one of whom pulled a small corn-link from a pocketlike sleeve patch. Bhelan spoke into it at some length, too softly for either woman to understand, then returned it to its owner and came back to join them.
"A small matter--please, if you will excuse me." A wide door in the far wall slid open; the pilot walked quickly through it and into another lock, bounded by a high clear wall. Magdalena caught a tantalizing glimpse of the curved world of the station beyond, before the door slid closed once more.
"So--what was all that about?" Alexis spoke Mizari, keeping her voice inflexionless and her expression neutral as she stepped into the open. The two attendants were already pulling
68
the cart toward the foot of the ramp where the last of the luggage had been deposited. "The look on his face--like he was scared."
"You don't suppose they're going to restrict us the way they do the Heeyoon Trading Coalition?" Magdalena returned in the same language. "I thought Dr. Rob said that had been worked out."
"He did." Alexis glanced up as the final bags were stacked and the attendants began lashing everything down with pale-colored webbing. "And I glanced over the documentation before we ever left StarBridge, that particular matter's under control."
"Even though we aren't meeting with the stationmaster," Magdalena said.
Alexis shook her head and glanced toward the closed doorway where Bhelan had gone. "Well, I wasn't surprised. Were you?"
"Considering he's the Iron Duke's cousin? No. But a member of his staff, just for appearances ..."
"Well, there's the unspoken part of it," Alexis said dryly. "Though they certainly made it clear enough: The implied insult if a minor station dignitary met us before the Emperor did."
"I guess. But what does that make Bhelan?"
"A servant, and therefore beneath anyone's notice, including ours." Alexis gave her a sidelong, keen glance. "Does anything feel wrong to you? The way he moved, or gestured?"
"Not that way, no," Magdalena assured her CLS companion.
Alexis's most recent lover had been a telepath, a young woman from Jolie.
Marie-Claire had been fascinated by Magdalena's odd talent for "reading"
body language and expression and had persuaded her still-dubious partner that it was an authentic talent, even if it didn't work the way telepathy did.
"Just--it sounds like the kind of neatly tailored lie an Arekkhi politician would create." She managed a crooked grin. "I'm being paranoid, sorry."
"Doesn't mean they aren't out to get you," Alexis replied with a quiet laugh.
"But I don't think there's a problem, really.
69
If there is one, we'll find out, soon enough. But since you and I are a wholly new life form here, it could be they're trying to avoid panic on-station. I'll wager you that conveyance to Bhelan's shuttle is fully enclosed."
"Mmmmm--maybe."
"And if he gets us clearance to walk, I'll also wager there won't be a living soul between us and the Emperor's shuttle, once we get out of this air lock,"
Alexis added; she gripped Magdalena's arm as the other girl swallowed, hard. "Sorry, forgot you don't like the 'a' word."
"Air lock? I'm all right," Magdalena managed.
"Well, we'll be just fine," Alexis reiterated. "And there should be a few Arekkhi up here like those two," her eyes slid sideways, indicating the baggage handlers who were clamping the last mesh ends over the high pile of luggage; both males eyed the outsiders avidly whenever they dared take their eyes off their work. "And remember, we aren't the Heeyoon traders up here; we're going to be based on-world, and we get to talk to anyone we want."
The Arekkhi government had been firm about the traders: The few Heeyoons permitted to deal here were limited to their own small, openly marked, quadrant of station. The only time they'd actually been down to the planet was for a reception at the Emperor's palace, and a very brief tour of the city of Ebba and the lands about it.
"Well, the argument does make sense," Magdalena
"A small matter--please, if you will excuse me." A wide door in the far wall slid open; the pilot walked quickly through it and into another lock, bounded by a high clear wall. Magdalena caught a tantalizing glimpse of the curved world of the station beyond, before the door slid closed once more.
"So--what was all that about?" Alexis spoke Mizari, keeping her voice inflexionless and her expression neutral as she stepped into the open. The two attendants were already pulling
68
the cart toward the foot of the ramp where the last of the luggage had been deposited. "The look on his face--like he was scared."
"You don't suppose they're going to restrict us the way they do the Heeyoon Trading Coalition?" Magdalena returned in the same language. "I thought Dr. Rob said that had been worked out."
"He did." Alexis glanced up as the final bags were stacked and the attendants began lashing everything down with pale-colored webbing. "And I glanced over the documentation before we ever left StarBridge, that particular matter's under control."
"Even though we aren't meeting with the stationmaster," Magdalena said.
Alexis shook her head and glanced toward the closed doorway where Bhelan had gone. "Well, I wasn't surprised. Were you?"
"Considering he's the Iron Duke's cousin? No. But a member of his staff, just for appearances ..."
"Well, there's the unspoken part of it," Alexis said dryly. "Though they certainly made it clear enough: The implied insult if a minor station dignitary met us before the Emperor did."
"I guess. But what does that make Bhelan?"
"A servant, and therefore beneath anyone's notice, including ours." Alexis gave her a sidelong, keen glance. "Does anything feel wrong to you? The way he moved, or gestured?"
"Not that way, no," Magdalena assured her CLS companion.
Alexis's most recent lover had been a telepath, a young woman from Jolie.
Marie-Claire had been fascinated by Magdalena's odd talent for "reading"
body language and expression and had persuaded her still-dubious partner that it was an authentic talent, even if it didn't work the way telepathy did.
"Just--it sounds like the kind of neatly tailored lie an Arekkhi politician would create." She managed a crooked grin. "I'm being paranoid, sorry."
"Doesn't mean they aren't out to get you," Alexis replied with a quiet laugh.
"But I don't think there's a problem, really.
69
If there is one, we'll find out, soon enough. But since you and I are a wholly new life form here, it could be they're trying to avoid panic on-station. I'll wager you that conveyance to Bhelan's shuttle is fully enclosed."
"Mmmmm--maybe."
"And if he gets us clearance to walk, I'll also wager there won't be a living soul between us and the Emperor's shuttle, once we get out of this air lock,"
Alexis added; she gripped Magdalena's arm as the other girl swallowed, hard. "Sorry, forgot you don't like the 'a' word."
"Air lock? I'm all right," Magdalena managed.
"Well, we'll be just fine," Alexis reiterated. "And there should be a few Arekkhi up here like those two," her eyes slid sideways, indicating the baggage handlers who were clamping the last mesh ends over the high pile of luggage; both males eyed the outsiders avidly whenever they dared take their eyes off their work. "And remember, we aren't the Heeyoon traders up here; we're going to be based on-world, and we get to talk to anyone we want."
The Arekkhi government had been firm about the traders: The few Heeyoons permitted to deal here were limited to their own small, openly marked, quadrant of station. The only time they'd actually been down to the planet was for a reception at the Emperor's palace, and a very brief tour of the city of Ebba and the lands about it.
"Well, the argument does make sense," Magdalena
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