Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon Page B

discomfort. She let the forks clatter to the table while querying her implant for today’s schedule. “Shall I initiate the call at 1400, or will the Minister?”
    “The Minister will. Thank you.”
    “And can you give me a clue?”
    “Is this a secure line?”
    “I certainly hope so,” Stella said. “But for absolute security, I should use the office equipment. I’ll call you in one—no, I’m sorry, two hours, will that be convenient?”
    “Er…yes, Sera Vatta, that will be quite sufficient, and I will have transmitted the supporting data. You might wish to look at it…”
    Stella called the school while Toby devoured four eggs and a stack of toast, and explained what she needed, then put in a call to Station Security. As she’d expected, Zori’s parents were both in custody, and the house was under guard, Security personnel plowing through it looking for evidence.
    “I need some clothes for the girl,” Stella said when she was transferred to the officer in charge. “I’ll be sending someone over to pick them up—”
    “I can’t let anyone come in,” the woman said.
    “Well, pack her a bag then. It ought to be obvious which is her room. At least a week’s worth of underwear and outerwear.”
    “I can’t do that. That room’s not cleared yet. It’s against protocol—”
    “The girl slept in her clothes last night. I don’t have anything her size, and if you check with your superior, you’ll find she’s not supposed to leave my apartment. She needs clothes. She needs things for school, too.”
    “Why didn’t she pick them up last night?”
    Stella rolled her eyes. “Perhaps you don’t know the whole story. She did not intend to come here when she left home. She was going to meet a friend for ice cream, and then go home. Then things happened, and your people—Security—asked me to take her in temporarily. And before you ask, I had no opportunity to send for her things.”
    “She’ll just have to buy something, then. This family is rich enough.”
    “I expect the accounts are frozen,” Stella said. “But thank you so much for your cooperation.” She ended the call, shaking her head. “Idiots.” With another call, she learned that her suspicion had been correct: all Louarri accounts were frozen, and it would take a court order to give Zori access to her own possessions. “Toby, go see if Zori’s awake; I need to talk to both of you.”
    Zori looked as if she’d been crying again, and her clothes were rumpled, but she had herself under control when she came into the kitchen.
    “I can fix you eggs,” Toby said, clearly eager to show off his new skill. Zori shuddered and refused, but accepted toast.
    “Your school assignments will be delivered here by midmorning,” Stella said. “But Zori, your computers and your clothes are all captive to a very zealous security officer. All your family accounts are frozen, so your current credit cube is useless for the time being. I’m sure the court will make one account available in a day or so, but in the meantime you need things. Where do you usually shop?”
    “Gibalta’s,” Zori said. “But—you mean there are people in our house?”
    Was she really that naïve? “Yes,” Stella said, as gently as she could. “You know your parents are in custody—”
    “Yes…”
    “Well, the authorities are looking for evidence. You weren’t involved in whatever your father was doing, but they can’t be sure.”
    “They won’t look in my journal, will they?” Zori’s glance slid over to Toby, and she blushed, then looked down.
    Young love, again. Stella felt like laughing and banging her head on the wall both, and neither would help. Her own mother had found her journal, all those years ago, with all the damning things she’d written about that boy. “I’m afraid they will,” she said, as gently as possible. “But Zori, they are looking for evidence…not…whatever you put in your journal.”
    “They’ll read it, though,