He finished by pulling several purple folders from a drawer and tossing them across his immaculate marble desk. The reports that slid from them duplicated those Penny had shared with Kris and friends over breakfast. One was new. It showed the seal of the prime minister's office. Kris glanced at it. It had the story straight.
''Interesting,'' Kris said with a frown. ''I just finished talking to a police lieutenant about getting a permit for my bodyguards to carry weapons. He said that the police reports from last night show nothing happened.''
''Clearly, he is misinformed,'' the ambassador snorted, dismissing Martinez with a wave of his hand. He then launched into a diatribe on Kris's need to do her job, keep a low profile, and not disturb the tranquility of the embassy to the second most ancient planet in human space…and the most important when it came to Wardhaven's growing trade.
Kris nodded in all the right places, made the occasional proper noise of agreement…and put her time to better uses.
NELLY, WHAT IS THE MEDIA SAYING ABOUT LAST NIGHT?
I WAS WONDERING WHEN YOU WOULD ASK. NOTHING, FOR THE MOST PART.
NOTHING, ZERO, NADA!
PRETTY MUCH. NO SHOOT-OUT. NO DEAD BODIES. I EVEN CHECKED THE MORGUE. NO ONE ADMITTED WITH GUNSHOT WOUNDS.
SO, NOTHING HAPPENED, Kris said, and barely kept a puzzled frown from her face that wouldn't have been a proper response to where Sammy was in his flow of words, wisdom, and correction.
THERE IS A REPORT IN A SMALL MEDIA OUTLET THAT CONCERNS ITSELF WITH CIVIC MATTERS AND BUSINESS CONTRACTS FOR CITY WORK. IT SAYS A FIRE HYDRANT FAILED, AND POINTS OUT THAT THE SAME HYDRANT FAILED NOT THREE YEARS AGO. IT DEMANDS AN INVESTIGATION INTO SHODDY WORKMANSHIP BY CITY WORKERS AND STRONGLY SUGGESTS SUCH MATTERS SHOULD BE CONTRACTED OUT TO MORE EFFICIENT PRIVATE CONTRACTORS.
THREE YEARS AGO. DID YOU CHECK THAT STORY, NELLY?
YES, KRIS. THAT FLOODING WAS PUT DOWN TO A BAD WELD AT THE FACTORY.
NO WAY TO TELL IF ANYTHING HELPED IT ALONG?
SORRY, KRIS. I CAN ONLY REPORT THE NEWS THAT SOMEONE WRITES.
AND SOMEONE SEEMS TO HAVE A SOLID LOCK ON WHAT THAT IS, Kris said, then nodded for the ambassador's benefit and said, ''Yes sir, I will endeavor to not be attacked by assassins in the future.''
If Sammy detected the sarcasm, it did not show in his dismissal. ''Now, today you have some important negotiations. Thank heavens they are in the embassy. I shall assume you can do that without destroying the building.''
''Yes, Mr. Ambassador. I'm sure I can.''
He made a point of turning his attention to his desk computer. Kris made a point of nodding and leaving. It looked like it was going to be a busy day.
With luck, it would not be fatal for anyone, especially Kris.
6
Three planets, Lorna Do, Pitts Hope, and Hurtford wanted to build the latest line of business computers coming from IBM loaded with the software that went with them.
The sales rep from IBM was most willing to deal…but at a price that was quite out of line for a similar sale just closed between Yamato, Europa, and Columbia.
Kris knew about that deal. A Nuu Enterprises company on Yamato had been involved. The three reps on Kris's side also knew of the deal from their sources. The sales rep had to know they knew. Still, she smiled cheerfully and set the higher price, and the other planet reps smiled just as cheerfully and began their own long-winded campaign to lower the price.
All Kris could think of was that this was another day she'd never have again.
So, had Grampa Ray sent her here to learn to waste time?
Somehow, Kris doubted that.
She set Nelly to doing a more informed search on this planet, and nodded along with the conversation while Nelly searched. And made reports.
Reports that were as useless as the negotiations.
KRIS, I HAVE TRIED RESEARCHING THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS OF THIS PLANET'S HISTORY BUT I KEEP COMING UP AGAINST BABBLE.
BABBLE?
YES, MA'AM. I TRIED SEARCHING THE ARCHIVES OF THE THREE MAIN MEDIA SOURCES ON EDEN. HOWEVER, ALL THREE HAVE THEIR DATA STORED IN A DIFFERENT, NONSTANDARD FORMAT AND I CAN ONLY ACCESS THEM IF I APPLY FOR A SUBSCRIPTION AND AM APPROVED. THE COST FOR ANY OF THEM IS UNBELIEVABLY HIGH.
HOW HIGH?
Nelly quoted a price, and Kris barely suppressed a whistle that didn't fit into the bargaining. News archive subs would set Kris back the price of several of those overpriced dresses Abby occasionally added to her royal wardrobe.
YOU HAVEN'T APPLIED FOR A SUBSCRIPTION?
NO, KRIS, I DO NOT SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY WITHOUT PERMISSION. I AM NOT ABBY. ALSO, I WAS NOT SURE YOU WANTED IT KNOWN THAT YOU WERE APPLYING FOR SUCH A SUBSCRIPTION.
Which was Kris's second thought. While getting the straight skinny on this planet might not be easy, she somehow doubted keeping anything a secret was all that easy, either.
''Kris, you have a call coming in,'' Nelly whispered softly.
''I'll take it,'' Kris said. While the actual conversation would take place in the privacy of Kris's brain, it was common courtesy to let people in business meetings know that one of their members was going to be somewhat distracted for a while.
Around Kris, the conversation did not pause. That only confirmed her suspicion that while she might be in a Navy lieutenant's uniform, she was here to keep up royal appearances.
HELLO, Kris said, using Nelly's net connection.
THIS IS LIEUTENANT MARTINEZ, CALLING ABOUT YOUR WEAPONS PERMIT.
YES, LIEUTENANT, THANK YOU FOR GETTING BACK TO ME SO QUICKLY.
WHAT MY SPEED MAY BE REMAINS TO BE SEEN. I WOULD LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU FOR A FEW MINUTES. PREFERABLY ALONE AND SOMEWHERE WE WON'T BE INTERRUPTED. ''Or overheard'' seemed to be hanging there unsaid.
Of course, anywhere that filled that bill could also be setting her up to be gunned down by any shooter walking by.
COULD YOU MEET ME HERE AT THE EMBASSY?
I'D PREFER NOT TO, came back very quickly.
WHY DON'T YOU MEET ME IN FRONT OF THE EMBASSY AND WE'LL SETTLE ON A WALK FROM THERE. SAY IN FIFTEEN MINUTES.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT LUNCH.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT NOW. This at least would let her keep control of part of this potential bit of target practice.
As soon as Martinez rung off, Kris informed Jack.
NO SURPRISE OUR WALLS HAVE EARS. Jack agreed. I AM A BIT SURPRISED THAT A LOCAL COP WOULD NOT WANT TO TALK TO THEM.
I'M DISCOVERING LESS AND LESS ABOUT THIS PLANET, JACK. MAYBE I CAN FIND OUT SOMETHING IF THIS FELLOW FEELS FREE TO TALK?
AND DOESN'T GET YOU KILLED.
AND ON THAT TOPIC, DO YOU THINK YOU COULD SCARE US UP A HALF DOZEN MARINES. IN CIVVIES. I DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE A PARADE.
I'LL GET THEM IN CIVVIES. NO GUARANTEE THEY WON'T LOOK LIKE A SQUAD OF MARINES, THOUGH.
MAYBE THEY'LL SCARE OFF MY NEXT ASSASSIN.
THAT WOULD BE A CHANGE.
7
''Lieutenant Martinez, so nice of you to come so quickly,'' Kris said as she offered her hand. He shook it. In a rumpled raincoat and thick-soled shoes, he looked the part of a cop. Kris had ditched her cover and wore a light blue civilian raincoat over her whites. The violation of uniform regs just might make her a harder target. It made Jack happier.
Jack, along with a half dozen other Marines in civilian clothes formed a wedge behind Kris. Martinez took in their tight haircuts with a nod and a smile. ''I'll see if I can postdate your application's approval to cover this walk.''
''We would greatly appreciate that.'' Kris left it to Martinez to decide if the ''we'' was royal or collective. The nod from Jack made either fit.
''So, where shall we walk?'' Kris asked.
''There is a mall that many people enjoy on days as sunny as these,'' the policeman said, eyeing a patch of blue sky where the sun shown through the white, fluffy clouds. The raincoats actually might come in handy.