“You can spare a day. Firing has stopped, while we maintain our distance. You will debrief.”
“Yes. I will talk to Boaz.”
“She is not qualified.”
“More than your security people, she is qualified. Her work makes her qualified. I will talk to her. She can understand what I say. They wouldn’t. They would try to interpret.”
“One of the security personnel will be there. He will suggest questions.”
“I will answer what I think proper. I will not help you locate the mri.”
“You know, then, where their headquarters are.”
Duncan smiled. “Rock and sand, dune and flats. That is where you will have to find them. Nothing else will you get from me.”
“We will find you again when we want you.”
“I will be easy to find. Just send Flower to the same landing site and wait. I will come, eventually.”
Koch gnawed at his lip. “You can deliver a settlement in this?”
“Yes.”
“I distrust your confidence.”
“They will listen to me. I speak to them in their own language.”
“Doubtless you do. Go do your talking to Boaz.”
“I want a shuttlecraf t ready.”
Koch frowned.
“I will need it,” Duncan said. “Or arrange me transport your own way. I would advise sending me back relatively quickly. The mri will not be easy to find. It may take some time.”
Koch swore softly. “Boaz can have ten hours of you. Go on. Dismissed.”
Duncan veiled himself and rose, folded his arms and made the slight inclination of the head that was respect.
And among the guard that had remained at the door, he started out.
A squat shadow was there. He hurled himself back. A regul hand closed on his arm with crushing strength. The regul shrilled at him, and he twisted in that grip; a blade burned his ribs, passing across them.
Security moved. Human bodies interceded, and the regul lost balance, went down, dragging Duncan with him. Galey’s boot slammed down repeatedly on the regul’s wrist, trying to shake the knife loose.
Duncan wrenched over, ripped a pistol from its owner’s holster and turned. Men reached for him, hurled themselves for him.
Sharn.
The regul’s dark eyes showed white round the edges, terror. Duncan fired, went loose as the guard’s seized him, let them have the pistol easily.
He had removed the People’s enemy. The others, the younglings, were nothing. He drew a deep breath as the guards set him on his feet, and regarded the collapsed bulk in the sled with a sober regret.
And Koch was on his feet, red-faced, nostrils white-edged.
“I serve the she’pan of the People,” Duncan said quietly, refusing to struggle in the hands that held him. “I have done an execution. Now do yours or let me go and serve both our interests. The regul know what I am. They will not be surprised. You know this. I can give you that peace with Kutath now.”
In the corner the regul youngling, released, disarmed, crept to the side of the sled. A curious bubbling sound came from it, regul grief. Dark eyes stared up at Duncan. He ignored it.
“Go,” said Koch. The anger on his face had somewhat subsided. There was a curious calculation in his eyes. He looked at the guard, at Galey. “He will go with you. Don’t set hands on him.”
Duncan shook his arms free, adjusted his robes, walked from the room, passing through a confused knot of regul younglings that gathered outside. One, more adult than youngling, stared at him with nostrils flaring and shutting in extreme agitation, darted behind another as he passed.
Quietly, without a glance at the humans who lined the corridor to stare, Duncan passed back to Flower.
“What are you going to do now?” Boaz asked after long silence.
Duncan looked at the tape. Boaz turned it off. He sat cross-legged on the large chair, elbows on knees, not choosing the floor in deference to Boaz.
“What I said. Absolutely what I said.”
“Reason with mri?”
“You yourself don’t think it’s possible.”
“You’re the expert,” she said. “Tell me.”
“It’s possible, Boz. It’s possible. On mri terms.”
“After murder.”
He blinked slowly. He was veiled. He was not comfortable among them, even here, even in conditions of hospitality. “I did what had to be done. No other could have done it”