"Jennie Higgens? She's here?"
Phule's interest was no longer casual.
"Why, yes ... I thought you knew," the manager said. "I recognized her when she was checking in along with her cameraman, and it occurred to me that she could identify some of your troops-the ones under cover, I mean-so I reported it to your communications person with my wrist communicator. I ... I assumed you had been informed."
"No ... but I think I'm about to be," the commander said grimly, looking hard at Armstrong, who was avoiding meeting his eye. "Lieutenant Armstrong ... if I might have a word with you?"
"Is there something wrong?" Bombest said in a worried tone.
"Not that I know of." Phule smiled. "Why do you ask?"
"Well...or a moment there, you seemed upset ... and I thought I had done something wrong."
"Quite the contrary," the commander insisted, his smile growing even broader. "I couldn't be happier with your work. Lieutenant, why don't you tell Mr. Bombest what a fine job he'd doing?"
"You're doing a fine job, Mr. Bombest," Armstrong recited obediently. "In fact, the whole company owes you a debt for what you've done."
The manager frowned. "Excuse me?"
"I don't think you were quite clear enough on that last part, Lieutenant," Phule observed.
"A debt of gratitude," the Legionnaire corrected. "We wouldn't be where we are now if it weren't for you."
"Oh. Uh ... thank you," Bombest said with a hesitant smile.
"Now that that's taken care of, Lieutenant," Phule said, the grin still on his face, "I believe we were about to have a little talk?"
"Umm ... actually sir, I thought I'd ..."
"Now, Lieutenant."
"Yes, sir!"
With the eager step of a man on his way to the gallows, Armstrong followed his commander into one of the lobby's more secluded nooks.
"Now then, Lieutenant," Phule said with a tight smile, "it seems there's at least one item that was omitted in your `no problems' report. What do you know about this reporter thing?"
"The incident occurred during Lieutenant Rembrandt's shift, sir," Armstrong said. "In fact, she's probably the best person to fill you in on-"
"I didn't ask when it happened," the commander interrupted. "I asked what you know about it."
Though maintaining his deadpan expression for armor, Armstrong winced internally. There was a tradition in the Space Legion that while it was acknowledged that the Legionnaires would, and did, play fast and loose with the truth when dealing with those outside the Legion, within their own ranks, they were required to tell the truth. In reaction to this, Legionnaires had also become masters at the art of evasive answers and shamelessly diverting the subject of a conversation, which usually worked except for times, like this, when confronted insistently with a direct question.
"Umm ... a call came in, as you just heard, from Bombest that a reporter and a cameraman from Haskin's Planet were checking into the hotel," the lieutenant recited in a monotone. "Lieutenant Rembrandt decided, and I agreed with her, that-"
"Wait a minute. When did all this happen?"
Armstrong studied his watch carefully before answering.
"Approximately fifteen hours ago, sir."
"Fifteen hours? Why wasn't I informed?"
"I suggested that at the time, sir. When we tried to get through to you, however, Mother informed us that you had gone off the air less than an hour before to get some sleep, and Remmie said ... excuse me, Lieutenant Rembrandt mentioned that you had encouraged her to make more command decisions on her own, so she decided to deal with the matter herself without disturbing you ... sir."
"I see," Phule said, grimacing a bit himself. Then he cocked an eyebrow at the lieutenant. "It sounds like you were there for the whole thing. Didn't you say that it was Lieutenant Rembrandt's shift?"
"Yes, sir. I ... I was sort of hanging around before taking my formal shift. I was awake, anyway, sir, and thought I'd give her a hand while I was up. She's done the same for me several times."
"You're supposed to be using your time off to get some sleep and otherwise relax, Lieutenant. That's why we set up the schedules the way we did. Otherwise, you'll be functioning at less than peak efficiency if something happens while you're on duty."
"Yes, sir. I'll remember that, sir."
"Now, tell me ..."
"Of course, it would help if the captain set an example for us ... sir."
The commander eyed him for a moment.
"Lieutenant Armstrong," he said at last, "are you trying to change the subject?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, forget it. I want to know what happened to the reporter."
"She's being held in her room under guard; sir. Also her cameraman. In adjoining rooms, that is, sir."
"What?"
Even though Phule had been half expecting the answer, he was nonetheless stunned.
"It was all we could think of to keep her from-"
"You kidnapped a member of the interstellar press? Against her will?"
"It seemed impractical to wait until we could do it with her will, sir."
The commander shot a hard look at his junior officer, but Armstrong never cracked a smile.
"All right, Lieutenant. While you're coming up with clever answers, perhaps you can explain to me why I wasn't informed of this when I woke up and came back on the floor. I believe it was your shift then?"
"I started to tell you, sir," Armstrong said, still holding his deadpan expression. "At the time, however, you were getting ready to lead the expedition to confine the casino manager in his room ... against his will. If the captain will recall, I asked for a moment of his time, and was asked if it was important."
Phule frowned, vaguely recalling the brief exchange. "And you didn't think this was important?"
"I assumed the captain was asking if my question was time sensitive, and in my best judgment, it wasn't. The captain should recall that at that point, the reporter had already been confined for several hours, and I did not think that a few more hours would significantly change the situation, or her mood ... sir."
"I suppose there's a certain logic there ... even if it is a little twisted."
"Thank you, sir."
"There's still the question, though, of why you didn't mention it just now when I asked for your report."
"I ... I was working my way up to it, sir," Armstrong said, letting a small grimace flicker across his face.
Phule glared at him for a moment, then heaved a big sigh.
"Well, what's done is done," he said. "In the future, however, I want it understood by you and Lieutenant Rembrandt that any incident of importance, particularly one involving the press, is to be brought to my attention immediately. That's immediately, as in at the time it occurs, whether I'm asleep or not. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind, sir."
"All right. Now, are there any other little incidents that I should be aware of?"
"Excuse me, sir, but there's one more thing you should know about Jennie."
"What's that?"
"When we were informing her that she was to be confined to her quarters, she said ... well ... among the things she had to say, she indicated that she already knew that we had substitutes standing in for some of our troops."
"She did?" Phule said with a frown. "I wonder how she figured that out. Probably too many unfamiliar faces in that news coverage we got when we arrived. Oh well. I'll have to remember to ask her when I get around to talking to her."
"Is that to say you won't be dealing with the matter right away ... sir?"
The commander grimaced. "As you so logically put it, whatever damage has been done won't change significantly if she has to wait a few more hours. Right now, we have matters to deal with that are time sensitive."