Deutsch, beside him, murmured a metallic affirmation.
"They sent Freem'n here as an envoy to share information. And—" Legroeder gasped dizzily, hoping all these promises would be kept "—there's a shipload of repatriated prisoners on their way back here right now. Right behind us."
"What are you talking about, Legroeder?" Maris said, holding her head as if it hurt just trying to take in his words. "Repatriated prisoners? Are you serious?"
"I am. Look, I know this is all very confusing. Maris, I don't know the explanation for what happened to you. But I know someone who does, or can find out. I'm just asking you right now to keep an open mind. When you hear the rest of the story... Do we have time, Harriet?"
"We'll make time. I'll have them send in some coffee."
"Good. Then let me finish telling you what happened..."
* * *
Even recounting the events of the Impris rescue in brief, he found his emotions stirring at the memories. "The passage through the flaw was the most astounding experience of my life," he said in a near whisper, as the rush of dizziness that he'd felt in the retelling slowly subsided. He'd allowed himself to relive the feelings far more intensely in the presence of his friends than he had before. At least for those few minutes, he'd forgotten his other problems.
Morgan and Maris were dumbstruck. Harriet, who had heard the gist of the story before, was the first to stir. "It's an amazing story. Simply amazing. And I think now you need to tell it again—this time to the ladies and gentlemen of the press."
Legroeder groaned.
Harriet was not to be put off, however. As she took his arm and propelled him toward a conference room where he could hear the sounds of a crowd, she said, "You might hate this, but if you want to clear the air about everything that's happened, and you want the Spacing Authority and RiggerGuild off your back, you've got to get it all out in public."
"What do you want me to do?" he mumbled.
She put a hand on his shoulder. "Just tell it the way you did to us. You'll knock 'em dead."
* * *
The press conference was every bit as chaotic as he'd expected; but through the chaos, he managed somehow to give a coherent summary of his adventure, and convey it as a triumph not only for himself, but for Impris and Faber Eridani as well. His lawyer deftly deflected all but a very few questions, and got him out of the room as quickly as she'd gotten him in. They left the reporters with ample fodder for many days of sensational stories, and the promise of more details to come.
"Superbly done," Harriet said, as they rejoined his friends in the guest suite he'd been assigned on the station. "You've got a big day tomorrow. So I think we'd better all clear out of here and let you get some sleep."
Legroeder didn't argue. After everyone left, he threw himself down onto the bed. For a time he felt as if he wouldn't sleep a wink, but instead would spend the entire night with one thought racing against the next, and most of all remembering the shock in the eyes of his friends as he'd revealed the name of YZ/I.
When he rolled out of bed in the morning, he realized he had, in fact, slept like the dead. Even after rejoining his friends for breakfast, he was still groggy. He drank his coffee in near-silence, trying to reconstitute himself before the start of the formal hearings.
The Special Envoy to the Secretary General, one Martha Clark, had arrived during the night, as had a number of Narseil diplomats. They were all eager not just to hear the details of the mission but to put a shape on it in anticipation of drawing conclusions. The arrival of Impris was not a problem for them; the arrival of the Kyber was another matter. Legroeder was joined by Captain Friedman and by his Narseil shipmates, and he was grateful for the company and the support.
It was astounding how long it could take to tell even the most basic points of a story when one was interrupted and questioned at every turn, and when there were no fewer than three human and four Narseil viewpoints to be told.
The first day of hearings stretched into three, and by then Legroeder was ready for just about anything except another day of questions. Every time he spoke with Harriet, Morgan, or Maris, he imagined the suspicion and betrayal he'd seen in their eyes that first night.
For their part, they seemed at least to be trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Morgan seemed the angriest and most inclined to think he was an idiot for believing anything the Kyber told him. Harriet, perhaps hiding at times behind her professional facade, seemed to be working hardest at trying to maintain an open mind. Maris was still just trying to make sense of the whole thing.
Legroeder was beginning to wonder if he would ever hear from Tracy-Ace/Alfa, who as far as he knew was still in a parking orbit somewhere well out of sight of the station. As the hearings neared their completion on the fourth day, he was stunned to hear her voice coming through the door of the meeting room. Tracy-Ace herself appeared a few moments later, flanked by Captain Glenswarg. They were followed closely by armed Spacing Authority guards.
"Ah," said Envoy Clark, "our guests from the Kyber vessel have arrived."
"Thank you for permitting us to address you," Tracy-Ace said with a bow. "It's a pleasure to be here representing the Kyber outpost of Yankee-Zulu/Ivan." She was dressed much as she had been the first time Legroeder met her—spectacular in black and gold. She seemed, if anything, to be taller than before; probably it was his imagination. Her eyes searched the room until she found Legroeder. A smile creased her face.
Legroeder started to rise, then caught himself and made do with a blush and a grin. He was aware of Harriet, beside him, and he cleared his throat.
"Friend of yours?" Harriet murmured. "Very pretty..."
Legroeder nodded, not trusting his voice.
"I see..."
Which was exactly what he was afraid of. He had gone, after all, to gather intelligence against the pirates, not to make love to them. But if Harriet was interpreting his discomfort accurately, she said nothing more.
At the front of the room, Tracy-Ace addressed the panel of officials. "A shipload of repatriates is en route, and should be here in a few days," she said, causing an immediate stir. "We'll have names and other information for you at that time."
"Miss Alfa," said Special Envoy Clark in surprise, "are you saying—"
"That we are serious about establishing meaningful relations with your world? Yes, we are..."
It was another hour before the session was called for the day and Legroeder got a chance to speak with her. He hurried to the front of the room as people dispersed, feeling a flash of worry that this would be like their arrival back at Ivan, all business. Which perhaps would have been for the better; but never mind that...
Tracy-Ace embraced him, hard. "Am I glad to see you, babe!" she murmured, kissing him on the cheek, then pulling back to gaze at him. "We were worried, back when you first arrived, that things weren't going too well."
Legroeder gazed back at her in wonderment. "Were you there the whole time?"
One corner of her mouth curled in a grin. "What do you think? Now, if they'll let me go with you, do you think you're ready to take me to meet your friends?"
* * *
It took some intervention on Harriet's part to get that much freedom of movement for Tracy-Ace; and even then, guards were never far away. The officers of Phoenix and Impris joined Legroeder, Harriet, and Deutsch in the dining room, and that was where Tracy-Ace and Harriet first had an opportunity to talk. Tracy-Ace was frowning, the corners of her eyes flickering. Finally she stabbed the air with her finger. "Harriet Mahoney—Bobby Mahoney! I almost forgot to tell you, Legroeder—I got news from YZ/I on the way in. They found him! They found Bobby. One of Carlotta's outposts has him, and YZ/I is negotiating for his release." She turned to Harriet. "Bobby is your grandson, yes?"
Harriet looked faint, her eyes wide with shock and joy. "Yes," she whispered. "Is it true? He's really alive?"
Tracy-Ace's face was alight. "He really is."
Harriet leaned across the ta
ble. "Will he be freed?"
Tracy-Ace breathed out slowly. "He's not in our hands yet, so I can't promise. But I believe there's a good chance. YZ/I can strike a pretty hard bargain." She glanced around the table with a grin. "And if YZ/I can't do it, maybe we could send in the Narseil."
Legroeder winced a little at the joke, but was filled with gratitude on Harriet's behalf. Harriet was weeping openly now, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. Legroeder took her hand, and she squeezed back fiercely. Then, to Legroeder's surprise, Harriet reached across the table and squeezed Tracy-Ace's hand, too. "Thank you," she whispered. "I just can't tell you..."
* * *
Introducing Tracy-Ace to Morgan and Maris was a different matter. After dinner, Tracy-Ace was permitted to come to his suite along with other visitors, and she was there when Maris and Morgan arrived. In fact, she was standing with her hand on Legroeder's shoulder as the two women walked in.
Legroeder blushed as he saw Morgan stiffen. "Hi," he said, managing not to stammer. "Ladies, I'd like you to meet my friend, Tracy-Ace/Alfa." He turned, as Tracy-Ace's hand dropped from his shoulder, and awkwardly completed the introductions. He glanced at Harriet, but she merely raised her eyebrows slightly.
Tracy-Ace stepped forward to meet the other two. "I'm pleased to meet you both at last," she said. "Legroeder has been very eager to get back here to rejoin you. He's told me a lot about you all." Legroeder pressed his lips together and said nothing.
"I'm sure he has," Morgan said brusquely. "Pleased to meet you. Hi, Mom."
"Hello, dear," Harriet said, and appeared to decide to help Legroeder out a bit, after all. "Legroeder's friend Miss Alfa—"
"Please. Tracy-Ace."
"Tracy-Ace, sorry. Tracy-Ace has brought some wonderful news. They've found Bobby, and there's a good chance he'll be freed." Harriet waved to a small sofa and a side table. "Please sit. Get yourself a glass of wine."
Morgan blinked, and seemed to be struggling to recompute.
"That's right," Tracy-Ace said, taking a seat in a chair, while Legroeder joined Harriet on the other sofa. "Bobby's not at our outpost, but we're hopeful." She explained what she had told Harriet.
"That's... terrific," Morgan said, her eyes implying that it would have been even more terrific if Bobby had never been captured in the first place.
"Bobby is what—your nephew?" Tracy-Ace asked.
Morgan bobbed her head. "And I'm extremely grateful— really—for the news."
Tracy-Ace took a sip of wine. "But you're not so sure about me, I take it."
"Well, it's not—"
"I think," said Maris, speaking for the first time, "that we're both wondering... well... are you here with Legroeder in a purely official capacity, or..."
"We're friends," Tracy-Ace said quickly.
"Good friends," Legroeder echoed, in a voice that seemed exceedingly hollow.
"Ah-hah," Maris said, nodding.
Morgan also nodded, more slowly. "Then we should—" Regard you as a friend? Claw your eyes out? What? her eyes seemed to say.
Legroeder cleared his throat. "You should treat her as a friend of mine," he said softly. "As someone I trust, and someone who has helped me tremendously. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be back here now." He could feel the flush in his face as he said it—annoyance, defensiveness, guilt. Love for Tracy-Ace, and embarrassment about it.
"Perhaps," Harriet said, in an even voice, "we could let Tracy-Ace speak. I'm sure she'd like to answer some of our questions."
"I would be happy to answer your questions," Tracy-Ace said softly.
* * *
Answering their questions was no trivial matter; and as Tracy-Ace talked about Ivan's scheme to draw first the Narseil and Legroeder—and later the Centrist Worlds—into talks, Morgan grew increasingly restless. "That's all very well," she said, "but what about the kidnapping of Maris? And those attacks on my mother and Legroeder? They almost died getting to McGinnis, you know. Are you going to explain those away?"
Tracy-Ace looked a little startled by the ferocity of the question. She closed her eyes for a moment; her cheek implants flickered frenetically. She muttered something under her breath before opening her eyes again. "We certainly had nothing to do with those attacks. I believe it was the local group Centrist Strength, under orders from Kilo-Mike/Carlotta."
"If you knew that, why didn't you do something to stop it?" Morgan demanded.
Tracy-Ace turned her palms up. "We didn't know in advance. Understand, we have a few people here, but nothing like Carlotta. She has agents everywhere, including—well, we know where, now. All the way at the top of the Spacing Authority. We did what we could." She turned to Maris. "I didn't know until just now about your... protective custody. But yes—it was our people who took you."
Maris's face tightened.
"Our field commander had learned of the attack on Legroeder and Harriet," Tracy-Ace continued. "It was his judgment that you were in grave danger, Maris, and that you very likely would not have left that hospital alive, or free, if they did not take action at once." Tracy-Ace opened her hands in apology. "I'm sorry they treated you like a prisoner. Very sorry. Our agents truly were ordered to protect you. But they were insufficient, as it turned out. And they both paid with their lives. I'm very glad that your friends came to rescue you." She nodded toward Morgan.
For a moment, no one seemed to know what to say, Legroeder least of all. Maris stared at Tracy-Ace with an uncertain expression. She seemed to be trying to process this latest twist, and coming up short. Finally Legroeder cleared his throat. "Maris, Tracy-Ace and her people saved my life, more than once. If she says that's what happened, you can believe her."
Maris did not shift her gaze from Tracy-Ace. But after a moment she nodded decisively. "Very well. Since you are a friend of Legroeder's, I will allow that you may be telling the truth." She glanced at Legroeder with a trace of a grin. "Seeing as how you saved my life, too, eh?"
Legroeder allowed a smile to tickle at his lips.
Tracy-Ace drew a deep breath. "That was one time when we managed to act ahead of Carlotta. But don't misunderstand—even with North dead, Carlotta still has plenty of agents here, and they've managed to disassociate themselves from Centrist Strength with that attack on North's ship. But don't believe for a minute that they're not still pulling strings in that group. They can cause plenty of trouble."
"What do you intend to do?" Harriet asked.
Tracy-Ace opened her hands. "What can I do? It's your world, not mine. I'll help if I can—but my help won't matter much if we don't get Impris, and Legroeder and his implants, to the Narseil Rigging Institute."
"Do you want to explain that to the others?" Harriet asked.
Tracy-Ace looked to Legroeder, who sighed. "When the Narseil fitted me with these implants—" he rubbed at his temples and behind his ears "—I didn't know that they were going to end up recording some of the most crucial data in the history of starship rigging—and then treat it as a Narseil state secret." (You bastards. Are you still there? Answer me, damn you.)
// Awaiting release codes.//
Stunned, Legroeder drew a sharp breath. (You're there?)
No answer.
"You okay?" Tracy-Ace asked, cocking her head, as if she'd caught an echo of it.
Legroeder nodded slowly. "And so right here," he continued, tapping the implants, "is where the data remain, even as we speak."
Morgan and Maris stared at him. "What data?" Morgan demanded.
Legroeder closed his eyes with a shiver. "When we came out of the underflux with Impris, my implants mapped it all. It's the most astounding, and beautiful, and deadly thing I've ever imagined—this network of quantum flaws woven through the whole galaxy, through spacetime." He opened his eyes. "Every rigging world, and every rigger, needs to know about this." He drew a breath. "And only the Narseil Rigging Institute can get at the data."
Morgan and Maris sat stunned.
"So," said Harriet, who had already had
a chance to grasp the political implications, "it's crucial that we get you to the Narseil Institute in one piece... along with Impris."
"An understatement."
"And... is this what the future peace is going to hinge upon?"
"That is almost certainly the case," Tracy-Ace said softly. "Our mutual friend here—" her gaze drifted meaningfully to Legroeder "—has a long road still ahead of him." Her eyes twinkled in contact with his. "Don't you, babe?"
Legroeder grunted and tried not to notice the raised eyebrows all around him.
Chapter 42
Beginnings
It was another two days before Tracy-Ace was permitted to make her full presentation on behalf of Outpost Ivan. Though Special Envoy Clark made clear that a formal response from the government would take time, she acknowledged that the secretary general was open-minded on the subject of establishing relations with the Kyber outposts. "This does not in any way imply that we condone piracy," she said sternly. "But we recognize that we have to consider being willing to move on. If you are serious about repatriating citizens—"
Tracy-Ace raised a hand. "Our first shipload of repatriates has just called in. They've entered the Faber Eri system."
The officials in the room stirred as Clark replied, "Then we may indeed have something to talk about."
The Narseil ambassador leaned forward. "That is good news, indeed." He turned to the envoy. "May I ask if we might also talk about moving forward with the Impris investigation, and getting Rigger Legroeder to our Institute for study? In the interests of maintaining good relations with a people who have been forgiving of certain transgressions for these many years?"
Special Envoy Clark, with a faint smile, bowed her head slightly. "I think, my friend Mr. Ambassador, that it may be time to talk about that, as well."
* * *
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