garden. In all, it must
have covered four hectares. Footpaths narrowed off to secret spots with benches
waiting under trees and burbling fountains. Along both sides of the winding main
conduit stretched well-ordered beds in blooms themed by fragrance and color.
“It smells so good
here,” she said.
“Like your suite,”
David said. “And, it’s just as colorful.” His tone was playfully
mocking.
At the path’s terminus, a glass
and steel building greeted them. The interior appeared to be stuffed with as
much foliage and flora as the garden surrounding it. The humidity hit them as
soon as Carlos opened the door.
“He had to have this meeting
in a sauna, didn’t he?” Beads of perspiration dotted David’s hairline.
Mari actually felt quite comfortable, but David had an extra hundred kilograms
of muscle to carry around.
She paused inside the double
glass doors. “You don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.”
He waved her off. “I’m fine,
just occasionally prone to complaining.”
“This way,” Carlos said
with a touch of impatience in his voice.
She didn’t miss the antagonizing looks
he and David exchanged.
The conservatory sheltered rare
palms and tropical vines and had an entire wing devoted to orchids. Dale sat at
a table surrounded by these botanical gems, which showed off their brilliance
in the glass-walled room. A nest of bedding plants were tucked in another wing,
ready to replace any of the exterior florae which might die off and spoil the
perfection of the design. This elegant space with its exotic greenery should
have brought a sense of peace to Mari, but as she faced Dale, her stomach
tightened. It was time to prove her worth.
Dale stood to greet them, wearing
a crisp, blue tunic and casual pants. Though quite a few centimeters taller
than Mari, Dale looked diminutive next to the Armadan males. What he missed in
height and bulk, he made up for in a brilliant, white smile.
“So glad we can have this
meeting, dear.”
She noticed he completely ignored
David, as though he were nothing more than a hired bodyguard like Carlos.
“This is really just a
formality,” Dale continued. “The job is yours if you want it.”
“Just like that?” David
asked
Mari shot him a look, but he
stared at Dale.
“I have your curriculum
vitae from the last time I wanted to hire you and I would assume you’ve only
added to your wonderful resume since then.”
The excitement Mari felt at being
offered the contract waivered ever so slightly upon mention of her wonderful resume. It had been less than stellar back on Deleine—Dale had even commented
on that at the time. And except for a couple of landscaping jobs for hire when
she first came to the Bard , her skills list hadn’t grown much. Even with
her mine experience, she couldn’t boast any work that had to do with designing
a hydroponics system for a freighter.
She pushed the needling doubt
away to concentrate on what Dale was saying now.
“We can leave tomorrow. I’ll
just have Carlos provide you with the proper documents—”
“Leave?” Mari asked.
“Yes, the Thrall 7 will depart for its run back to Deleine tomorrow, hopefully with our new
botanist on board,” Dale said.
“I’ll be working on the
design on-site, in-transit?”
“Of course, dear. The design
process alone takes a few weeks, no? Add another month for installation. That
is much too long for the Thrall to be off route.”
“I wouldn’t think I have to
be on-site to oversee the installation,” Mari said.
“I would insist upon it,
dear. Don’t you want to make sure the mech techs don’t corrupt your beautiful
design? There will be several cargo stops to and from Deleine, so consider it a
way to see more of the system on your off-time.”
“Aboard a freighter? That
sounds like fun,” David said.
“I’m sorry,” Dale said.
“What’s he doing here?”
“Moral support,” David
said.
Mari gave David a pleading look.
“Maybe you could give us a
have covered four hectares. Footpaths narrowed off to secret spots with benches
waiting under trees and burbling fountains. Along both sides of the winding main
conduit stretched well-ordered beds in blooms themed by fragrance and color.
“It smells so good
here,” she said.
“Like your suite,”
David said. “And, it’s just as colorful.” His tone was playfully
mocking.
At the path’s terminus, a glass
and steel building greeted them. The interior appeared to be stuffed with as
much foliage and flora as the garden surrounding it. The humidity hit them as
soon as Carlos opened the door.
“He had to have this meeting
in a sauna, didn’t he?” Beads of perspiration dotted David’s hairline.
Mari actually felt quite comfortable, but David had an extra hundred kilograms
of muscle to carry around.
She paused inside the double
glass doors. “You don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.”
He waved her off. “I’m fine,
just occasionally prone to complaining.”
“This way,” Carlos said
with a touch of impatience in his voice.
She didn’t miss the antagonizing looks
he and David exchanged.
The conservatory sheltered rare
palms and tropical vines and had an entire wing devoted to orchids. Dale sat at
a table surrounded by these botanical gems, which showed off their brilliance
in the glass-walled room. A nest of bedding plants were tucked in another wing,
ready to replace any of the exterior florae which might die off and spoil the
perfection of the design. This elegant space with its exotic greenery should
have brought a sense of peace to Mari, but as she faced Dale, her stomach
tightened. It was time to prove her worth.
Dale stood to greet them, wearing
a crisp, blue tunic and casual pants. Though quite a few centimeters taller
than Mari, Dale looked diminutive next to the Armadan males. What he missed in
height and bulk, he made up for in a brilliant, white smile.
“So glad we can have this
meeting, dear.”
She noticed he completely ignored
David, as though he were nothing more than a hired bodyguard like Carlos.
“This is really just a
formality,” Dale continued. “The job is yours if you want it.”
“Just like that?” David
asked
Mari shot him a look, but he
stared at Dale.
“I have your curriculum
vitae from the last time I wanted to hire you and I would assume you’ve only
added to your wonderful resume since then.”
The excitement Mari felt at being
offered the contract waivered ever so slightly upon mention of her wonderful resume. It had been less than stellar back on Deleine—Dale had even commented
on that at the time. And except for a couple of landscaping jobs for hire when
she first came to the Bard , her skills list hadn’t grown much. Even with
her mine experience, she couldn’t boast any work that had to do with designing
a hydroponics system for a freighter.
She pushed the needling doubt
away to concentrate on what Dale was saying now.
“We can leave tomorrow. I’ll
just have Carlos provide you with the proper documents—”
“Leave?” Mari asked.
“Yes, the Thrall 7 will depart for its run back to Deleine tomorrow, hopefully with our new
botanist on board,” Dale said.
“I’ll be working on the
design on-site, in-transit?”
“Of course, dear. The design
process alone takes a few weeks, no? Add another month for installation. That
is much too long for the Thrall to be off route.”
“I wouldn’t think I have to
be on-site to oversee the installation,” Mari said.
“I would insist upon it,
dear. Don’t you want to make sure the mech techs don’t corrupt your beautiful
design? There will be several cargo stops to and from Deleine, so consider it a
way to see more of the system on your off-time.”
“Aboard a freighter? That
sounds like fun,” David said.
“I’m sorry,” Dale said.
“What’s he doing here?”
“Moral support,” David
said.
Mari gave David a pleading look.
“Maybe you could give us a
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