by neetha Napew
‘That’ll be loads of fun,’ Charmion said and turned to encourage Bunny and Diego. ‘This’ll be much nicer than you know. More like what you were describing as a latchkay, only Gal-Three style.’
‘People sing?’
‘The ones who are paid to,’ Charmion said, ‘but if you want to join in, no-one will object.’
‘Could I see you a moment, Yana?’ Marmion asked, gesturing politely for Yana to join her in her office.
The social-lady side of Marmion dropped immediately the panel slid shut behind Yana. Marmion seated herself at a desk that was neatly piled with disks and vari-coloured flimsies while three screens behind her scrolled detailed reports, graphs, and tables of figures.
‘Too many people know I have just returned from Petaybee,’ she said, rattling her fingers on the intricately inlaid wood of the desktop. ‘Far, far too many people have been apprised of everything - everything - about Petaybee. Anaciliact holoed in from this emergency mission of his and when I told him what’s been happening he was livid - if you can imagine that consummate diplomat in such a state.’ Marmion rose and began pacing the room, head down, one arm across her chest supporting the other as she rubbed her forehead. ‘I was right to give you that safety disk, and right to assign you guardians. All of you. I must remember to assign a few to myself,’ she said with an impish grin,’ though with the security available on Gal-Three, they might end up stumbling over each other while we’re dragged off through a service hatch or something.’ Her smile indicated how unlikely that was.
‘If you’re concerned about Petaybee, Marmion, don’t be,’ Yana said, hoping to relieve her unusual anxiety.
‘I don’t worry about Petaybee at all, Yana,’ Marmion replied. ‘It has proved well able to take care of itself. It’s all the… the types that are homing in on it. There simply aren’t the facilities to cope with them and I’m sure that’s one of the reasons they’ve been sent.’ She frowned.
‘You mean to discredit Sean’s abilities as administrator?’
‘Precisely.’
‘Did you happen to hear how soon the meeting we’re due at is going to convene?’ Yana, too, didn’t wish Sean inundated with problems when he had no-one trained to help. Even, and especially, Petaybee.
‘Not soon enough,’ Marmion said in what was for her a harsh voice. She flung up her hands in frustration. ‘I don’t think it’s all delaying tactics and, of course, Farringer Ball is quite legitimately ill, some sort of a virus he contracted, so we do have to wait on his return to good health.’ She made a little moue of concern over that delay. ‘However, Intergal has conceded - well, CIS has forced them to concede - that the planet has prior rights to its mineral and metal wealth and anything else that might be valuable. They’re pulling out - as fast as they can.’ She made a face. ‘That’s unlike them, too. But then, they’ve never had a planet to face as an opponent. Must make a difference. No bribery will work in this instance.’
‘Must make it very difficult for Intergal to change its modus operandi.’
Marmion grinned and chuckled. ‘If only you knew… But then,’ she said more briskly, ‘you probably do.’
‘Not on the level you do, Marmion.’
‘Now, tonight,’ the financier went on,’ there are certain people I’d like you to talk to.’
‘You mean, show me off to?’
‘Well, that, too,’ and Marmion flicked her fingers at Yana’s qualification. ‘You’re the best spokesperson Petaybee could have.’
‘Not Bunny? When she’s lived there all her life?’
‘Her ingenuousness may be useful, to a degree, but you’re a military person with experience on many planets and situations. Your remarks will carry more weight. Also, these are the people Petaybee should get to know for the clout they have in intergalactic research and development.’ She added quickly when she saw Yana frown, ‘The good kind, not the search-and-strip type of operation. It may well constitute a challenge to them, you see, and they need challenges.’
‘”Life gets ted-jus, don’t it?” ‘ Yana asked with a fake yawn.
Marmion grinned. ‘Precisely. Been there, done that, seen this.’
‘Care to give me a briefing?’
‘It’s all here,’ Marmion said, handing Yana a disk. ‘I have compiled vital statistics on all my peers. Some of them are even nice.’ Then she saw Yana’s surprised expression and made a little moue. ‘Well, they have them on me! Must keep track of the competition. Have a listen and then if you’ve any questions… Oh, blast it!’ For her screen bleeped the urgent code. Yana waved at her and left the room, a departure she sensed Marmion would appreciate.
When Yana entered with Marmion, she gasped at the splendour of their host’s incredible lounge with its vaulting roof of clear plasglass opening on to the stars and all ‘outdoors’ as she thought of it. Behind her, she heard Bunny react to the place, but more with a trenchant disgust than amazement. She smiled to herself, thinking that Bunny would not be easily corrupted by the beauties of her new environment even if she was being more subtly wooed by its gadgetry and mechanics.
Their hostess, so suavely elegant that Yana was more than relieved to be as well attired, undulated over to them, both hands held out to Marmion. They exchanged pecks to the air over their cheeks and then Yana was introduced to Pleasaunce Ferrari-Emool.
‘You might have heard of Ples’s company, Yana, Nova Bene Drugs…’
Pleasaunce reacted more favourably to Yana than she did to her.
‘Only you, Marmie, could have stolen the march on that one,’ cooed Pleasaunce eyeing Yana, her cold glance taking in every fold of the ‘gown’ and the single crystal pendant that Marmie had insisted Yana wear as the crowning touch to her costume. A delicately arched eyebrow twitched and Yana wondered just how much the bauble was worth. Plenty, to judge by the cold glint in the woman’s eyes. ‘And how deee-vine to welcome you in person, Colonel Maddock-Shongili.’
Another unexpected feature of the last few days was how easily all these Station folk seemed to pronounce double- and triple-barrelled names, giving just the right emphasis on the syllables so that the names flowed rather than stumbled out of their mouths.
‘How gracious of you to include us in your little party, Lady Ferrari-Emool,’ Yana replied, doing the peck in the air bit as if she had never done anything else to greet friends.
She caught Marmion’s delighted but surprised expression out of the corner of her eye. Yana had felt damned foolish practising both the salute and the names in front of her mirror ever since Marmion had announced that they were attending this party. It paid off as any good briefing did.
The hostess had paid attention to her social secretary, too, for she got out Diego’s suddenly doubled name of Etheridge-Metaxos and Bunny’s Rourke without a quaver. She did not, of course, greet Sally or Millard as effusively but did gracefully wave them in the direction of the vast spread of refreshments.
‘Now you must meet the guest of honour,’ Pleasaunce said, linking an arm with Marmion and leading the adults to the cluster of gorgeously attired men and women. She pushed her way through in such a practised way that no-one could have taken offence, though there were some querulous glances at being displaced - until the displacer was recognized. ‘Macci, darling, you simply must meet Marmion de Revers Algemeine and her guests, Colonel Yanaba Maddock-Shongili, Buneka Rourke and Diego Etheridge-Metaxos, all from that incredible new world which, it transpires, is sentient. All by itself.’
Macci, who hadn’t exactly welcomed his hostess’s interruption - he’d been talking to two adoring young creatures - now let the full force of a Charm Nine smile break across his sculptured features. When the two girls moved slightly away, Yana could see that he wore one of the very fashionable SecondSkins, a shimmering tight-fitting garment that only the very athletically trim could wear to advantage. And he did. Though he wore a discreet - if decorative - loincloth where some of the other guests sort of let everything hang out. Despite that subtlety, he h
ad a body almost as magnificent as Sean’s, a centimetre or two taller than her husband and broader across the shoulders: not bad, actually, she had to admit.
‘I know, Marmie,’ he said, giving her a paternal kiss on her forehead while his eyes were locked on to the other three.
When he took Yana’s hand, she experienced a sort of electric shock in the contact that surprised her -hand-fasted as she was to Sean Shongili and with every intention of staying that way. But the man was unfairly laden with such charisma that Yana reached for the locket under her dress and pressed it hard. Macci - she heard Pleasaunce listing his pedigree - Macchiavelli (no less) Sendal-Archer-Klausevitch. And the woman rolled it off her tongue trippingly.
‘What did your parents ever have in mind when they saddled you with that mess?’ Yana heard herself saying. She knew she was being terribly gauche but she resented the effect his magnetism had on her.
‘Trying to win relative favour,’ Macci said, squeezing her hand in a very practised and sexy manner but he let her have it back the moment she pulled away. ‘We were the cadet branch, you see.’
‘Ah! Still?’
‘The family motto is “We Shall Contrive”,’ he replied and his deep blue eyes danced down at her.
‘I’d say you’re a practised hand at that,’ she said, wanting to laugh because she couldn’t believe she was playing this sort of game. Then she realized that it was a game and even if he were a much more versatile and accomplished player than she’d ever be, it could be fun!
‘I do my possible.’ And he laughed with her now.
‘Oh, dear Macci, we won’t detain you further,’ Pleasaunce said archly, and importunately drew both Yana and Marmion away from his enchanted circle.
‘There are so many other people who’re dying to meet you.’
They might have been dying to meet her but she damned near died of the boredom of repeating herself: Yes, she came from Petaybee; yes, the planet was sentient; no, the planet did not ask nor answer questions; no, she hadn’t had vile nightmares and been visited by strange thoughts; yes, the planet was cold and had very little in the way of technology because the cold banjaxed equipment; yes, everyone was healthy there and lived long lives; yes, it was possible it was the healthy diet and no, she wouldn’t recommend it as a holiday resort - in the summer the insects ate you alive and in the winter you could easily freeze to death. No, that didn’t sound like a friendly place but it was, and yes, the planet really was friendly, too, despite its weather which wasn’t precisely the planet’s fault. No, the Planetary Terraform B process was not at fault. Petaybee was unique as far as planets went. It went on all night, until the smile on her face felt pasted so she was glad when Marmion signalled that they could leave.
7
Gal-3
Contents - Prev/Next
The next morning Yana couldn’t remember the names of any of the other people she had met with the exception of Macci: not because Macci had been that unique, although in one sense he had - he was memorable - but because the others had blended into such an identical blur. Their faces, their voices, their apparel had had a sameness that made identifying one from the other very difficult. Yana did remember the things she ate and the wines she drank but the people? And these were those who were important on Gal-3? No-one appeared to want to talk about anything remotely’significant’ considering they were persons whom Marmion had said were important for her to meet. When they weren’t questioning her avidly, they gossiped about the people who hadn’t been invited. Yana hoped that she’d never hear what was said about her or anyone else in Marmion’s group. Petaybee was coming up more and more golden and real!
She was not the only one silent this morning. Bunny was slouched over her morning meal, and the measure of her discomfort was registered by the fact that she was wearing an outfit which Marmion had provided for her rather than some of the Gal-3 finery Charmion had urged her to purchase. She was moodily staring out of the lounge window at the comings and goings of station vehicles, tugs, and incoming traffic of all kinds.
Yana decided not to show Bunny the corn-message from Sean which asked Yana to see if Marmion could check out a firm trading as PTS, Petaybee Transport Shuttle, which was so busily landing new problems in his lap. People were being dumped back of beyond, wanting ‘hotel’ facilities, of all things, and he was running out of places to stash them. And food to feed them. And could this influx of unwanted and generally useless self-seekers please be stopped. To which Johnny Greene, who had sent the message from the space station on Whit Fiske’s credit, had added a devout ‘amen’.
‘Can we find out about these yabos, Millard?’ Yana had asked although she took the tone of the message as one: amused, two: coping, and three: why was she staying away so long.
Millard glanced at the message, made a note on his wristpad, and smiled down at her. ‘Sure thing.’
‘Hey, looka that,’ Diego said suddenly, pointing to where a line of drones were being shepherded by little space tugs.
Millard smiled. ‘Ah, the collies at work.’
‘Why’re they called that?’ Bunny asked.
‘Watch how they herd the ships in,’ Millard said. ‘Their names are actually the Megabite and the Maggie Lauder but we call them Meggie and Maggie.’
The speedy work vessels did indeed seem to be nipping at the skids of the drones, angling them into the correct alignment with their ultimate destination on the lower docking circle. But he was specifically pointing to the sleek, taper-ended vessel, clearly no drone, nearly the last one on the long drone tether. ‘I wonder what holed that.’
‘Meteor, probably,’ Millard replied, looking up and frowning slightly at the company the obvious space craft was keeping.
‘Looks big enough to have been holed by a shuttle craft,’ Diego said, ‘and a big one at that.’
‘Would the crew have survived such a holing?’ Bunny asked, coming out of her slump long enough to peer about.
‘Depends on the speed with which the crew reacted to the disaster,’ Millard said.
‘Cost a pretty pile of credits to fix it I’ll bet,’ Diego said.
‘Someone who can afford a craft that size has the credit,’ Sally said. ‘This is the biggest repair facility in the quadrant so they’d have to come here for that sort of major restoration.’
The collies bracketed the nose of the vessel now, manoeuvring it carefully down a half degree, to the port another fraction and then slowly forwards until it moved out of sight.
‘Wonder what happened to it?’ Bunny said.
‘We could go see,’ Diego suggested.
‘Could we?’ she asked, brightening, and turning to Millard.
‘Bailey has some cronies down in the ship dock,’ Millard said. Their faces fell. ‘You really will have to wait until Bailey and Charmion are available,’ he said and then his wrist set bleeped. ‘Excuse me.’ He read the message that came in and turned to Yana. ‘This is interesting. The PTS is newly registered as a tourist transport in the civilian section of the Intergal Station. A B. Makem is listed as owner.’
‘B. Makem?’ Yana blinked. The name was somehow familiar but, after last night’s inundation of names, she couldn’t put the name to a face.
‘Braddock Makem?’ Sally asked, in a startled tone as she looked up from the report she was working on.
‘One of Matthew’s little men?’
‘He isn’t one of Dr Luzon’s men any more,’ Sally said. ‘Luzon fired him. Scuttlebutt is that when Luzon woke up with broken legs, loss of pride and that massive deflation of amuition, he fired the lot of them.’
Yana grinned. ‘Anything else, Millard?’
‘Funding’s low but it’s got a waiting list and paid passages for twenty on each of three weekly scheduled flights from Intergal Station.’
Yana gasped. ‘There isn’t room at Kilcoole for twenty extra bodies much less a hundred and twenty. What is Makem up to?’
‘I’d hazard Makem isn’t up to anything,’ Millard sa
id, his eyes narrowing, ‘but I’d suspect Matthew Luzon is. Does Sean say who’s been landed?’
Just then Marmion came into the room, a flimsy in her hand and a look of total exasperation on her face.
‘Once again, there can be no meeting,’ she said, waving the sheet.
‘But Phon Tho was coming back this morning. He said we’d hear today,’ Yana said in protest.
‘We did,’ Marmion said grimly, with another crisp flutter of the message, ‘but not at all what we hoped to hear. Really, I think we are just going to have to do something.’ She tapped her index finger across her lips and then brightened. ‘Of course, we will put it about that you’re leaving!’
‘But… but what good will that do?’ Yana said, almost wailing with disappointment. She wanted to be back with Sean, to help him with these unexpected visitors - if only to shove them off-planet as fast as they arrived. She didn’t want to have to come back here again whenever the CIS Council finally got its act together and all its members in attendance so she, Bunny and Diego could say their piece and have it done with. Mainly she wanted to be back with Sean. She was feeling’deprived’. She hadn’t finally married again to spend her time away from the man of her heart and the father of her child.
‘Well, as long as they think you’ll just sit about and wait for them to organize themselves, that’s what they’ll do,’ Marmion said, then paused thoughtfully, regarding the flimsy as if there were unseen lines that required decoding. ‘Though why this delay when they were so bloody eager to get you here in the first place… And we came as fast as anyone can… Hmmm. Well, they do have the depositions to work from…’
‘Something’s rotten in Denmark?’ Sally asked.
‘If it were on Denmark, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. But this is Gal-Three… And it was presented to me as an in-and-out appearance.’ Giving her shoulders a massive shrug, Marmion returned to her office.
‘Why,’ Yana asked the room, ‘would B. Makem want to start trouble for us on Petaybee? I thought we’d opened his eyes to that erstwhile employer of his.’