Chapter 15
To her amazement, Marmion de Revers Algemeine found that her taste had altered during her weeks on Petaybee. The elaborate and extensive array of courses set before the committee members at dinner that eveningan evening fortunately free of tremors, shudders, or shakesdid not suit her palate, much less her mood. She really did prefer the simpler, sharper tastes of Petaybean foods: a rabbit stew would have been far more satisfying than the overly subtle coulis, sauces, and dressings that accompanied each dish. She saw Whittaker making as slow a progress through the banquet as herself, but at least she could cry off on the grounds of watching her diet.
Matthew and Torkel cleared every plate, bowl and platter set before them, but Marmion slyly noticed that like her own three aides, some of Matthew’s pretty boys were less than enthusiastic about the rich food. Chas. Bal, and Nexim had no problems, though twice Bal called the head steward over to make muttered complaints and reject a dish after one bite. Maybe his new stomach was developing the same ulcers the old ones had, Marmion thought to herself. A body could have certain dispositions no matter how many parts of it were replaced with functional substitutes.
She did have a chance to obsequiously inquire of Nexie’s latest investment projects. That gave her a chance to make a passing reference to the Omnicora Steel Venture, which she had decided was not properly based to make any sort of a profit back on the original investment. She had raised her voice just enough for Matthew to over hear her comments. That would remind him, too, that she had lost none of her acumen. She discussed with Bal the possibility of investing in one of his schemes, which she had recently investigated, though she pointed out one or two organizational problems that should be addressed before she could consider the project. By the fleeting expression on Bal Emir Jostique’s face, she had hit the very weak points he must have discovered. That should take care of that, then, if Matthew chose to call her gullible.
She was exhausted with smiling and waxing charming by the time she and Sally could leave the “gentlemen” to whatever it was gentlemen insisted on doing without female company in this stratum of interplanetary society.
“Any luck, dear?” she asked Sally as they both made for their quarters in the wing of the livid yellow building.
“We may need more than luck,” Dama,” Sally said with a sigh. “Dr. Luzon has got some twists that a Spican contortionist would envy.”
“Ah, but we knew he would.”
“My report’s on your desk, but I really think, ma’am, you need a good night’s sleep more. Bad news keeps.”
“Thank you, dear. I’ll take your advice only if you’ll take it yourself.”
Sally sighed, for the first time since the start of the tedious dinner party allowing her own fatigue to show, and nodded. “I think I’d best if I’m to be sharp up to the mark tomorrow for you. At least, we have all our facts in hard copy and not innuendoes.”
“Sleep well, then.”
Others did not. And, later, both Faber and Millard, who had stayed on as courtesy required, admitted that they had not seen the discreet accord that must have been reached during that interval by Matthew, Torkel Fiske, Bal Emir, and Nexim Shi-Tu. They knew that the four must have made a deal during that time, because not even Luzon would have dared to take the draconian measures that followed without the support of Fiske and the other two board members. Marmion blamed herself for having taunted Bal, but she had been pursuing another course of action entirely.
At midnight, the several shuttles that had brought the other commissioners from their separate capitals silently lifted from SpaceBase on their assigned missions. None of the crew or troopers had ever heard of Petaybee before, though what they’d seen of it hadn’t impressed them at all. They’d had no rest or more than a hasty meal of hard rations while they erected the detention cells that had been sent along at Luzon’s request.
As soon as the soundproofed, windowless two-by-one-meter cells had been erected in one of the empty storage facilities, the shuttles took off for their destinations. Squads had trank guns and orders to use them if any of the detainees resisted arrest. They were also ordered to secure local felines, with a bonus for each one caught.