The message slipped into the tray in printout. It burned on the screen. Hilfy pushed the button to capture to log, took the printout and slipped it into physical file.
The message she thought of sending was: Earless bastard, I thought your reputation had hit bottom.
The message she sent was:
From toSahern’s Sun Ascendant, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Tellun Sahern, her attention:
We require a release from apprenticeship signed by you, under Sahern seal, and we will seek passage or assignment for him elsewhere.
FromSahern’s Sun Ascendant to , the hand of Tellun Sahern, to Hilfy Chanur, her attention:
Too late, Chanur. We’ve been following the news since we entered system. We accept no legal liability for the actions of a fool we left in stsho custody and you conveyed here and let loose on Urtur docks. You bought him. He’s yours.
Although I thought your personal preferences lay outside your species.
From toSahern’s Sun Ascendant, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Tellun Sahern, her attention:
Daughter of a nameless father, if this young man wishes to file a complaint against you for desertion in a foreign port, I will swear to particulars.
As to my personal tastes, at least I have preferences.
Possibly she had made a mistake. Temper had gotten the better of her. She should not have offered legal backing. She sat contemplating the screen, and thinking black and blacker and blackest thoughts.
“Captain?”Tiar asked from the bridge. “We got all that on log.”
“Good.”
“Kid never got a fair break, captain.”
“The universe doesn’t guarantee fair breaks, and I don’t want any apprentice under any circumstances! Something’s gone wrong with this whole business, we’ve got a nervous stsho on our hands and Kita is no place to take a novice. I want you to contact Narn and Padur—no, never mind. / will.”
“Captain. Can I say a word?”
“I know what you’re going to say, and I’m not listening.”
“Captain, on behalf of the crew…”
“We’re not taking any apprentice! His apprentice papers are over on a Sahern ship, they’re not going to give them to Chanur, they’re out to cause us whatever trouble they can, the whole radical right is looking for a Cause against Chanur, and I was a fool ever to agree to take him aboard—I thought Sahern would be reasonable, but clearly not.”
She beeped off the contact, and composed another message—thought about couriering this one over to avoid public commotion and public pressure, and thought about the hazards of sending Legacy personnel alone and within reach of station police, angry merchants—or Ana-kehnandian.
No. No such chances.
From toPadur’s Victory, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Tauhen Padur, her attention:
We have advised Sahern of the presence of their apprentice crewman, Hallan Meras, on our ship. They have refused responsibility for this young man, who has been cleared of all charges which caused him to be detained by stsho authorities, and further, they have refused him access to their ship in harsh terms, preferring to recall an ancient feud with Chanur, no fault of this young man of Meras clan, a licensed spacer, who has traveled under our protection.
While Padur has no obligation, Chanur would be obliged if Padur could take this young man under its protection and possibly find a berth for him.
FromPadur’s Victory to , the hand of Tauhen Padur, to Hilfy Chanur, her attention:
Padur while friendly to Chanur and altogether desirous of maintaining Chanur’s good will, under the circumstances of the recent accident on Chanur dock-side must regretfully decline to incur the possibility of legal liabilities under mahen law.
From toNarn’s Dawnmaker, the hand of Hilfy Chanur, to Kaury Narn, her attention:
We have advised Sahern of the presence of their apprentice crewman, Hallan Meras, on our ship. They have refused responsibility for this young man, who has been cleared of all charges which caused him to be detained by stsho authorities, and further, they have refused him access in harsh terms, preferring to recall an ancient feud with Chanur, no fault of this young man of Meras clan, who has traveled under our protection.
While Padur has declined our solicitation, we hope and Chanur would be obliged if Narn could take this young man, a licensed spacer, under its protection in any sense whatsoever.