Part 20 (1/2)
Good response, Leia thought.
”And, as I mentioned, we are in sympathy with the Alliance. We have...
aided you a number of times. In fact, we have recently aided the Alliance in obtaining the plans for a supersecret Imperial construction project, by way of the Bothan spynet.”
”Really? I hadn't heard that.”
”It was very recent. The news would not have had time to reach here.”
Hmm. Leia leaned back, tried to mimic Guri's relaxed pose. That would bear investigating. She wasfairly certain that if Black Sun had given something of great value to the Alliance, there would be something asked in return. If not now, then later.
Guri leaned forward. ”I regret that I must ask if it might be possible to continue this meeting later. I have pressing business on one of the local moons, and I'mafraid my launch window is coming up soon.”
”Of course,” Leia said. Whether Guri had such busi-ness or not was hardly important. If she did, then she could attend to it. If not, then cutting short the meeting was a gambit, and Leia would accept the move, to see where it led.
”Perhaps we can talk again in, say, three or four days?”
”I will look forward to it,” Leia said, smiling.
Guri stood, smooth as an acrobat in peak condition.
Smiled, gave Leia a nod that was something a little softer than a military bow, and left. After she was gone, Lando and Chewie came into the room.
”What do you think?” Leia said.
”Man, she's a smooth piece of work,” Lando said. ”You could stack ice cubes on her head and they wouldn't melt. Unarmed, unless she was hiding a weapon somewhere / couldn't spot it. Very attractive, too, but there's something spooky about her.”
Leia nodded. She was glad that Lando had noticed.
”Threepio?”
”I was unable to place her accent,” he said. ”Which is decidedly odd, given my extensive experience in languages. Her Basic was flawless, her inflection precise, but I am afraid I cannot tell you her planet of origin.”
Chewie said something. n.o.body spoke for a moment. Leia said, ”Well, is somebody going to tell me what he said?” Threepio got it out first: ”Chewbacca says the woman made him very nervous.”
”He didn't say 'very,' ” Lando said. ”Just plain 'nervous.' ”
”Excuse me,” Threepio said. ”I inferred the modifier from his tone.
Wookieespeak allows for such shadings.”
”You saying my Wookieespeak is bad?” Lando said.
”Don't start again, you two.”
”Very” or not, few things made a Wookiee nervous. Certainly not normal women. Something to consider.
Maybe the next time the woman from Black Sun visited they ought to prepare their reception a little better.
20.
Princess Leia leaned back in her chair and smiled. She looked relaxed, comfortable, in charge. Guri leaned forward. Told Leia that she had to break the meeting off now. Leia was not the least nonplussed. ”Of course,” she said. Again the small and polite smile.
”Freeze it right there,” Xizor said.
The holoproj of Leia shuttered and held, sharper as a single image than it was as a moving one. Perhaps he would have this particular frame installed as a permanent holographic duplicate on one of his private chamber walls. It would be better, perhaps, had she been nude, but it was fine just as it was. It seemed to catch the essence of the woman. He could get the nude one later.
Without taking his gaze from the full-size three-dimensional picture on the floor in front of him, he said, ”What did you think of her?”
Behind him stood Guri. ”She's adept at meaningless small talk, as befits a skilled diplomat. She revealed nothing of what she really wanted except that it might have to do with intelligence gathering. She is physically attractive for one of her species and related species. She is intelligent.”
”And...?”
”And it would seem more than coincidental that this woman who is known to be close to Luke Skywalker is probing Black Sun.”
Xizor glanced away from the holoproj at his most trusted lieutenant.
There was a dry understatement. A man who believed in such heavy coincidences was a fool. Somehow, Leia-he was already beginning to think of her on a first-name basis-somehow she had figured out more than she should have been able to figure out. Although he had taken great pains to separate himself from the planned a.s.sa.s.sination of Skywalker, she had happened upon the plot and managed to connect it to Black Sun. It was not good, but it was somewhat amazing. Another point in her favor.
”Your suggestion?”
”Kill her. Kill her Wookiee and gambler companion. Wipe the protocol droid's memory and melt it down. Eliminate Avaro as well, just to be sure. And anybody in the casino who might have recognized her.”
Xizor smiled. Guri was ruthless and efficient; that was part of her charm. If she had to flame a building to rid it of termites, so be it.
Given leave, she would do exactly what she suggested.
”I think not,” he said. ”Go back and meet with her again. We should find out exactly how much she knows and to whom she has told it, if anybody.”
”I can get that information before I terminate her.”
”No, I would rather conduct this particular interrogation myself. I want you to bring her to me.”
Guri was silent.
”Go ahead, speak your mind.”
”You are attracted to this woman in a romantic way.”
”So?”
”Such attractions have been known to cloud the minds of otherwise rational beings.”
He laughed, something he did all too seldom these days. n.o.body but Guri would have the nerve to speak thus. Another of her endearing traits. ”Do not fear, my dear Guri. She could never replace you in my affections.”
Guri did not speak. He didn't think that thought had crossed her mind.