Part 78 (2/2)
”My G.o.d, G.o.d, Grant-” Grant-”
Grant turned on the calm, quiet as he could manage, given the state of his stomach. ”Young sera needed something else to think about,” he said. ”She declined. I wasn't sure that she would. I was, needless to say, relieved. Very fast work for young sera. I was so sure you were safe for an hour.”
Justin threw the towel into the laundry-bin and folded his arms tight about his ribs. ”Don't joke. It's not funny.”
”Are you all right?”
”I'm having flashes. Oh, G.o.d, Grant, I- Dammit!” Dammit!”
He spun about and hit the wall with his hand and leaned there, stiff, hard-breathing, in that don't-touch-me att.i.tude that absolutely meant it.
But Grant had ignored that before. He came and pried him away and folded him in his arms, just held on to him until Justin got a breath and a second one.
”I-lost-my sense of where I was,” Justin said finally, between small efforts after air. ”G.o.d, I just-went away. I couldn't navigate. She's-G.o.d knows. G.o.d knows what I said. It just blew up-she-”
”-she needed needed a firm no. It's doubtless a new thing for her. Calm down. a firm no. It's doubtless a new thing for her. Calm down.
Now is now.”
”A d.a.m.n kid! kid! I-had-no finesse about it, absolutely none, I just-” I-had-no finesse about it, absolutely none, I just-”
”You were expressing a polite and civilized no when I walked in. That young sera doesn't recognize the word isn't your fault. Young sera may call Security and young sera may lodge charges, I have absolutely no idea. But if she does, you have a witness, and I have no trouble about going under probe. Young sera needs favors from you. you. I politely suggested she consider the trouble she's caused and show up tomorrow with a civilized att.i.tude-at which time I politely suggested she consider the trouble she's caused and show up tomorrow with a civilized att.i.tude-at which time I'm going I'm going to be there; at all times hereafter, I a.s.sure you.” He pushed Justin back at arm's length. ”She's sixteen. Personalities aside, she's quite the other end of the proposition-a year younger than you were. A great deal more experienced, by all accounts, but not-not in adult behavior. Am I right? She has no idea what she's dealing with. No more than you did.” to be there; at all times hereafter, I a.s.sure you.” He pushed Justin back at arm's length. ”She's sixteen. Personalities aside, she's quite the other end of the proposition-a year younger than you were. A great deal more experienced, by all accounts, but not-not in adult behavior. Am I right? She has no idea what she's dealing with. No more than you did.”
Justin blinked. Rapid thought: Grant knew the look. ”Go back to the office.”
”Where are you you going?” going?”
”To make a phone call.”
”Denys?”
Justin shook his head.
”Good G.o.d,” Grant said. And felt as if the floor had sunk. ”You're not serious.”
”I'm going alone, if she'll see me. Which is far from likely at this point.”
”No. Listen. Don't do this. If you're having flashback, for G.o.d's sake sake don't do this.” don't do this.”
”I'm going to straighten it out. Once for all. I'm going to tell her what happened-”
”No!” Grant seized his arm and held on, hard. ”Administration will have your head on a plate-listen to me. Even if she took your side she hasn't got the authority to protect you. She hasn't got anything, not really. Even if she took your side she hasn't got the authority to protect you. She hasn't got anything, not really. Not Not inside inside these these walls.” walls.”
”What in h.e.l.l do we do? What do we do when they take us in and they trump up a rape charge-what happens when we end up in a ward over in hospital under Reseune law? All they need is a statement from her. ...”
”And you're going to go over to her apartment and talk to her. No.”
”Not her apartment. I don't think I can handle that. But somewhere.”
vi Justin took a sip of Scotch as the waiter at Changes Changes brought the three to their table-Ari in an ice-green blouse with metallic gray beading, Florian and Catlin in evening black. brought the three to their table-Ari in an ice-green blouse with metallic gray beading, Florian and Catlin in evening black.
Evening at Changes Changes was a dress occasion. He and Grant had taken pains, both of them in their best. Dress s.h.i.+ns and jackets. was a dress occasion. He and Grant had taken pains, both of them in their best. Dress s.h.i.+ns and jackets.
”Thank you,” Ari said, when the waiter pulled the chair back. ”Vodka-and-orange for the three of us, please.”
”Yes, sera,” the waiter murmured. ”Will you want menus?”
”Give us a while,” Justin said. ”If you will, Ari.”
”That's fine.” She settled in her chair and folded her hands on the table. ”Thank you for coming,” Justin said as soon as the waiter left. ”I apologize for this afternoon. For Grant and myself. It was me. Not you. Absolutely not you.”
Ari s.h.i.+fted back in her seat, her lips pressed to a thin line.
And said not a thing. ”Has your uncle Denys called you?”
”Have you called him?”
”No. I don't think he wants to hear what happened. I don't know to what extent he can come back on you-”
”Only because he's the Administrator,” Ari said. ”There's nothing he'll do to me.”
”I wasn't sure.” He saw the waiter coming back with the drinks, and waited during the serving.
Ari sipped hers and sighed. ”Whose credit is this on?”
”Mine,” Justin said. ”Don't hesitate.” As the waiter discreetly took himself off. It was a private corner, quite private: a sizeable addition to the bill a.s.sured it. ”I want to a.s.sure you first of all-I'm perfectly willing to go on working with you. I want to tell you-what you're doing-is full of problems. But it's not empty exercise. You've got some ideas that are-fairly undeveloped right now. I still don't know to what extent you've modeled this on reality-or borrowed from your predecessor. If it's considerable borrowing-it would be remarkable enough that someone so young is working integrations at all. If any portion of it is original-I have to be impressed; because there is a center of this that, if I were going faster, and not taking the time to demonstrate your problems-I would simply throw into research, because I think it's a helpful model.”
”You can do that, if you like.” Not spitefully. Reasonably. Quietly. ”Perhaps I'll do both. With your permission. Because I'm very afraid it's cla.s.sified.”
”Grant can do it.”
”Grant could do it. With your permission. And Yanni's. We work for him.”
”Because you refused to be transferred. I can still do that.”
He had not expected that. He took a drink of Scotch. And was aware of Grant beside him, subject to whatever mistakes he made. ”I wouldn't think,” he said, ”that you'd be thinking about that after the scene this afternoon.”
Redirect. s.h.i.+ft directions.
She sipped at the vodka-and-orange. Sixteen, and fragile-in physiology. In emotions that the alcohol could flatten or exacerbate. Flux-thinking at its finest, Grant was wont to say. p.u.b.erty, hormones run wild, and ethyl alcohol.
Oh, G.o.d, kid, back off it: it did me no favors.
Power. Political power that was still running in shockwaves across Union; threats of a.s.sa.s.sination. And all the stress that went with it.
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