Part 10 (2/2)

”I would also like to tour the estate grounds.”

Rhani said, ”I'll take you.”

The policewoman looked disconcerted. ”That isn't necessary, Domna, a slave can do it.”

Rhani put her hands on her hips. ”I'll take you, I said. They're _my_ grounds.” The sc.r.a.pes on her arms and legs stung. She led the way to the house.

On the a.s.sumption that the police would want to see them, she had told Binkie to sort out the various ugly letters and threats. From the downstairs hall, she called him on the intercom.

”Binkie, please bring the threatening letters downstairs,” she said.

”Yes, Rhani-ka,” he answered. In a moment, he came down the stairs and handed them to her. She pa.s.sed them to Tsurada, who glanced through them with a look of contemptuous distaste.

”May we keep these, Domna?”

”If you think it will help.”

”It may,” she said, pa.s.sing the neat pile to Officer Ron. ”I should tell you, Domna, the Abanat police have never heard of the Free Folk of Chabad. They haven't surfaced before. There are groups like them scattered all about the city, of course; but those we know -- most of them are infiltrated -- and none of them are organized enough to plan an attack which includes a dry run, or, indeed, sober enough to build a bomb.”

Zed said, ”I'm not convinced that the attackers are the Free Folk of Chabad.”

Rhani said, ”But if the Abanat police don't know them, it's more likely to be they than a group that is well known.”

Officer Tsurada said, ”We'll find out.”

”How?” said Zed.

Tsurada smiled. ”Brilliant police work, naturally. Probably one of them will get frightened, and turn informer. That's how we get most of our information about these groups. I a.s.sume you don't want this event made public, Domna?”

Rhani frowned. ”I do not. Has PIN heard about it already?”

”They monitor the police com-lines,” Tsurada said. ”But I've already told them that whatever they hear, they may not use. They're used to being told not to print things.”

”Thank you,” Rhani said.

”I would like to see the bomb site, now.”

Rhani escorted them to it. Timithos sat on his haunches nearby, staring disconsolately at the ugly scar. Tsurada walked around it. ”'From what distance was the bomb thrown?” she asked.

Rhani shook her head. ”I don't know. It happened very fast.”

”Dana might be able to say,” murmured Zed.

”When he wakes up, I'll ask him,” said Rhani. ”Dana is one of my slaves,”

she explained. ”He was with me when it happened. He was hurt.”

Tsurada glanced at Timithos. ”Your gardener?”

”Yes.” ”Have you seen anything around this hole of metal or plastic, anything unfamiliar that might have come from the bomb?”

Timithos looked frightened. ”I found stones,” he said timidly.

”I don't think Timithos would recognize a piece of a bomb if it hit him,”

Rhani interposed.

She and Zed led the police officers around the entire estate. They examined the walls, admired the dragoncats, and walked through and around the gate. As they walked back to the house, Tsurada said, ”I don't think there's any way for you to be completely safe here, Domna, short of building a Cage-field over the grounds, or quartering an army on your lawn.”

Rhani said, ”There is no army on Chabad, and I don't think I could live inside a cage.”

Tsurada nodded. ”Nor could I.” She frowned. ”I wish I had a piece of that bomb. With your permission, I'd like to send a team out to examine the grounds.”

”You have it,” Rhani said. ”But why is it important?”

”A piece would tell me where it came from, for starters; if it was made on Chabad, or smuggled in from the outside.” She glanced at Timithos, who was now talking softly to the dragoncats. ”Domna, have you thought at all that your attackers might be slaves?”

”Ex-slaves, you mean,” said Zed. ”I a.s.sumed that.”

”I don't mean that,” Tsurada said. ”I mean slaves, the slaves who live in our houses, run our computers, arrange our lives. Slaves can use their owners'

prestige, their owners' wealth, to get almost anything done. Until and unless one of them made a mistake, proof would be almost impossible to find.”

Rhani swallowed. She could not believe ... ”Not my slaves,” she said.

Tsurada shrugged. ”You know them. It need not be your slaves.” She hesitated, and then said, ”Domna, you must know that if any Family on Chabad is responsible for slavery, in the slaves' minds, it's Family Yago.”

In the hangar, Tsurada shook hands again with Rhani, and then with Zed.

”The team will fly out tomorrow morning,” she promised. She mounted the bubble, then leaned down to say, ”Do you intend to keep to your usual custom, Domna, and go to Abanat for the Auction?”

Rhani had not even considered canceling the trip. ”Of course,” she said firmly.

”While you are in Abanat,” Tsurada said, ”you might think about hiring a bodyguard.”

Walking back to the house, Zed said, ”That's not a bad idea.”

”A bodyguard?” Rhani scowled. She hated Abanat; she was never happy there; but she didn't want to be trailed around the streets by some galumphing hired guard. ”Ugh.”

”Jo could do it. Skellians make excellent bodyguards.”

”Jo can't be in two places at once, and she's supposed to be finding Sherrix.”

”That's true,” said Zed. ”But it's still a good idea.”

Rhani put her hands in her pockets. Mutinously she thought, I _won't_ have a bodyguard. She chuckled suddenly, remembering that wonderful Pellish word Dana had taught her. _Bersk_. I'll get very grumpy and have to be alone for a long while.

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