Phule’s Paradise by Robert Asprin

She started for the door, then turned back with one hand on the knob.

“And Captain? You might want to try to get a bit more sleep. You look terrible.”

As if in response to her words, Phule’s wrist communicator chimed to life.

“Yes, Mother?” he said, triggering the two-way system.

“Hate to bother you, Fearless Leader,” came Mother’s familiar, jaunty voice, “but we’ve got a situation developing downstairs that I think requires your personal attention.”

“Just a second.”

The commander put his hand over the speaker and shrugged helplessly at Brandy.

“So much for getting some sleep,” he said with a grimace. “Like you said, I’ve got to get back to work. Thanks for the concern, anyway.”

Brandy had concerns of her own as she left Phule’s room. Though the troops were doing their best to screen their commander from minor problems, going to the junior officers or simply dealing with the hassles themselves, the captain was still driving himself far too hard on this assignment. She was just going to have to pass the word for everyone to tighten up a little more-to try to operate as independently as possible without playing “Mother May I?” with their commander.

A small smile crept onto her face.

She wondered what the captain would say if he knew that she and the others on housekeeping were using their passkeys and their training with lockpicks to search the guests’ luggage for any clues of larcenous intent. He said he wanted information, and their standing orders had always been to use whatever was necessary to get the job done!