![Cosmopath - [Bengal Station 03]](/res/aob/book1.jpg)
a civilian might think there is no call for vigilance, Miz Das.”
She smiled at him. “That’s Dr Das, Mr Singh. Well, I’m delighted that Rab will be more than adequately protected,” she said, pointedly took her lover’s arm and moved on.
They stood beside the floor-to-ceiling observation screen overlooking the busy port. Chandrasakar said, “Did I miss something there?”
His boyish puzzlement was endearing. She squeezed his arm and whispered, “Singh is suspicious of me, not to say jealous. He doesn’t like the idea of his boss slumming it with an Indian low-life.”
He stared at her. “You read that?”
She laughed. “I don’t need to read him,” she said. “It was obvious from his body language, and the little he did say.”
“I’ll have a word with him, tell him that you’re a great friend and to be trusted.”
“No,” she said quickly, “that would only antagonise him even more. Just let him be.”
He nodded. “If you say so, Parveen.”
He pointed out the shuttle, surrounded by maintenance engineers and techs, and looked at his watch. “We should be boarding in little under thirty minutes. Will you excuse me one moment?”
She smiled as she watched him stride to the centre of the room; eyes followed him and a silence fell.
“Ladies and gentlemen...” he began. “First of all, my sincerest thanks that you consented to join me on this mission. It isn’t every day I fly to the edge of the Expansion to explore a newly discovered planet, and I wanted only the very best scientists, technicians, and back-up staff to accompany me...” A patter of applause greeted his words, which he damped with a raised palm and a smile. “We’ll be taking my best ship, Kali’s Revenge...” He went on, detailing the ship’s attributes for those who might be interested.
Das watched him, noted how he commanded the room with his presence, and not for the first time thanked her lucky stars.
She was still daydreaming when a figure loomed at her side. She turned to see Anil Singh staring down at her.
“Mr Singh...” she said, edging away.
“I just thought I’d tell you, Doctor Das,” he said, with sarcastic emphasis, “that despite the fact that you’ve gained Chandrasakar’s... intimacy, shall we say... neither that nor your eminence cuts it with me. Do I make myself clear?”
She tried to outstare him. “But Mr Singh,” she tried, “I have absolutely no idea-”
He took her elbow in a grip like a robotic claw. “Then I’ll be plain. I don’t trust communists as far as I can piss.” He smiled, sweetly. “And you can tell the boss what I said in exactly those words, if you dare.”
He unhanded her and strode away before she could marshal a reply.
Heart pounding, she turned to the viewscreen and stared out, hating herself for feeling so shaken.
Later, she told herself, she’d probe him. If his shield was cutting-edge, then she’d get round that by employing a virus. She wouldn’t let the fascist prick treat her like shit...
She grabbed a beer from a passing waiter and drank quickly.
Chandrasakar wrapped up his address and rejoined her. “I saw Singh...?” he began.
She smiled easily. “He just came over to apologise for his coolness earlier, Rab.”
He nodded. “Good man,” he said. He indicated the shuttle; a fuel tanker was beetling from its flank. “Ten minutes and we’ll be on our way.”
Parveen looked around the room. She noticed someone standing alone further along the rail; he was staring out at the port, one foot lodged on the lower rail, holding a nearly empty bottle of Blue Mountain beer.
He was tall, dressed casually, with a thin face, close-cropped, receding hair and dark eyes. He was handsome in a paired-down, sinewy kind of way, and noticeable as the only person in the room not wearing a Chandrasakar Organisation uniform.
“Rab,” she said,
She smiled at him. “That’s Dr Das, Mr Singh. Well, I’m delighted that Rab will be more than adequately protected,” she said, pointedly took her lover’s arm and moved on.
They stood beside the floor-to-ceiling observation screen overlooking the busy port. Chandrasakar said, “Did I miss something there?”
His boyish puzzlement was endearing. She squeezed his arm and whispered, “Singh is suspicious of me, not to say jealous. He doesn’t like the idea of his boss slumming it with an Indian low-life.”
He stared at her. “You read that?”
She laughed. “I don’t need to read him,” she said. “It was obvious from his body language, and the little he did say.”
“I’ll have a word with him, tell him that you’re a great friend and to be trusted.”
“No,” she said quickly, “that would only antagonise him even more. Just let him be.”
He nodded. “If you say so, Parveen.”
He pointed out the shuttle, surrounded by maintenance engineers and techs, and looked at his watch. “We should be boarding in little under thirty minutes. Will you excuse me one moment?”
She smiled as she watched him stride to the centre of the room; eyes followed him and a silence fell.
“Ladies and gentlemen...” he began. “First of all, my sincerest thanks that you consented to join me on this mission. It isn’t every day I fly to the edge of the Expansion to explore a newly discovered planet, and I wanted only the very best scientists, technicians, and back-up staff to accompany me...” A patter of applause greeted his words, which he damped with a raised palm and a smile. “We’ll be taking my best ship, Kali’s Revenge...” He went on, detailing the ship’s attributes for those who might be interested.
Das watched him, noted how he commanded the room with his presence, and not for the first time thanked her lucky stars.
She was still daydreaming when a figure loomed at her side. She turned to see Anil Singh staring down at her.
“Mr Singh...” she said, edging away.
“I just thought I’d tell you, Doctor Das,” he said, with sarcastic emphasis, “that despite the fact that you’ve gained Chandrasakar’s... intimacy, shall we say... neither that nor your eminence cuts it with me. Do I make myself clear?”
She tried to outstare him. “But Mr Singh,” she tried, “I have absolutely no idea-”
He took her elbow in a grip like a robotic claw. “Then I’ll be plain. I don’t trust communists as far as I can piss.” He smiled, sweetly. “And you can tell the boss what I said in exactly those words, if you dare.”
He unhanded her and strode away before she could marshal a reply.
Heart pounding, she turned to the viewscreen and stared out, hating herself for feeling so shaken.
Later, she told herself, she’d probe him. If his shield was cutting-edge, then she’d get round that by employing a virus. She wouldn’t let the fascist prick treat her like shit...
She grabbed a beer from a passing waiter and drank quickly.
Chandrasakar wrapped up his address and rejoined her. “I saw Singh...?” he began.
She smiled easily. “He just came over to apologise for his coolness earlier, Rab.”
He nodded. “Good man,” he said. He indicated the shuttle; a fuel tanker was beetling from its flank. “Ten minutes and we’ll be on our way.”
Parveen looked around the room. She noticed someone standing alone further along the rail; he was staring out at the port, one foot lodged on the lower rail, holding a nearly empty bottle of Blue Mountain beer.
He was tall, dressed casually, with a thin face, close-cropped, receding hair and dark eyes. He was handsome in a paired-down, sinewy kind of way, and noticeable as the only person in the room not wearing a Chandrasakar Organisation uniform.
“Rab,” she said,
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