Part 7 (1/2)
”But that's essentially correct.”
”And the longer we stay, the more extras we get?”
Thrawn smiled faintly. ”That may be possible. I thought you were in a rush to return home.”
”No, no, there's no hurry,” Qennto a.s.sured him, giving the treasure room a leisurely sweep of his eves. His earlier impatience, Car'das noted, seemed to have vanished without a trace. ”No hurry at all.”
5.
Come, Padawan,” C'baoth said tartly, half turning to throw a glare behind him. ”Stop lagging.”
”Yes, Master C'baoth,” Lorana said, picking up her pace and hoping fervently that at her increased speed she'd be able to get through the early-morning marketplace crowds without running down any of the shoppers. Up to now the browsing Brolfi had been able to get out of C'baoth's way as he strode through their midst, but she suspected part of that was the fact that he was as hard to miss as an approaching thunderstorm. She, unfortunately, didn't have nearly the same commanding presence, and there had been some near misses already.
The frustrating part was that there was no need for them to walk this fast in the first place-they still had plenty of time before the day's negotiations began. No, C'baoth was simply angry: angry at the stubborn Brolf negotiators, angry at the equally stubborn Corporate Alliance representatives, angrier still at the careless drafters of the original mineral-rights contract who had left matters open to multiple interpretations in the first place.
And the angrier C'baoth got, the faster he walked.
Fortunately, the Force was with Lorana, and she made it to the end of their particular market segment without bowling anyone over and crossed onto one of the wide promenades that divided up the marketplace. One more segment to go and they would climb the steps to the wide western door of the city administration center where the negotiations would soon resume.
Unfortunately, C'baoth responded to the open area by picking up his pace all the more. Grimacing, Lorana sped up as much as she could without breaking into a trot, which she knew would bring an instant rebuke as being undignified and unbecoming of a Jedi.
And then, without warning, C'baoth braked to an abrupt halt.
”What is it?” Lorana asked, stretching out with the Force as she came to a stop beside him. She could detect no danger or threat nearby, only C'baoth's own suddenly heightened annoyance. ”Master C'baoth?”
”Typical,” he growled, his hair and beard rustling against his robe as he turned his head. ”Nervous and distrusting, the whole lot of them. Come, Padawan.”
He strode off toward the market square to their right. Lorana craned her neck to look as she followed, trying to figure out what he was talking about.
And then she saw two men coming toward them through the crowd: a Jedi and his Padawan, both of them familiar looking, striding confidently through the ordinary people like lights amid a swirl of dead leaves.
She frowned, the mental image suddenly catching her conscious attention.
A swirl of dead leaves .. .
When in the worlds had she started to think of non-Jedi that way? Surely that wasn't how she'd been brought up to think of the people she had dedicated her life to serve. Could it be an att.i.tude she'd picked up from some of the people she'd traveled among since becoming C'baoth's Padawan?
Certainly many of them had seemed to consider themselves inferior to those who carried the lightsaber, Or had she picked it up from C'baoth himself? Was that how he thought about people?
C'baoth stopped a few meters from the edge of the square and waited, and as the two figures threaded their way around the final group of shoppers and continued toward them Lorana finally matched their faces with their names. ”Master C'baoth,” Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi said, nodding in greeting as he and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, walked up.
”Master Ken.o.bi,” C'baoth greeted them in turn, his voice and manner polite but with an edge of intimidation beneath the words. ”This is a surprise. Have you come all the way from Coruscant just to shop for prisht fruits?”
”It is said that Barlok horticultural techniques produce the best specimens,” Obi-Wan replied calmly. ”And you?”
”You know perfectly well why we're here,” C'baoth said. ”Tell me, how is Master Windu?”
Ken.o.bi's lip twitched slightly. ”He's well.”
”That's good to hear.” C'baoth s.h.i.+fted his attention to the young teen standing at Ken.o.bi's side, and a slight smile finally touched the corners of his lips. ”Master Skywalker, isn't it?” he said in a friendlier tone.
”Yes, Master C'baoth,” Anakin said, and Lorana couldn't help but smile herself at the earnest gravity in the boy's voice. ”It's an honor to see you again.”
”As it is likewise an honor for me to meet once more with such a promising Padawan,” C'baoth replied. ”Tell me, how goes your training?”
Anakin glanced at Ken.o.bi. ”There's always more to learn, of course,” he said. ”I can only hope my progress is satisfactory.”
”His progress is more than satisfactory,” Ken.o.bi put in. ”At this rate, he'll be a full Jedi before he's twenty.”
Lorana winced. She herself was already twenty-two, and C'baoth had made no mention of recommending her for Jedi Knighthood anytime soon. Was Anakin that much stronger in the Force than she was?
”And yet he began his training so much later than usual,” C'baoth pointed out, smiling almost fondly at the boy. ”That makes his development even more impressive.”
”Indeed,” Ken.o.bi said. ”In hindsight, I think it's clear that the Council made the right decision in permitting me to train him.”
There was just the slightest emphasis on the word me, and for half a second a dark cloud seemed to hover at the edge of C'baoth's face. Then the darkness faded and he smiled again. ”This has been a pleasant meeting,” he said. ”But the negotiators are a.s.sembling, and I have work to do. I trust you'll excuse me if I go and deal with legitimate Council business.”
”Certainly,” Ken.o.bi said, his cheek tightening slightly at the implication that he and his Padawan were not, in fact, on legitimate Council business themselves.
”But I forget my manners,” C'baoth continued. ”This is a full and rich city, and you and Master Skywalker will undoubtedly wish to sample its amus.e.m.e.nts while you're here.” He gestured to Lorana. ”My Padawan, Lorana Jinzler, would be honored to escort you on your explorations.”
”Thank you, but that won't be necessary,” Ken.o.bi said, throwing Lorana a measuring look. ”We'll be fine.”
”I insist,” C'baoth said, and there was no mistaking the command in his tone. ”I wouldn't want you getting in the way of the talks, or accidentally running afoul of any of the negotiators.” He looked at Anakin. ”Besides, I imagine Master Skywalker would enjoy the company of another Padawan for a while.”
Again, Anakin looked at his teacher. ”Well . . .”
”And I'd take it as a personal favor, as well,” C'baoth added, looking back at Ken.o.bi. ”There's really nothing for Lorana to do in the negotiations, and thus no real reason for me to keep her there. I'm sure she'd prefer to be out and about, and I'd feel better knowing she was touring the city with someone reliable.”
Ken.o.bi's lip twitched. He wasn't at all happy about this Lorana could see that even without the Force. But he'd been outmaneuvered, and he knew it.
”As you wish, Master C'baoth,” he said. ”We'd be honored to have your Padawan's company for the present.”
”For as long as you wish,” C'baoth said. ”Now I must go. Farewell.”
Turning, he strode away.
Lorana watched him go, her throat tightening. She'd been perfectly content to sit behind C'baoth during the negotiations, and up to now he'd seemed equally content to have her there. Had she done something to displease him?
Still, whatever the reason, she had her orders, even if they'd been largely unspoken. Bracing herself, she turned back around.
To find Ken.o.bi and Anakin gazing expectantly back at her. ”Well,” she said, wincing at the inanity of the word. A Padawan of Jorus C'baoth's should be more urbane and eloquent than that. ”I've only been in the city for a day, but I did pick up a guide card for visitors at the s.p.a.ceport.”
”So did we,” Ken.o.bi said, lifting his eyebrows slightly. Clearly, he wasn't going to make this easy on her. ”Master Ken.o.bi-”
”You know anyplace to get good tarsh maxers?” Anakin spoke up hopefully.