Part 15 (1/2)
The two officials exchanged glances. ”No doubt that will be included in-”
”Trader Olanek's further information,” Shan concluded. ”Of course. May I see the papers you carry, sirs?
I must say that I think it extremely unlikely that Ms. Mendoza is a thief. As to allowing her to be removed from this vessel and placed in a detention block for-how long before this information comes forth?
Stupid of me, but I don't seem to recall...”
”We didn't say,” Relgis said quellingly. ”No longer than ten days, local.”
”Captain,” Budoc added, with a warning glance at his partner.
Relgis glowered, produced the papers from the depths of his robe, and handed them over with scant grace.
”Thank you,” Shan said, receiving them in the spirit in which they were offered. He glanced at the hovering cabin boy. ”Gordon, fetch Ms. Mendoza, if you please.”
”Oh, no you don't!” Relgis snapped, leaping between Gordy and the door in a swirl of fabric. He fingered his sword hilt menacingly. ”A very sly idea, Captain, but it won't work! Send the boy for her! Warn her, more likely! Next we'll be hearing from him that she's escaped!”
”Escaped?” Shan blinked at him, striving for his best look of foolish interest. ”Now, where would she escape to, I wonder? I do seem to recall rather clearly a statement to the effect that none of my crew would be allowed worldside.” He picked up his gla.s.s and took a thoughtful sip. ”Of course, the Pa.s.sage is a large s.h.i.+p,” he conceded. ”But not that large, do you think? I'm sure you could run her to ground if she took a notion to hide from you.”
Perceiving a sheen of dew on Relgis's bald pate, he relented somewhat. ”Go for Ms. Mendoza,” he instructed Gordy gently. ”Say that I wish to see her immediately. Please do not mention the presence of these two persons.”
Gordy goggled at him, then recovered enough to bow and mutter ”Yessir” before turning toward the door.
Speared by a glance from his partner, Relgis let him go-Shan had another sip of wine and began a leisurely perusal of the court's doc.u.ments.
In just under five minutes, the door chime sounded.
”Come!” Shan called, eyes still on the doc.u.ments he had already committed to memory.
The two officials turned, hands on swords, ready to confront the desperate criminal herself as she stepped unescorted into the room.
Relgis preserved his countenance. Budoc visibly gaped.
Priscilla gave each a friendly, though curious, smile and stepped around them. ”You wanted to see me,Captain?”
He glanced up, sternly subduing the pang he felt upon seeing her ears yet unadorned. ”Good morning, Ms. Mendoza. I'm sorry to have to call you to me so abruptly. These gentlemen, however-” He nodded at Budoc and Relgis and paused, frowning. ”My terrible manners! Ms. Mendoza, these are Relgis and Budoc, officials of Arsdred Court. They have come to deliver this paper to you.” He held it out.
She took it, directing a sharp glance at his face before beginning to read. Her cheeks flushed, then went white. Shan overrode the impulse to hold out his hand to her; instead, he picked up his gla.s.s and brought before his inner eye a Wall.
”Will he never stop?” Priscilla cried, slapping the paper onto his desk. ”He hounds me, names me criminal, leaves me for dead-and now has me arrested! Questioned under deep probe! What good can he think it will do him? Trader on a s.h.i.+p crewed by lechers and motherless fools!” She spun, approaching the two officials with a tigerish tread. Relgis gave ground by a step. Budoc licked his lips.
”Whose palm was greased?” she demanded awfully. ”Suspicion of theft? Information forthcoming! And I'm to be detained and questioned, treated like a thief on the strength of information that will never arrive, and so I swear!” She straightened haughtily. ”I'm not going anywhere with you.”
”Well,” Budoc said carefully, ”you've got no choice, miss. We've got the warrant, and you've got to come. It's the Law.”
Priscilla sniffed. 'This is a Liaden s.h.i.+p. You have no authority here.”
”You're Terran,” Budoc pointed out with a fair semblance of rationality.
”I should perhaps explain,” Shan broke in apologetically, ”that Ms. Mendoza serves on this s.h.i.+p because of a personal contract between her and the Heir Apparent of Clan Korval.”
There was a moment's silence. Then, in accents between dread and wonder, Budoc asked if that wasn't the Tree and Dragon Family, trade representative for Trellen's World?
”Exactly the Tree and Dragon.” Shan beamed at him. ”Precisely Trellen's World. The contract between us extends back nearly two hundred Standards. How clever of you!”
That information might have impressed his partner, but to Relgis it conveyed nothing more than a blatant attempt to thwart the Law. He stiffened his resolve and advanced upon Priscilla's position by one step.
”Be that as it may,” he said sternly, ”the Law is still the Law. This woman's Terran, and she goes with us.”
He s.h.i.+fted his eyes to the man behind the desk and thrust out his chin. ”She's not Liaden, even if this heir or whatever it is, is. We don't have a warrant for her contract-we've got a warrant for her!”
”Heir Apparent,” Shan corrected gently. ”Not, praise G.o.ds, the Heir. Ms. Mendoza is correct, you know.
A personal contract of this kind a.s.sures her of the Heir Apparent's protection. Which amounts to the protection of Clan Korval. And Clan Korval is a legal Liaden ent.i.ty.” He finished his wine and set the gla.s.s aside. ”An interesting point, isn't it? I'm sure the lawyers would be able to argue it for much more than ten local days, don't you?”
”Now, Captain,” Budoc said nervously, ”be reasonable. No one wants to get into that kind of protracted debate. Think of the expense! Better to just let her come along with us. Maybe the judge will allow her back right after the questioning-in light of her contract, you know!” He licked his lips again. ”I'm sure we can work something out.””Are your Shan asked. ”Good. I think so, too.” He picked up the disdained warrant and made a show of frowning perusal. 'There doesn't seem to be anything here about bail,” he murmured, feeling Priscilla's gaze bent on him in speculation. ”An oversight on the part of the judge, no doubt. Who was-oh! Judge Zahre? What a delightful circ.u.mstance!” He smiled with exquisite stupidity at the two officials and avoided Priscilla's eye.
”We'll have everything settled soon!” he said gaily. ”I'm acquainted with Judge Zahre. What a fortunate circ.u.mstance!” He flipped a toggle on the panel by his desk.
”Tower,” a crisp voice informed him.
”Good s.h.i.+ft, tower. Are you busy? Would it be possible for you to find Judge Abrahanthan Zahre of Port City, Arsdred, for me? I'd like to speak to him.”
”Right away, Captain. Route the call to the office screen?”
”That will be perfect, tower, thank you. Do hurry.
We have guests, and I seem to be wasting their time.”
”Yes, sir.” The connection was cut.
Shan nodded to himself and called the commlink from its slot, then turned to the infoscreen and tapped in a quick series. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Priscilla drift over and perch on the arm of the nearer chair, dividing her attention between the two officials and her captain.
Budoc and Relgis exchanged glances and remained uncomfortably silent. Relgis nurtured the hope that the judge would drop one of his thundering lectures on the heads of both captain and crew member.
The commlink buzzed gently.
Shan spun his chair, tapped the violet key set along the left margin of the screen, and inclined his head to the austere individual in ruby-colored robes. The other man also wore a ruby turban, held by a glittering nelaphan brooch. His eyes were dark and deep-set, and the authority of his nose exceeded that of Shan's own.
”I am Judge Zahre,” he said emotionlessly.
”Yes, sir,” Shan agreed easily. ”We are acquainted, though I doubt you remember me. My father, Er Thorn yos'Galan, and I guested you aboard Dutiful Pa.s.sage several Standards ago, upon the occasion of your Honesty's succession to office.”
The face in the screen thawed somewhat; the lips bent a trifle. ”Indeed, I do remember you, sir, and most kindly. How does your father do? It would honor me if you and he would dine at my residence, if the length of your stay permits it.”
Shan took a breath, hardly aware that it was deeper than the one before it. After so many repet.i.tions, the phrase had become merely rote, and the inward voice that had keened ”My father is dead!” was now but a wordless flicker of pain.
”I regret to be the first to inform you,” he said evenly, pulling the words verbatim from the High Tongue, ”that my father's heart ceased its labor nearly three Standards gone by.”
The lines about the judge's mouth grew deeper as he bowed his head. ”It grieves me to hear it. I amricher for having had his acquaintance, though it was for so brief a time.”