had rather elegance than truth.
“I am honored by your confidence,” she murmured instead; and bowed; No’shto-shti-stlen bowed, everybody bowed again, and No’shto-shti-stlen inquired whether she had time to take tea.
Two teas was a monumental sign of favor.
“Of course,” she said, with lading piled all about the legacy’s cargo bay, with transports in scarce supply, thanks to the Hoas load, with a mahendo’sat scoundrel and probable agent of some power swearing to her that the contract was a supremely bad deal, and offering, of course, his services.