"Yeah. I read something about that. Scary stapes." He shuddered. "I'm glad I never met one. Hades. That's scary just thinking about it."
"But you did meet one, Cap'n John. Micah was one of their best before they gave him the big kick. He survived the missions and the deprogramming."
The hover bucked and skidded as Thompson pulled off the road and grounded, both of them too rapidly.
"Blather," he said, "Double-blather! You can't be serious."
"Pure truth," said Kidwell, "It still haunts him sometimes."
"Heaven's flames." After a long moment of silence, Thompson started the hover and guided it back into traffic. "That man will never again pay for a slosh if I'm around! Frost! That's awful."
Kidwell nodded and they rode in silence a while.
"Tell me," he said finally, "No blather. What is Protocol?"
"No blather," she answered, just as seriously, "You really don't want to know. Just assume it's another specialized unit, which it is. It's just that the specialization is... not what you might think."
"Fair coin," he said, equal parts happy with what he'd learned and fearful about what he hadn't. Mostly. "So tell me. Charlie's scary smart and sneaky as hades when it comes to computers and such. Sergeant Stone is just six-sigmas scary. Scarier now. What are you?"
"I'm a people person," she said, smiling now, "From a single individual to massive crowds of them. I'm also really good at cards."
"Slib," he nodded, "No more questions then. I'll salute you as soon as we stop."
"I will cause you excruciating pain twenty different ways if you salute me," she said evenly, "Do not do that."
Thompson gave her a small chuckle but made a mental note never to salute her. She sounded quite capable of fulfilling that threat!
Chapter 6. House Connections
Blue frowned at her datapad and said an incredibly vile word. Karr had heard it many times before but never with such devotion.
"Trouble, m'lady?"
"Nothing makes sense." She powered down the 'pad and rubbed her eyes. "I've gone over all the data involving all the Fallstar Lines and BinSu sewer swishes over the past three years. None of them make any sense! None!"
Karr took her shoulders and began massaging them.
"You have ten years to stop that," she said, not opening her eyes, "I trow I've tried every type of correlation I know. I tried fixed and variable time intervals, ship intervals, same-ship, different-ship, cargo-type, owner, pilot... I even tried debt-amount correlation with what we have on it. Squelch!"
"I received just over a year's worth of debt run information today," said Karr, "Did you try it?"
"I did. A high proportion of them correlate with the loss-recoveries but that didn't really help with what I was trying."
"Perhaps Sir Allan will have something from the surrounding planets soon."
"Slib. What do we do until then?"
"I have a thought," said Karr obliquely, "Dinner at Sir Allan's gave me an appetite. I think it's time to make some House connections here."
Blue scowled. How, she thought, would that help?
***
Blue scowled. Franklin Lord Alwen, Scion of the Noble House of Edders, Knight of the Broken Flame, Order of Diligence and former major in the Elder Guard had a mansion as ostentatious as Worthington's was modest. His doorman, after announcing them, commended them to another servant who escorted Karr and Blue to a reading room where yet another servant brought tea and nibblers. By Blue's reckoning they arrived far too early for dinner but Karr worried that they might arrive late. After allowing his guests sufficient time to partake of his offerings, Lord Alwen appeared in all his magnificence.
"Good day, Sir Karr, and a most surprising one indeed. Your company is an unexpected but doubly welcome pleasure. You as well, my Lady Blue. House McReely is ever and always welcome under my roof but so seldom do any attend." Here Alwen bowed to her. "Yet just as rarity enhances pleasure so does your presence here honor me even more. This is indeed a momentous day!"
With that said he tucked Blue's arm under his own and invited them deeper into his estate. As they walked they encountered numerous other guests, all of whom Alwen called by name before stopping to exchange happy words and introduce his latest arrivals. Blue played the gracious lady quite well but Karr knew her well enough to see beneath her facade. He tried not to smile too hard at that; he also knew she saw through his!
After a modest while Alwen released Blue. He stopped in the largest crowd they'd seen yet and he regretted the necessity of leaving them, even if but for a moment! Karr and several others chuckled at that; even so simple an act as leaving took Alwen fifteen minutes.
After their host bantered himself away, Karr and Blue conversed lightly with those around them. When 16:45 arrived all of the guests began gravitating deeper into the house. Alwen appeared then and repossessed Blue's arm. He escorted her and Karr to his personal table while his guests dispersed to their own.
Dinner took place over a long time and in a room plus-plus impressive enough for it. The tables and chairs hovered gravitically and moved at odd intervals, thus giving each of Alwen's guests ample opportunity to visit with all the others. Alwen himself sat at the center of it like a sparkling sun orbited by a chaos of elegant planets and flashy moons. And, thought Karr, two rogue asteroids.
"Pray tell me, Sir Piotr," said Alwen, "what wonderful occasion brings you here."
"We're here on business, m'lord," said Karr, "auditing and verifying accounts."
"Oh my stars and seas," said Alwen with a smile and a dramatic gesture, "Perhaps we should have used the smaller dining room!"
The others at the table laughed at this, some genuinely.
"No, no, my lord," grinned Karr, "We're working with one of House Brightcrown's businesses here. They needed external auditors in order to maintain their shipping credentials. For truth, checking the numbers is the easier task because we know they won't be wrong. The difficult part is living up to the Brightcrown standards whilst we work!"
This time Karr heard more genuine laughs. Those from people who had done business with Brightcrown, he suspected.
"We've been at things for almost a week now," continued Karr, "and we needed a break and a chance to relax. And, if I might be so bold, your hospitality and the willingness with which you share it are... quite famous."
Alwen swelled up and positively beamed at this. Several of the others shot Karr spite-filled looks, careful not to let their host catch them at it. Karr knew he'd scored some serious points with that.
"Why thank you, Sir Karr! Such kind words are their own treasure, more precious than gold!"
Karr smiled and bowed his head toward Alwen.
"Indeed, Sir Karr," continued Alwen, "Pray, good knight, do not hesitate to call upon me again at such future need. For one whose work is so arduous, is there aught more I can offer?"
"Only this, my lord. Of all the things under stars and suns, I do not wish to talk about work!"
Alwen laughed heartily at this and the tables chose that moment to move. That gave the toadies around Alwen a chance to begin scoring points of their own and Karr found himself across from a lady close to his age and dressed ten times more expensively.
"So tell me, Sir Piotr," simpered the Lady Priscilla Butte, "If we are forbidden to discuss your work then upon what shall we converse?" She batted her eyelashes coyly.
"I truly have no preferences," said Karr, "Births, deaths, peccadilloes, scandals or even pairings! Just, if you please, nothing of numbers, spice and profit!"
The Lady Butte gave a squeaky giggle and proceeded to do her best at what Karr asked.
***
Back in their hover and heading away from Lord Alwen and his estate, Blue's scowl deepened. Karr lit a 'stick and handed her the pack.
"Thank you," she said heavily, "And thank you so much for such a loverly evening. I truly cannot recall the last time I had such a one as this."
Karr laughed hard at the sarcasm
in her voice.
"So tell me, Sir Karr, what exactly did we accomplish tonight? If you wanted distraction that badly I can think of a dozen other places to get it. I can think of a dozen places that between them all don't have as many titles as I heard tonight!"
He laughed even harder. "I know, my dear. Am I to take it you did not delve that vast data mine of information?"
"What?!"
Karr actually felt her eyebrows rise.
"For truth, my lady? Did you discuss aught but trade?"
"That's really all I know. At least all I can talk about without revealing... things. My family and I aren't high enough in Peerage to know much about it. Although I did hear several references to you! Just how many honors and titles to you have, Sir Karr?"
"Piotr Wayne Sir Karr, Knight of the Broken Flame, Order of Duty, Order of the Blade, Order of Diligence, Commendation to the Red Sash, Order of Velvet, Honorary Knight of the Crown, Lesser Knight of the Elder Guard, dubbed Fellow in the Order of Loosk and Honorary Squire in the Order of Lore."
"Wow." Blue remained silent a long time. "I... I didn't know all of those."
"Of course not, my lady, because I didn't tell you. It's not something about which I boast. The lot of them aren't particularly relevant save for the contacts I can make with them. For truth, I'm proudest of the Order of the Scroll. That's the Great and Noble House of Lore and they're less impressed by my titles than am I."
"What of the order of Loosk? That is impressive!"
"Others deserve it more, m'lady. When I was in the Guard I led a detail through heavy fire to rescue a group of wounded comrades. They are the true heroes, and they deserve the Order more than do I."
"I think not," said Blue, "The truest heroes don't believe it either. But I shall respect your desires. Now respect my curiosity! What did you learn of such planet-shaking import?"
Now Karr grew serious.
"We received the same briefings. You know I held nothing back."
"Except your titles," she said.
"Seriously, Lady Blue. My Laird Edders, at the behest of Laird Brightcrown, asked me to look into certain irregularities involving House Binkor-Sud, House Snughblak and House Imix. By inference House Varl might be involved as well. As did Laird Savn of you. That alone was sufficient for me; I do not question when my Laird deems such necessary, much less Laird Brightcrown. When I learned Varl might be involved, so much the better! As you well know, we of House Edders... dislike Varl."
"Aye, Sir Knight! We McReelys might not be high in Peerage and Precedence but we are loyal unto death to House Brightcrown, by whose hand we came to exist. Likewise the Noble House of Edders and they to Brightcrown as well. We do not question such orders. Or, ahem, requests."
"Truth, my lady, but in this case it would have been more prudent to question and question sharply!"
"What?!"
"Not in doubt, my lady, but rather in curiosity. Laird Brightcrown gave to Laird Luther and Laird Savn, and they us, all the information he had on the irregularities. All the reports he had up to the point where Sir Parl vanished."
"Not much of that."
"Truth, lady. But all that we have are smaller pieces of a much larger picture. Did any of your briefings mention the possibility of Moot censure against House Brightcrown?"
"What?! No! That... Nothing! From whence came that?"
"Aye," he said, "It seems to be common knowledge amongst those of the upper Peerage with too little to fill too much time. It stunned me when I first heard it. That's why I insisted we stay through the evening concerto. I wanted to find out as much as I could."
"And did you?"
"Nay, m'lady. The rumor of it is ubiquitous but the meat is absent. Laird Luther mentioned nothing of it to me, which meant Laird Reginald likely didn't tell him." Karr felt a bit of acid creep into his voice. "It pains me to speak ill of my Peers but the lack of substance seemed to trouble them more than the possibility of the censure itself. I find that disturbing."
"I find it more than disturbing, Piotr! Do you think that's what we're trying to find?"
"No," said Karr after some thought, "At least not directly. I have no doubts that what we seek is related, but not our main objective."
"That sounds like a Brightcrown," said Blue, almost spitting the words, "To a man or woman they would wade a sea of flame to fight a sandslasher rather than expose their allies to risk!"
"Indeed," smiled Karr, "and Laird Reginald would do so himself to prevent harm to those who would fight for him. That includes Laird Luther and Laird Savn."
"For truth!" Blue bit off those words. "Make no mistake, Piotr, I love Laird Brightcrown as I do Laird Savn but he would do well to bend his stiff neck and let his friends help him!"
"Indeed, dear lady. After we have solved this problem of his we shall give him those very words!"
***
Thompson followed Kidwell around the town, dutifully admiring every little place she stopped and snapping holos like a giddy tourist. His transformation amazed him more than hers. At first he questioned the amount of makeup she thought she needed. Then, after she applied it to the both of them he wondered if she had enough! To him it seemed she put forth little effort or work but when she finished, a total stranger stared out the mirror at him. Then she disguised herself, said 'We are tourists today' and proceeded to change completely into one!
For truth, though, Thompson rather enjoyed it. Although he'd visited many worlds, he saw little of most of them outside the Navy base. Occasionally he and his shipmates did venture out to see the wonders a planet offered, but all to often the pressures of a tight schedule limited their time there.
"Tell me again what we're doing," he said when they stopped for chog.
"I'm getting to know some people," she replied mysteriously. Then, when she finished chuckling over his expression, "Slib. People 101. Look at ten-low. You see the girl in the sparkly dress?"
"Umm... Yeah. The one with... eight... nine others around her?"
"They're using her," said Kidwell, "She has money, power, status, a noble title or something similar, I'm still working on what, and the rest of them don't. They're hanging with her because of what she can do for them."
"That's duff roughage!"
"Nak. Not at all. She's using them too. She is well aware of what she has and she knows it's the only reason they're with her. She's trailing them along because being seen with such a large crowd elevates her in the eyes of her chosen peers. For truth..." Here Kidwell squinted a little. "She's worried because she just spotted a rival. Probably a friend of hers who might attract some of her followers away and into her own crowd. They'll meet, of course, and exchange pleasantries. Then each will try to steal from the other's crowd."
"What? Blather! Double blather," said Thompson with easy doubt, "No way in space! You're making that up. That or you're guessing!"
She shrugged. "Five credits says I'm right."
"Done!"
Thompson watched the sparkly girl out of the corner of his eye. After a few steps she smiled widely and greeted a dark-haired girl in an equally dark dress. The other girl had five people with her and over the course of their brief conversation one of those joined the larger crowd. Though the two girls parted amicably, even Thompson had no trouble spotting Sparkly's smug satisfaction and Dark Girl's irritation. Kidwell simply shrugged when he handed her the money.
"Now I know why Charlie and Sergeant Stone lose to you at cards! That's ruddy... That's impressive."
She chuckled as she sipped her chog.
"Just wait, Cap'n John. Things aren't in the same sector with complicated, yet. I'm still in my observation phase."
***
"Do Charlie and Sergeant Stone go through this too?"
After a full day of nothing more than watching people walking about and chatting, Thompson still saw nothing other than people walking and chatting. Not so Kidwell! She took copious notes, spoke observations frequently and constantly worked on a strange diagram he could n
ot fathom.
"Yes, with ill grace and only when necessary. Charlie doesn't like working anything that doesn't connect to a datajack and Micah is more about straight-in direct action. They don't like this any more than you do."
Thompson shifted guiltily. He thought he hid his boredom well.
"Oh, floppers! Don't phase out over it, John. It is what it is. This is my specialty and for once my plan is totally my own. Unless you have any suggestions."
"I don't," he admitted, "But I want to help! Some way. Any way."
"Polar! Since you're so insistent I'll have something for you tomorrow. We could start tonight but I want to do some drinking and dancing."
What?!! Thompson almost asked her to repeat that last part. Some of his wildest and fondest memories off-base came from ladies with similar...
"Phase down, fireball," she said, cutting off his thoughts mid-fantasy, "This is work and not play. The only lucky you're getting tonight is that I don't know exactly which nocturnal crowds I want to study."
Thompson almost choked on his chog and he didn't even have any!
***
Micah scowled at the board and moved his High Archon to threaten most of Outremin's major pieces. Not easy considering how he had them scattered but Micah managed.
"Bloody!" Outremin studied Micah's pieces, calculated their moves, realized he could save one or at most two of his major pieces and selected the Bold Warrior.
Micah moved in and wreaked what damage he could then moved into a more defensive posture.
"Good play," said Outremin, "You bally didn't leave me much."
The two of them plus an astrogator and engineer rode in Outremin's fast boat to some unknown destination. Not that Micah didn't want to know, Outremin simply didn't allow it.
"I like that about you, Stone," said Outremin, "So far you haven't tried to curry favor by playing soft. This is as good a game as I've had in a long while."
Micah shrugged. "Why play if you don't play to win?"
"Heh. Exactly! That simple fact seems lost on so many. Even worse that some Noble players seem to expect otherwise. Sadly, Laird Fadding has little time to play. I've always battled him blood and claw. Even though he usually wins he earns it in gold!"
The Burning Crown (Stone Blade Book 4) Page 10