Part 12 (1/2)
”Impossible,” she told the screen.
The words persisted. She read them again and keyed in her next request.
CONTRACT SIGNED BETWEEN PRISCILLA DELACROIX Y MENDOZA, FIRST.
PARTY, AND SHAN YOS'GALAN AS CAPTAIN, DUTIFUL Pa.s.sAGE, SECOND PARTY.
FIRST PARTY SHALL AGREE TO PERFORM DUTIES INHERENT IN THE POSTS OF.
PET LIBRARIAN AND ALSO TO UNDERTAKE PILOT TRAINING ONE s.h.i.+P WATCH.
OF EVERY NINE, WITHOUT FAIL, AND.
ALSO TO UNDERTAKE ANY ADDITIONAL TRAINING OR DUTY DEEMED.
REASONABLE AND JUST BY SECOND PARTY.
Priscilla leaned back. There it was. She briefly and belatedly recalled advice given a much younger Priscilla: ”I tell you what, youngster. Don't you ever sign a Liaden's contract. I don't care how careful you read it. If he won't sign yours, let the deal go. Safer that way.”
Still, there was nothing wrong with undergoing second mate's training. She would have appreciated being told, but she was sure that he had meant it for the best.
It was not until she had cleared the screen and left the library that it occurred to her to wonder why she should be sure of it.s.h.i.+PYEAR 65 TRIPDAY 143.
THIRD s.h.i.+FT.
16.00 HOURS.
Priscilla exited the lift and walked resolutely toward the captain's office. She was dressed in the yellow s.h.i.+rt and khaki trousers she had worn when she first walked down this hall. In her pocket was the provisional second cla.s.s. The rest of her belongings were in the cabin that had been hers, the clothes neatly folded and stacked beside the scrounged plastic box. She must remember to tell the captain to offer the bracelets to a collector. The price they would bring as curios would go far toward paying her debt to the s.h.i.+p.
She rounded the corner by Hold 6 and nearly walked into Kayzin Ne'Zame.
The first mate recovered first and swept a surprising bow, as deep as one would accord the captain, augmented by an odd little flourish that mystified Priscilla entirely.
”We are well met, Priscilla Mendoza,” she said in a light, quick voice much unlike her usual manner of speech. ”I have been remiss in offering you an apology for my behavior several s.h.i.+fts gone by, when we spoke near the central computer.” She took a breath and looked up. ”Pray forgive it. I was discourteous and in error.”
Priscilla blinked, collected herself immediately, and bowed in turn, though not as deeply, nor did she attempt to copy the flourish.
”Do me the honor of putting the incident from your mind, Kayzin Ne'Zame. I shall do the same.”
The Liaden woman inclined her head. ”You are kind. It shall be as you have said. I leave you now.”
”Be well, Kayzin Ne'Zarae,” Priscilla murmured, laying her hand against the captain's door. ”Cornel-He was standing, hands hooked in his belt, his bright head bent over a chess problem. It was a new one, Priscilla saw, and she wondered if the other had had a solution, after all. He glanced up as the door closed and smiled. ”h.e.l.lo, Priscilla. Did you rest well this past s.h.i.+ft?”
”I visited Master Frodo for a while,” she said, hesitating between desk chairs and couch.
”A very restful companion. I've always found him so, at any rate. Ken Rik labels him terminally cute. But Ken Rik likes snakes. What may I give you to drink?”
”Nothing, thank you, Captain.” She decided on one of the chairs before his desk, drifted over, and perched on the arm.
”Nothing?” The slanted brows drew together as he crossed the rug. ”Are you angry, Priscilla? Or am I angry? If it's me, I a.s.sure you that I'm not. And if it's you-but surely you knew I had to send you away?
It would have been unforgivable to keep you by, especially when I'd put you in so much danger already.”
”You put me in danger?” She stared at him. ”It's the other way around, Captain. I put you in danger.
Which is why I would rather not accept a drink. I'm not stopping long.” She forced herself to meet his eyes calmly. ”I think it would be wisest for me to leave the Pa.s.sage immediately.””Do you?” He paused. ”What a very odd notion of wisdom. If you were staying long enough to have a drink, Priscilla, what would you prefer? Purely hypothetical, of course.” The light eyes were mocking her.
”Idle speculation, since I'm not staying that long,” she said crisply. ”I came only to say that-”
”It would be wisest for you to leave the Pa.s.sage immediately,” the captain interrupted, holding up his hands placatingly. ”You did say it. I heard you. Now, Priscilla, please pay attention-this is very important. You might at least have some consideration for my feelings in the matter. I'm thirsty, and you're telling nonsense stories, which you could as easily tell while having a gla.s.s of wine with me like a civilized person.” He tipped his head. ”Do strive for some courtesy, Priscilla.”
She felt laughter rising and clamped down, with limited success. A small sound woefully reminiscent of a hiccup emerged. ”Red, please,” she said, glaring.
”Red,” he repeated, moving toward the bar. ”An excellent choice, as even Gordy will tell you. Though, of course, there's nothing wrong with the white or the jade or the blue.” He was back and handing her a cut-crystal gla.s.s. Her fingers curved around the stem automatically. ”And the red won't ruin your taste for prime-you will have time to dine with me, won't you, Priscilla? I agree that I should have first found if your schedule was clear, but it did seem rude to ask you to come to speak with me at dinnertime and then rob you of dinner.”
She sipped her wine and tried again. ”Captain, surely you must see that the longer I stay with you-with the Pa.s.sage-the more danger you're in? If I'm gone, then you-”
”Priscilla, you have a woeful tendency toward single-mindedness,” he interrupted, sitting on the edge of the desk and swinging a leg.
She clamped her jaw and stood. ”Thank you for all you've done, Captain, but I really must be going.”
”You can't do that, Priscilla; you have a contract. You're bound to this s.h.i.+p until Solcintra. That's four months, as the route runs. You don't have the buy-off fee, do you? I didn't think so.” He raised his gla.s.s.
”It looks like you're stuck, child. Might as well sit down and finish your wine.”
”I'm not a child!”
”Well, I can't be expected to know that, can I, if you persist in acting like one? You really must try to curb these tastes for melodrama and resignation.”
”Melodrama!” She glared at him, her fingers ominously tight about the gla.s.s. ”At least I'm not highhanded and-”
”High-handed!”
”High-handed,” she a.s.serted with relish. ”And dictatorial. And obstinate. As if you couldn't see why-”
”High-handed! Of all the-Priscilla, when we reach Solcintra, I engage to introduce you to my brother's Aunt Kareen. Call me high-handed! Before that, you'd best improve your grasp of the High Tongue-your accent's execrable. And another thing! How dare you profess yourself all joy to see me?
Have you no sense of propriety? I hardly know you.”
”Nor will you know me any better,” she stated, suddenly calm. She set her gla.s.s on the edge of his desk.
”Because I'm leaving. Contract or not. Sue me.”
”I won't. But I will arrest you, if you force me to it.” He was in front of her, his face quite serious.”Priscilla, have some sense. Don't you realize you saved my life this afternoon?”
She gaped, aware of a strong desire to take him by the shoulders and shake. ”Do you realize it? You act like-Captain yos'Galan, if you know it, then let me go!! Surely you see that the sooner I'm gone, the sooner you're safe! People will stop trying to kill you-”
”No, wait.” A big, warm hand closed around one of hers. ”Priscilla, please-a favor. Come sit down...
here's your wine. Now, if you please, tell me what happened at the port today.”