“Well,” he said. “Is it trouble?”
“Oh, never.” There wasn’t another chair. It wasn’t her scheduled day to be here, and she hadn’t been in this office ever, though Justin and Grant had moved in nearly a week ago. These two didn’t do patient‑consultations, and they no longer had staff, nor any room for them, so there was no available chair for a visitor. She had to stand, and simply leaned back against the wall, until Grant, seeing the situation, surrendered his with a small flourish. “You’re so sweet,” she said, and patted Grant on the arm. “We’ve got to get other chairs in here. At least one more.”
“I’ll arrange that,” Grant said, and as Florian rotated past the door frame and out into the corridor, Grant left, too, leaving the two of them alone to talk, herself and Justin.
“I so love the idea of your being in the Wing,” she said to him.
“It seems safer,” Justin said. “So I take it we’re not on the current arrest list.”
“Don’t joke like that. I’m not Denys. I won’t beDenys.”
“I know you’re not. Are we revising the schedule for lessons today, or–”
“We’re keeping to schedule. I’m sorry I haven’t been here this week. I’ve been studying.”
“I thought we agreed you were going to get some rest.”
“Well, it’s important. I’m onto something.”
“What?”
“What we were talking about. The integrations. But I’ll talk about that later. Monday.”
“Sure. Good.” Justin made a gesture toward the other counter. “Coffee?”
“I wouldn’t mind that, thank you.” She watched as he got up and poured a cup. Her stomach suddenly said empty. “You wouldn’t have a biscuit, would you?”
“As a matter of fact, we do,” Justin said, as he opened a packet and laid a tea‑biscuit on a paper saucer. And another for good measure. He gave her that saucer with the coffee. “The place came stocked.”
“I really hope you like the office.”
“I’m getting used to it.”
She regarded Justin’s first office with deep nostalgia. She remembered slipping by and giving him a gift of guppies. They hadn’t lived.
Those days had seemed so much safer. She’d been out and about, un‑watched, or she’d had the illusion she’d been unwatched–and never likely was. And he wasn’t there anymore.
She washed down a biscuit in two bites and a sip and tried to put the past out of her mind. “Mmm. I had breakfast. But I’ve been studying a lot and I know I’m getting skinny, and you’re right, and I’m reforming. I’m taking on real work this week, just a couple of projects. I’ve told Labs to let me run checks and I’ll actually do a theta design. I’m sure they’re going to have someone go over it. But I don’t think they’ll find mistakes.”
“I doubt they will.”
A second biscuit went down. That freed a hand to reach into her jacket pocket. “Here.” She handed him the data stick she’d brought “I’ve looked at it. I want you to.”
“What?” Justin looked amused. “You can do that. I’ve no doubt you can do it.”
“Not the theta stuff. These are staff. All sorts of staff. They’ll be mine. I want you to look them over and make sure there aren’t any bombs.”
His face went sober, thoughtful as he picked up the stick. He gave her a look, like he wanted to ask a question, and maybe thought it wasn’t wise to ask it at all.
“I trust you,” she said. It wouldn’t make him easier in his mind. She read him that well. He’d been through too much with Denys. He’d just had the row with his father and he knew Admin was upset. He was in a state of disturbance and flux, unable to settle, either physically or mentally, and he probably wasn’t getting a lot of work done. “I need it really soon.”
He nodded somberly and laid the data stick atop the books on his desk. “I’ll put it at the top of my list.”
“I know about the card,” she said, and saw his face suddenly go cold and wary. He wasn’t looking at her. Wasn’t looking at anything in particular. “I’m sorry you got into it,” she said, and he still didn’t look at her. “What do youthink your father’s up to?”
“I haven’t a clue.” He did look her way, and the hard face gave way to the old Justin, the very worried Justin, who had stood off Uncle Denys–confronting her, now, as the prevailing threat in his life, andhis hope of tranquility. “I really haven’t.”
“You know he’s under surveillance. He knows he is. He’s mad about it. I’m really sorry, Justin. I’m sorry he did that.”
He was upset. And the look was a little less protected, a little more the real Justin, worried, and on his guard. “Do you know what it’s about?” he asked her flat out…maybe a little ashamed to be asking. She read that. Ashamed of the situation with his father. Ashamed of havingto ask an outsider to the relationship.
“My staff is trying to find out,” she said quietly. “I don’t really know what it’s about. He’s not that easy to read. But I’d say he didn’t expect you to keep that card a secret.”
“I’m sure of that much,” he said.
She wanted to ask–what do youwant me to do with Jordan? But that wouldn’t be fair to ask, and the hurt would outlast the good it would do. Justin would never forgive himself, not inside, if he asked her to send Jordan away. In a technical way, neither of them had had real parents. In an emotional way, they’d both lost the single parent they’d been most attached to. They were alike, on that one emotional sore point. Something had happened, when Jordan handed Justin that card, and they had to patch it up, and try to bring back the even tenor of the lessons, the conferences, the work together. It wasn’t going to happen automatically. Jordan had already had that effect–Jordan, and the twitch of security, proving it was still alive.
“I’m trying to protect him from himself,” she said. “He’s certainly not making it easy.”
Score. She saw it in his expression, just the little dilation of the iris. “I appreciate that.”
“This Dr. Patil,” she said. “I can tell you something about that. We’re going to send her to Fargone. She’s the authority in her field–she’s certainly got the credentials. But we’re digging into her associations, all the way back. Just so you know what that was about.”
“I’m not sure I want to know more than that.”
“Justin, I’m not in charge of Reseune. I won’t be, for awhile. But you know I direct some decisions. Yanni listens to me.”
“I’m sure he does.”
“ Don’tbe like that. I’m not your enemy.”
“I don’t want you to be,” he said plainly. “I hope you won’t be.”
“ Jordanwants me to be your enemy.”
And his eyes averted, his whole body posture changing, as if he had to re‑balance his thinking.
“Doesn’t he?” she asked flatly. “Or what do youthink his motive is?”
Justin didn’t say anything for a moment. His hand found the datastick atop the books, picked it up, turned it over. And over. And set it down, not looking at her. “I don’t know why you ask my opinion on this,” he said, and let a long breath go. “I don’t know why you need it.”
“I need it,” she said. “I do need it.”
“No, you don’t. You’re good. The hell you’re working routine theta sets, you’re good.”
“So are you,” she said. “You’re toogood to go along with something even he didn’t plan to have work. You know what he’s really up to.”
“Then I wish you’dtell mewhat that is!”
“I just did.”
“God.” He did turn his face toward her, upset. “Dammit, Ari.”
“I’m being honest. Iwant you to be all right. I really do. I don’t mind you getting along with Jordan. But he certainly minds your getting along with me. That’s what it’s about, isn’t it? Am I wrong? His battles are all old history. The Centrists lost a lot of their power when we passed the anti‑terraforming bills and saved Cyteen’s native life. They lost this world to develop. So some not‑very‑bright people in that party thought they were going to get their way when Ari died. But Giraud didn’t let them repeal those laws. Giraud was friendly with Defense and that blocked them. And now there’s Yanni, telling them they’ve got just a little time to make deals before I come in. Eversnow is a poor second choice, but it’s what the pro‑terraformers have got.”