His personal vessel was kept in readiness at all times and well equipped for his comfort on journeys around most of his customary haunts. He commanded that it be readied for an extended cruise and had retrieved the data plotted by Calum Baird and Acorna for their originally planned journey to the Linyaari home world.
They would travel with the bare minimum crew-pilot, navigator, physician, and communications officer, plus one trusted personal attendant for each of them, including the ship’s officers, who must be relaxed and at peace to do their jobs well.
Hafiz himself was a competent pilot but for such a long journey, and one that had not actually been previously successfully completed by anyone of his acquaintance, he preferred to employ a specialist.
He would have preferred to take along his personal chef, the hairdresser and dressmaker, manicurist, massage therapist, valet, lady’s maid, and other servants they were accustomed to, but most of these functions could either be performed by the personal attendants or were well within the ship’s ability to provide electronically. For entertainment, they would have his holograms to amuse them and add a bit of spice and variety to the atmosphere. He had been constructing and collecting holograms most of his adult life, first as a business and now as one of his little hobbies. They were lightweight, took up no actual room, and could be surprisingly useful.
In the interests of maintaining security-both his own and that of the Linyaari, he decided that perhaps they had best rough it on this journey. His skeleton crew was handpicked and had been raised and educated within the House of Harakamian. They were loyal and trustworthy.
Then there was the additional problem that, in the interests of establishing rapport with Acorna’s people, he felt he could not carry the usual arsenal on board, or any obvious security guards. Although the crew and attendants were well trained in security functions, that was not their primary job. Perhaps braving the unknown -without sufficient weaponry or an army at his back was foolish, but there were always the ship’s builtin defenses that could be deployed if necessary. He doubted even the Linyaari would suspect they were there. Given his mission, it was either go this way, or not at all.
In the unlikely event that Acorna’s people did spot his ship’s defenses, the Linyaari would simply have to understand. He was sincerely attempting to come in peace-very possibly at the expense of his people’s safety, as well as his own. He could only hope their departure would be rapid enough that Yasmin and whoever it was she worked for would be unable to launch a pursuit.
Karinawas rather distracted on the journey from Laboue to Maganos.
“What troubles you, my love?”
“My spirit guides keep looking over their ectoplasmic shoulders, darling. I’m just sure they’re trying to tell me I’ve left something important behind or perhaps we forgot to turn off some major appliance-”
“You are having a flashback to your days of penury and poverty, flower of my soul. You have servants to see to those things now, remember? “
She gave him a wan little smile. “So we do, 0 beloved. Still, I wish the communication was clearer. It’s very disorienting to spirit guides moving from planet to planet, you know. They get very attached to the places from whence they entered the other side.”
“Indeed? You are a fountain of information, best beloved among women. I had no idea.”
Oh, yes!
“Tell me, love of my life, is Delszaki Li still among your otherworldly friends?”
Uh, my, yes.
“Then tell him your husband said that he’s to explain himself at once and stop worrying you, precious pearl of psychic perception.”
Karina giggled. “Oh, Hafiz, you are so cute when you’re indignant. I couldn’t say that to Mr. Li. But I will mention that you are concerned, too, and see if he can offer enlightenment. I must meditate in solitude to concentrate my energies. Now, where i) that twenty-carat amethyst crystal you gave me?”
“I believe you loaned it to the physician to try to communicate with his bacterial specimens, my love.”
“So I did. Well, I’ll simply have to borrow it back. I must have the proper tools of my profession, after all. Can you manage without me for a while, beloved?”