“Metropolitan. Sarda’s been retired from the limelight at Quantonix—the story is, to rest up and concentrate on getting straightened out.”
“At Doctor Balmer’s spa and cure-all.”
“Exactly. More likely it’s to concentrate on finding where the money went before the money people’s patience runs out.”
“They’ve been covering the territory. I got a call from Mahom a few days back, saying that some unworthies had been out at the lot asking about me. I don’t think it was because of concern over my health and happiness.”
June’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Then maybe my concern for it, and getting you out of sight wasn’t such a bad thing after all.”
“Seems like it.”
“How did they get a lead on you at Mahom’s?” June asked.
“I’m not sure. Sometimes my popularity just runs ahead of me.”
June dismissed it with a toss of her head as one of those facts of existence surrounding Kieran that would never be explained. “So how’s the budding archeologist? Have you decided yet that your whole life so far has been misguided, and discovered your true calling to be a search for solitude, serenity, and peace of the soul?”
“Not quite. But we’ve run into some complications.”
“Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“What they’ve found here as far as the scientific side goes is staggering: constructions from some long-lost culture. No question about it. But even more astounding is that they show every sign of being related to the Technolithic structures on Earth. I can see now why Walter rushed out here.”
The frivolity vanished from June’s face. “You’re serious?” The question was reflexive. Even with all Kieran’s quirks and convolutions, she knew when he was and was not joking. “So what’s the complication?”
“A big construction and mining outfit from the Belt, called Zorken Consolidated, has first dibs on the site, and they’re not letting a few rocks and ideas of dead aliens get in the way of the holy flow of dollars. Some of their people showed up here and are waving an eviction notice with threats.”
June nodded in a way that called for no elaboration. “What are they staking it out for?” she asked curiously.
“That’s the funny part. The original plan was for another spaceport. But I’ve just checked with the registries in Lowell, and that plan has already been shelved. So who are these people from Zorken and what do they want? I’ve got four names who arrived from off-planet out of the spaceline lists. Will you get what you can on them for me?”
“Sure. Shoot them through.”
Kieran clicked a button to send off the list. “And how is the new lord of your manor making out?”
“Guinness? Oh, he’s out somewhere with Patti from the Oasis and her friend. I think you might be lucky if you get him back.” Kieran was about to respond, and then a distant look came over his face suddenly. June waited. “What is it?” she asked.
“Guinness . . . That could be it. He was with us when we intercepted Sarda-One on his way to the bank. Balmer has probably restored his memories by now. Guinness would have given something different for people going around asking questions to latch on to.”
“So how would they connect from there to Mahom’s place?” June asked.
Kieran thought for a moment longer, then shook his head. “I don’t know. Anyhow, it doesn’t make any difference now. I’ve got some more things I want to check. Get back to me with whatever you come up with on these four as soon as you can, would you, Lovely Lady?”
“Flattery will get you most places you want to go. Okay, Kieran, I’ll get on to it right away.”
* * *
Like celebrities and political leaders, high executives in business tended to be driven by egos whose sense of importance was served by having their success stories, views on life, pearls of wisdom, and whatever other contributions they felt might be valuable to posterity, widely circulated for worldly consumption. In short, they were hardly publicity shy, and since they suffered from no shortage of the wherewithal and influence to gain visibility, were always happy to oblige media foragers looking for some fill or another angle on a story. This made it not especially difficult to put together surprisingly detailed pictures from interviews, gossip columns, profile pieces, and other sources available across the General Net. This, Kieran proceeded to do, garnishing the result with a few extra inside details gleaned through calls to contacts he had acquired in media research departments and elsewhere.