Derec smiled. "I didn't realize you were such a good scrounger."
"The position of 'aide' is descriptively vague for a reason," Hofton said.
The diagnostic winked green. "The unit checks one hundred percent, Thales. Are you ready?"
"I have modified the download pathways to accommodate the superior unit. Start with nodes eight through fourteen. "
Derec opened a panel on Thales' console and began attaching thick connectors. "Did you happen to find out who's running the lab on Kopernik?"
"Yes'," Hofton said. "Rotij Polifos."
"I don't know him. Is he good?"
"He's been director for the past seven years."
"Hm. Anybody else?"
"There are two specialists and six interns. From what I saw, I think you'll be pleased. I also did some background on Mr. Lanra and his friend on Kopernik."
Derec rechecked the connections, then pressed a contact labeled OPEN CHANNEL. He watched the indicators for a few seconds.
"Coren Lanra used to be Special Service," Derec said.
"Yes, he did. So was Sipha Palen. In fact, they partnered together in Service."
"Why'd they quit?"
"Ideology, apparently. In Mr. Lanra's case, he disapproved of the changes in Terran policy toward positronics. He resigned roughly at the time we were beginning work on the Union Station RI. Ms. Palen requested reassignment after being attached to Senator Kolbren's office."
"Kolbren…isn't he the one that sponsored the legislation attempting to bar all Spacers from public areas? For health reasons, if I recall."
"In essence. It was a quarantine measure. It didn't even get out of committee, but Kolbren keeps winning reelection. Ms. Palen asked for a new position and was refused. She resigned. Shortly afterward, she accepted her current position as chief of security for Kopernik. "
Derec grunted. "Odd. She resented working for a rabid anti-Spacer, and her former partner resented growing cooperation with Spacers. How did they get along as partners?"
"I'm not psychic. Your guess is as good as mine. I suppose they found other things upon which to base their relationship. "
Derec looked at Hofton. He could never tell when the man was being sincere or sardonic. It annoyed him that Ariel seemed to like Hofton so much-Derec's own dry wit irritated her.
"Both, however," Hofton continued, "had exemplary records while in Special Service."
"And now he works for a man who wants to see us all thrown off Earth." Derec shrugged. "So we cooperate with him."
"A quandary. It is odd."
"Any ideas?"
"None I'd be willing to share at the moment."
Hofton's expression remained politely attentive, betraying nothing more. He had worked for Ariel for nearly three years. Before Hofton, she had gone through four other aides in something over two years. Derec had never asked about them or asked why Hofton was different. He wanted to ask now.
Instead, he said, "Hofton, you're perfect."
"One tries, sir."
Derec laughed, and was rewarded by a faint smile from Hofton.
"Anything else I need to know about these people?" Derec asked.
"I'm not sure. One curious fact about Mr. Lanra came up. He's an orphan."
"Really."
"Yes, sir. He matriculated from the Connover-Trinidal Youth Asylum, a life-long resident. I find this remarkable because many people from the same background don't enjoy much success."
"He never knew his parents?"
"No. And, of course, the records are sealed. But as far as I could tell, he never tried to look into them."
"Hm. What about Palen?"
"Very much the opposite. Large, extended family, prosperous, the best schools, etcetera. " Hofton waited a beat. "Should I continue looking?"
"Not on my account. Maybe Ariel would like to know more. Is Lanra accompanying us to Kopernik?"
"No, sir. He has lines of investigation down here…so he says. "
Derec gave Hofton a curious look.
"The shuttle up to Kopernik two days ago," Hofton said, "was his first trip offworld."
For a few seconds, Derec did not understand. Then: "Oh. Well, then, I suppose it's just as well he has things to do down here. "
Hofton nodded. "I think it's for the best. "
"Probably."
"We may find Ms. Palen more cooperative anyway, simply because she doesn't work for Rega Looms."
"That's certainly a possibility."
They fell silent then, and Derec stared at the link until a light winked on requesting the next phase of its setup. Derec worked silently, rearranging the connections, reconfiguring part of the device to match the next part of Thales' requirements.
Hofton softly cleared his throat. "May I ask a question, sir?"
"Sure."
"Why are you involving yourself in this?"
Derec straightened, trying to compose an explanation of the link and why Thales required it due to the distances involved and the complexity of the job, but stopped, comprehending the question a moment later.
"You mean with this investigation?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I could ask you the same." Hofton waited and Derec nodded. "I love this," he said, waving at Thales. "Working with positronics. Working, period. I hate inactivity."
"You could do calisthenics in that case."
Derec laughed briefly. "I'm doing this because I can, because it might give me a chance to do something I want to do. Because the chance to get my hands on the tools to do some serious work is worth the risk."
"You'd like to rebuild your robot, Bogard."
"Of course I would, but it's more than that."
"There are several good reasons for you to refuse."
"I know. I'm not going to think about them." Derec looked at Hofton. "You?"
"You mentioned inactivity. Do you have any idea how dull diplomatic work can be?" He smiled wryly. "Seriously, though, I have been with perhaps a dozen senior diplomats. The work was interesting-more so in the beginning, before the desensitizing produced by overfamiliarity and intimate contempt-but rarely challenging. Even so, had my various superiors been in the least worth the bother, I would never have complained, much less transferred. I never thought I'd find myself working for someone like Ambassador Burgess. It was very difficult when I was forced to leave her service last year. I admit, I'd begun to take her for granted. But I just finished several months with a man named Cotish Valgas, who is a deputy overseer in Furnishing and Accoutrements. Yes, there is such a department-I was shocked myself. Suffice it to say that I'll never take Ms. Burgess for granted again."
"She's special, isn't she?"
Hofton nodded slowly, his eyes bright and sharp. "She is that, sir."
"So why is she doing this?"
"Because she's been ordered to."
Derec shook his head. "No, no. You've known her for all this time. Is that the Ariel you know?"
Hofton frowned. "She's more disciplined, I think, than you give her credit. " He blinked and folded his arms. "But, no, not really. She could easily refuse. She's been expecting a recall to Aurora anyway."
"So?"
"I think she wants a chance to get even. "
"With who?"
"All of them, sir. All of them." He glanced at his watch. "We have an hour before the shuttle leaves. Will you be done?"
Derec checked the monitors. "Five more minutes."
Hofton cleared his throat, and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Um…I spoke perhaps too openly, Mr. Avery-"
"She'll never hear about it from me." Hofton looked mildly relieved. "Under one condition."
"Sir?"
"Call me Derec."
"I'll do my best, sir."
Ten
Three people were waiting in his office when Coren returned. Two of them wore the look of professional security-well-dressed but practical, no clothing that would bind and impede a wide range of movement-while the third looked very administrative. Coren recognized none of them other than by type. He resisted the immediate urge to run; right now he did not have time for further complications.
"Mr. Lanra," the administrative type said. "I'm Del Socras. I work for Mr. Myler Towne of Imbitek. Forgive the intrusion, but I was instructed to convey Mr. Towne's regards and extend his invitation to lunch. "