Ean thought it was more like the cartel-trained linesmen, who learned to push at the lines, rather than tune them. “I think you’re getting messages, but you can’t interpret them. You think of them as your gut feel, but they’re not. You’re hearing them.”
“Define hearing, Ean,” Helmo had said. “No one denies the lines use sound. I can see that when I go onto one of the alien ships. It’s not sound waves that allow you to ‘hear’ me on the bridge from your room.”
“I listen through the lines.”
“It’s not acoustics that make you sound like a full choir when you sing. A single human larynx cannot physically make the sounds you make. There’s something else. You—we—interpret it as sound, but it’s more.”
However they interpreted it, Ean knew that right now Helmo was sitting in the captain’s chair because that was where the “instinct” was strongest. He looked for the origin of the trouble that Helmo was worried about. Yu’s quarters. No surprise there.
Yu and Michelle were drinking tea. At least Michelle was. Yu paced energetically around the room. He looked fresh, as if he could keep up the pace forever. Michelle was her usual inscrutable self, but Ean knew how many hours she’d spent awake over the last few nights, and he could feel exhaustion underneath the nagging worry.
“Your arrival has stirred up old worries about Lancia,” Michelle said. “Did you think you could come here—with the Factor of the Lesser Gods in tow—and expect nothing to change? Especially not when you brought Sattur Dow with you. The way he’s sniffing around the alien ships leads everyone to believe that the first thing you will do when Lancia has enough power is to gift him a ship.”
“Of course things have changed. They needed to change. Lancia was being ignored, pushed aside by the other worlds.”
“Two weeks ago, Lancia required seven extra worlds voting with them to gain a majority in parliament. Today, they need seventeen. Some change is not good, Father, and this one is bad.”
“Everything is working to plan, Daughter.”
Something like ice whispered through the lines and raised the hair on Ean’s arms. Even the fresher seemed cold, suddenly. The cold had a faint, fizzy, citrus tang to it. It was coming from Michelle.
Her voice showed none of it as she said, “If you have plans, Father, isn’t it time you told them to me? Perhaps I can help.”
Yu paused. He looked at her, head cocked to one side. “Perhaps it is time. But then what, Daughter? Will you take those plans to Galenos?”
“Should it matter if I did? Galenos is loyal to Lancia.”
“Is he? He blocks my every turn. He refuses to let my friends come to the capital of the New Alliance.” Yu stopped in front of Michelle. “He advises against my future son-in-law seeing his betrothed’s ships.”
“We restrict access to those ships inside the New Alliance,” Michelle said. “Why should we allow people who are not part of the New Alliance to see them before our own allies do?”
“Our allies? Is not the Worlds of the Lesser Gods a potential ally, too?”
“They have to earn the New Alliance’s trust. Having a high-profile member of their party attempt to steal ships for Redmond doesn’t help.”
Yu waved that away as if it were nothing. “Everyone has traitors in their midst, Daughter. Even I. And you can never tell who is trustworthy and who is not. Six months ago, I had not anticipated that Galenos—a man I trusted to look after my own daughter—would betray me with his own ambition.”
A wave of emotion so strong it manifested itself as a stab in the gut. Ean doubled over.
“I don’t see why you believe Admiral Galenos is betraying you. He has devoted his life to Lancia.”
The emotion was so strong, Ean couldn’t tell what it was. He staggered out of the fresher, and went back to sit on the side of the bed.
“Can you be sure he’s working for my Lancia?” Yu asked.
The waves grew stronger, a sudden tsunami of noise and bitterness—and purple worry. “I cannot believe you would say that about an honorable man like Galenos. Let us stop this farce, Father, and call this entire stupid conversation out for what it is.”
“Which is?”
Michelle glanced at him. Ean couldn’t read her expression, and he’d bet Yu couldn’t, either. “You are trying to discredit Galenos. I can only assume it is because you want to put your own puppet in the council here, and, unfortunately for you, there are only two ways to get onto the council. Wait six years for this term to run out and replace us then, or kill one of us now.”
Lancia had been the only world to protest at the six-year term, and the inability to exit—short of dying—once you were elected.
Michelle couldn’t be serious. But her lines said she was. No wonder she wouldn’t let Abram anywhere near the Lancastrian Princess while Yu was there.
“This time, Father, I refuse to stand by and watch you kill an innocent man. A good man, who only has the interests of Lancia at heart.”
Yu came to sit opposite Michelle. His overriding emotion was satisfaction. Was he pleased his daughter had seen through his plan? Proud of her for realizing the truth?
“You will have to kill me before you get to Abram.”
“Abram now, is it?”
Michelle tilted her chin. “Yes, it is.”
Ean sang a song of encouragement through the lines. “We’re here. We support you.”
Captain Helmo heard him. Would Michelle? Probably not. He pushed the full strength of his support through the lines, to the Lancastrian Princess, who echoed it and amplified it.
Michelle sat up straighter. Did he imagine her smile? He didn’t imagine the glance that she flicked toward the camera facing her.
“I am sorry to hear that.” And Yu did look regretful. “You will get over it. And you will have a new life. A political alliance by marriage to cement, allies to manage.”
“I have allies to manage here if I can. Your coming here has irretrievably damaged Lancia’s standing. If you have any political sense at all, you’ll go home and leave us to do damage control.” Then she added, bitterly, “If it isn’t too late.”
“Damage control.” Yu rolled the words around his mouth. “I see.” Another long pause. “Well, Daughter. I am not going home. Today, I go to Confluence Station as a guest of the Admiral Carrell of Eridanus.”
“Carrell?”
“A surprise inspection.” Yu smiled. “Being arranged at this very moment. Some members of the council are concerned that the Department of Alien Affairs is not looking out for all members of the New Alliance.”
A small frown creased Michelle’s forehead, but she didn’t say anything.
Yu’s smile widened. “Before that, I go onto the Gruen.” He reached across and patted her hand. “I might meet your linesman there. He’s so very hard to catch. If I hadn’t seen him at supper the other night, I might wonder if he even exists.”
Michelle looked away. “I doubt you will see him there. Lambert is taking the trainee linesmen out to the Confluence today.” Her gaze shifted, and the glance that flicked toward the camera was longer this time.
Message received and understood. “We will,” Ean sang although he was fairly sure Michelle didn’t hear him. He opened the comms to Helmo, who was sitting forward in his seat now. “If you get a chance, please tell Michelle I got her message. Make it discreet.”
Helmo nodded. “Anything else?”
“No.”
Ean pulled on his uniform and went out to the main control room. Hana and one of Rossi’s people were on duty.