Judgment at Proteus by Timothy Zahn

frequencies something fierce. That’s probably why Minnario’s phone transponder messes up his controls—there are only a few frequencies that the thrusters don’t blanket, and phones and local control systems have to share them. No, whoever’s listening in on Minnario’s room is going to get nothing but unreadable and unfilterable static.”
    “I didn’t know that,” Bayta said thoughtfully. “Maybe we should start carrying a thruster around with us.”
    “High-level diplomats often do, actually,” I said. “One final point: if Hchchu and Minnario were trying to separate us, why would Minnario remind everyone that you qualify as a witness? I sure hadn’t thought of that dodge.”
    “Could we have two different sides working at cross-purposes?” Bayta suggested slowly. “Perhaps Chinzro Hchchu wants to convict you of those six murders and doesn’t want me around for the trial, while the Shonkla-raa does want me at the trial so that we’ll both be away from Terese.”
    I pursed my lips. Another angle I hadn’t thought of. I was definitely slipping. “Could be,” I agreed. “Certainly the whole idea of saddling us with these watchdogs theoretically gives them the power to control all our movements…”
    I trailed off as something suddenly struck me. “What is it?” Bayta asked tensely.
    “I was just wondering about the way Ty stuck with you tonight,” I said. “Clearly, the Fillies—presumably including Hchchu—expected both of them to come here with me, even though they knew we were supposedly going to be staying in different quarters. That implies there wasn’t any subtle nuance in Hchchu’s instructions to the watchdogs.”
    “Maybe they misunderstood their orders,” Bayta suggested.
    “Or maybe you’re right about two groups working at cross-purposes.”
    “Perhaps.” Bayta was silent a moment. “Do you suppose one or the other of those groups may have planted trackers in them?”
    “Unlikely,” I assured her. “Without a collar or other similar add-on, the only place for anyone to put something like that is inside the animal itself. That requires a fair amount of prep work, more than anyone got after Minnario charged up on his white horse and disrupted everyone’s plans. No, I’m pretty sure they’re clean.”
    “That makes sense, I suppose,” she said. “It’s not like someone couldn’t put us under nearly constant observation anyway, assuming they had access to the security camera system.”
    “Exactly,” I agreed. “Which I’m guessing they won’t do, since it would involve awkward questions from the patrollers. Much easier to simply have us followed.” I frowned down at Doug. “Which still leaves us with our watchdog tag-team puzzle. I wonder who aboard Proteus is authorized to give these things orders.”
    “Maybe Attorney Minnario can find out.”
    “Or maybe I can do it myself,” I said. “I think I’ll take a few minutes and see what files the computer will let me get into.”
    “Do you want any help?”
    “No, you’d better get to sleep,” I said. “Remember that Emikai will be here bright and early.”
    “Do you trust him?”
    I shrugged. “I’ve got no particular reason not to. He was a cop, which means he’s got his own set of genetic engineering and behavioral restraints.”
    “Only his loyalties aren’t to us,” Bayta reminded me. “They’re to the Filiaelian santras .”
    “There’s that,” I conceded. “And when I say there’s no reason not to trust him, I also mean there’s no reason to trust him, either. We’ll have to watch him—and Minnario—and see how this all plays out.”
    “While also watching Terese and Dr. Aronobal?”
    “Like I say, tomorrow’s going to be a full and rich day,” I said. “Get some sleep.” I patted her shoulder through the blankets and started to roll off the bed.
    “Why Ty ?” she asked suddenly.
    “What?” I asked, frowning, as I rolled back to her again.
    “ Doug I understand,”