possibly relax? There're seventy-three seats at issue, the whole balance. If things go wrong in just the Aikes sector . . . why . . . you could be sent back to the floor. You'd lose your job as . . . I mean someone else would take over and . . ."
"Welcome to the damn job," Bullone said. "It's one giant headache." He smiled at Orne. "Sorry to burden you with this perennial squabble, m'boy, but the women of this family run me ragged if I let them. From what I hear, you've had a pretty busy day, too. Hope we're not tiring you." He smiled paternally at Diana. "Your first day out of the hospital and all."
"Diana sets quite a pace, but I've enjoyed it," Orne said.
"We're taking the small flitter on a tour of the wilderness area tomorrow,"
Diana said. "I'll do the driving and Lew can relax."
"Be sure you're back in plenty of time for the party," Polly said.
Bullone turned to Orne. "You see?"
"Now, Scottie," Polly said, "you can't have . . ." She broke off at the sound of a low bell from an alcove behind her. "That'll be for me. Excuse me, please. No, don't get up."
Diana bent toward Orne, said; "If you want, we can have a special meal prepared for you. I asked the hospital and they said you were under no dietary restrictions." She nodded toward Orne's untouched dinner which had emerged from the bubbleslot beside his table setting.
"Oh, this is quite all right," Orne said. He could not hear Polly in the alcove. She had a security cone for certain. He bent to his dinner: meat in an exotic sauce which he couldn't place, Sirik champagne, ataloka au semil . .
. luxury piled upon luxury.
Presently, Polly resumed her seat.
"Anything important?" Bullone asked.
"Only a cancellation for tomorrow night. Professor Wingard is ill."
"I'd just as soon they canceled it down to the four of us," Bullone said. "I want some time to chat with Lewis."
Unless this is a clever pose, that doesn't sound like a man who wants to grab more power, Orne thought.
For the first time, Orne began wondering if Stetson had lied, if this were part of some elaborate political in-fighting process with Stetson and friends at the heart of it. What if a cabal in the I-A were plotting a coup? No! He knew he had to stop looking for phantoms and proceed just by what he learned -
- datum by datum.
Polly glanced at her husband, said: "Scottie, you should take more pride in your office, I swear it. You're an important man and it helps at times to reflect this."
"If it weren't for you, my dear, I'd be a nobody and prefer it," Bullone said, smiling fondly at his wife.
"Oh, now, Scottie," she said.
Bullone grinned at Orne, said: "Compared to my wife, Lewis, I'm a political idiot. Never saw anyone who could call the turn the way she does. It runs in her family. Her mother was the same way and her grandmother! Now, there was a true genius in politics."
Orne stared at him, fork raised from the plate and motionless. A sudden idea had exploded in his mind. It couldn't be! he thought. It just couldn't be!
"You must know something of this political life, Lew," Diana said. "Wasn't your father once Member for Chargon?"
"Yes," Orne murmured. "He died in office."
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to open old wounds."
"It's quite all right," Orne said. He shook his head from side to side, still caught in the throes of his explosive idea. It couldn't be, but . . . the pattern was almost identical.
"Do you feel all right, Lewis?" Polly asked. "You're suddenly so pale."
"Just tired," Orne said. "Guess I'm not used to so much activity."
Diana put her fork down, a stricken look on her face. "Oh, Lew! And I've been a beast keeping you so busy today, your first day out of the hospital."
Bullone said: "Don't stand on ceremony in this house, Lewis."
Polly looked concerned, said: "You've been very sick and we understand. If you're tired, Lewis, you go right on to bed. Perhaps we could bring you a little hot broth, later."
Orne glanced around the table, met anxious
"Welcome to the damn job," Bullone said. "It's one giant headache." He smiled at Orne. "Sorry to burden you with this perennial squabble, m'boy, but the women of this family run me ragged if I let them. From what I hear, you've had a pretty busy day, too. Hope we're not tiring you." He smiled paternally at Diana. "Your first day out of the hospital and all."
"Diana sets quite a pace, but I've enjoyed it," Orne said.
"We're taking the small flitter on a tour of the wilderness area tomorrow,"
Diana said. "I'll do the driving and Lew can relax."
"Be sure you're back in plenty of time for the party," Polly said.
Bullone turned to Orne. "You see?"
"Now, Scottie," Polly said, "you can't have . . ." She broke off at the sound of a low bell from an alcove behind her. "That'll be for me. Excuse me, please. No, don't get up."
Diana bent toward Orne, said; "If you want, we can have a special meal prepared for you. I asked the hospital and they said you were under no dietary restrictions." She nodded toward Orne's untouched dinner which had emerged from the bubbleslot beside his table setting.
"Oh, this is quite all right," Orne said. He could not hear Polly in the alcove. She had a security cone for certain. He bent to his dinner: meat in an exotic sauce which he couldn't place, Sirik champagne, ataloka au semil . .
. luxury piled upon luxury.
Presently, Polly resumed her seat.
"Anything important?" Bullone asked.
"Only a cancellation for tomorrow night. Professor Wingard is ill."
"I'd just as soon they canceled it down to the four of us," Bullone said. "I want some time to chat with Lewis."
Unless this is a clever pose, that doesn't sound like a man who wants to grab more power, Orne thought.
For the first time, Orne began wondering if Stetson had lied, if this were part of some elaborate political in-fighting process with Stetson and friends at the heart of it. What if a cabal in the I-A were plotting a coup? No! He knew he had to stop looking for phantoms and proceed just by what he learned -
- datum by datum.
Polly glanced at her husband, said: "Scottie, you should take more pride in your office, I swear it. You're an important man and it helps at times to reflect this."
"If it weren't for you, my dear, I'd be a nobody and prefer it," Bullone said, smiling fondly at his wife.
"Oh, now, Scottie," she said.
Bullone grinned at Orne, said: "Compared to my wife, Lewis, I'm a political idiot. Never saw anyone who could call the turn the way she does. It runs in her family. Her mother was the same way and her grandmother! Now, there was a true genius in politics."
Orne stared at him, fork raised from the plate and motionless. A sudden idea had exploded in his mind. It couldn't be! he thought. It just couldn't be!
"You must know something of this political life, Lew," Diana said. "Wasn't your father once Member for Chargon?"
"Yes," Orne murmured. "He died in office."
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to open old wounds."
"It's quite all right," Orne said. He shook his head from side to side, still caught in the throes of his explosive idea. It couldn't be, but . . . the pattern was almost identical.
"Do you feel all right, Lewis?" Polly asked. "You're suddenly so pale."
"Just tired," Orne said. "Guess I'm not used to so much activity."
Diana put her fork down, a stricken look on her face. "Oh, Lew! And I've been a beast keeping you so busy today, your first day out of the hospital."
Bullone said: "Don't stand on ceremony in this house, Lewis."
Polly looked concerned, said: "You've been very sick and we understand. If you're tired, Lewis, you go right on to bed. Perhaps we could bring you a little hot broth, later."
Orne glanced around the table, met anxious
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