***
Three days later Hans Leong called Francesca early in the morning, and asked for another meeting on the mine proposal, a private meeting with no guards. Ran-Del was meditating during the call. When he sat down at the breakfast table, Francesca debated whether or not to ask him to stay. He had been polite but distant ever since their spat.
“Hans Leong is coming here for a meeting in two hours,” she said finally.
Ran-Del looked up from his porridge. “Why?”
“It’s the mine thing again.”
Ran-Del shook his head. “No, why is he coming here. Last time he wanted you to go to him.”
Francesca shrugged. “He said it was on his way.” She hesitated and finally added the codicil. “He said he wanted a private meeting, no guards.”
Ran-Del reached for his tea. “I will call Georges.”
Francesca suffered conflicting emotions. She was pleased he was so quick to help her, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to be obligated. “I don’t think this meeting will be anything you need to worry about.”
Ran-Del lifted his brows. “The man is dangerous, Francesca. He oozes malice like a crested viper oozes venom when you step on it. Psy gift aside, if you won’t have a guard in the room, then I should be there.”
“All right, then.” Francesca tried to sound neutral. “Stay if you like.”
He ate the rest of his breakfast in silence, then went to make his call.
Francesca found it difficult to concentrate on work with Ran-Del sitting in her office studying the furnishings. He stared longest at the globe.
“What are you thinking?” Francesca blurted out.
He looked up. “I was remembering being in here with your father, the day before he took us out on the plains.”
Francesca recalled the nights spent sleeping next to Ran-Del under the moonlight, the firelight gleaming on his hair, the way he had run beside her while she rode the lamel after his people found them. “I don’t like being angry at you, Ran-Del.”
“I don’t enjoy being angry, either.”
A desperate need made her want to ease the tension. “I’m sorry I spied on you. I don’t think I said it before.”
He smiled, but somehow still looked solemn. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my friends at work and where we spend our time.”
The com buzzed in Antonio’s pattern, two short buzzes and one long. “Yes?” Francesca said.
“Hans Leong is here,” Antonio’s voice said.
“Send him in.”
Hans stopped short when he came in the room and saw Ran-Del. “I asked for a private meeting.”
“Good morning,” Francesca said. “I don’t keep anything private from my husband.”
Hans’ scowl contorted his face. “Very well.”
Francesca invited him to sit and requested tea from Antonio.
“Why did you come here this time?” Ran-Del said after Antonio left. “You usually want Francesca to come to you.”
“Why not?” Hans said, plainly irritated. “It’s on my way to my next appointment, as I already told Francesca.”
Ran-Del put his left hand behind his neck in the agreed upon signal for deceit. Francesca let out her breath with satisfaction, wondering why Hans would bother to lie about such a little thing.
“Now, Hans,” Francesca said, once Antonio had served the tea and departed, “what’s this about? Anything new?”
It seemed that the only new development was a potential deal for Leong-Norwalk to buy a refinery. Even without increased production from the House of Hayden, Elena was considering it. But before she made any decisions, Hans related, his mother wanted to sound Francesca out about a possible cut in prices for ores delivered to a Leong refinery.
“The price is already set in the contract,” Francesca said.
Hans managed to look hurt. “We already let you market your surplus crops on your own. Surely we deserve a little reward for that?”
“Nonsense.” Francesca kept her face calm. Hans was beginning to be a pain. Unfortunately, Elena doted on him, so complaining about him would only make things worse. “I can sell the surplus only because it is a surplus. You don’t want it. If you did, I’d have to sell it to you. There will be no discount on the ore, Hans.”
“Not even if we were to ensure that you had a larger surplus?” Hans asked.
Ran-Del sat up straighter and moved his left hand to behind his neck again.
Francesca stared at Hans’ bland expression. The man was a good liar. She had to give him that. “I’d want that in writing, Hans. And I don’t mean a note. The contract would have to be amended.”
“I’m sure we could come up with wording you’d like,” Hans said smoothly. “Do we have a deal, in principle at least?”
Francesca debated. Ran-Del’s hand was still behind his neck. “Not yet. I want to think it over. I need to look at it from all the angles.”
Hans frowned and looked from one to the other of them. “We’re trying to be nice about this, Francesca. We can demand everything you produce, you know? No more dickering for a few extra credits—the price would be set by our contract.”
“I’m aware of that. I make it a point never to sign a contract without reading it first.”
Hans continued to push her to agree to mutual concessions, growing more coercive in his language until finally, Ran-Del stood up and glared at him.
“You need to leave now.” Ran-Del put one hand on his dirk.
Francesca felt a stab of irritation, but leaned back in her chair as if she were quite relaxed. “Yes, it’s time for you to leave, I’m afraid. I have another meeting.”
She leaned forward and spoke into the com. “Antonio! Citizen Leong is leaving now. Please arrange for his skimmer to be ready.”
Hans got to his feet, a scowl on his face. “This meeting may be over, but you haven’t heard the last of this.”
He left without a goodbye.
Francesca moved to the window to watch his skimmer depart, just as her father always had, before turning to Ran-Del.
“Well?” Francesca asked. “He was lying?”
“Not exactly,” Ran-Del said. “He clearly lied about this compound being on the way to a meeting, but his other speech was less clear. He was both hostile and on edge—not actually lying most of the time but up to something deceitful.”
Well, no point in worrying about it. She hadn’t made any commitments. Francesca shrugged. “We’ll find out in time.” She remembered Ran-Del’s interference. “I appreciate your help, Ran-Del, but in future, please don’t interrupt a meeting like that—certainly don’t make a threatening gesture.”
He looked unrepentant. “The man threatened you, whether his meaning was clear or not. I cannot stand by at such a time.”
The words filled her with warm satisfaction, even if it was protectiveness rather than passion he was expressing. She looked at the time display on her com. “Do you want a ride to work? You’re very late.”
“No, thanks,” Ran-Del sounded resolute. “I’ll just have to be late.”
After he was gone, Francesca made herself return to work, but it was difficult. Her mind kept jumping from her current project to Ran-Del’s feelings or lack of them, to Hans’ machinations. All in all, she got very little done that afternoon.
The Sixth Discipline Page 68