“I’m honored,” said Oshenko.
“And Maria Capitana. From Pamplona. Maria is a human rights activist. And Niklas Leitner. Niklas is from the University of Heidelberg. If you have any serious hopes of living for three centuries, he’s the guy you want to get to know.”
She also met a prizewinning novelist, the president of Oxford, and, most significantly, Samantha Campbell, the director of the Academy Project.
Campbell was in her sixties, with black hair and an amiable smile that contrasted sharply with intense blue eyes. “Beautiful effort, Priscilla,” she said. “I envy you. You’ve certainly gotten your career off to a rousing start.”
“Thank you, Dr. Campbell—”
“I hope,” said Patricia, “you won’t be trying to steal her from us.”
“Oh, no.” She flashed that smile, implying she’d do no such thing. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t come close to matching what you must be paying her.”
“Actually,” said Priscilla, “I did apply.”
“Really? And we missed the opportunity? Well—” She shrugged. “Our loss.”
Patricia passed her to Frank, but not before suggesting that she needed a name that sounded a bit more heroic. “Priscilla doesn’t really work, does it, Frank?”
“No,” he said, “not really. If you’re going to move seriously ahead, we need a guns-up version of your name. Priscilla’s a touch too fashionable.”
“My mom used to call me Prissy.”
Patricia laughed. “Oh, that would be good.”
“Something like Sundown would fit the bill,” said Frank.
“That’s taken.”
“I know. But Backwater might work.”
“Magnificent,” said Priscilla with a straight face. “When I was a kid, I tried to get everybody to call me Hutch.”
“Pity it didn’t take,” said Patricia.
“These are all people,” Frank said, “who support the Academy Project. If they get their way, it could result in some serious exploration being done. We brought them here to reinforce their attitude and give them a chance to meet one another. Some of them made their reputations as organizers. So who knows what might come out of this?”
“Did you invite Governor McGruder?” she asked. “He could use a little influencing.”
“No way we could do that. If he found out about this, he’d use it against us. The party would become another example of wasteful spending. In fact, when we heard he was coming, we wondered whether he had found out. But I think it’s a coincidence. I hope so.” He glanced around the room. “I have to mingle,” he said. “Enjoy yourself. And, Priscilla?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t leave early, okay?”
* * *
SHE HADN’T EXPECTED the VIP treatment. That Frank entertained even for a moment the notion that she’d take off prematurely when people were under the impression she was a hero demonstrated how little he knew about her. She had felt somewhat intimidated when Patricia started the introductions, but as they’d worked their way around the room, and the assorted guests had all seemed to assume she was a celebrity, the disquiet had faded. Now she felt like a queen.
In the lopsided gravity, dancing can be something of a challenge for those not accustomed to it. Consequently, Priscilla found the guests somewhat reluctant about stepping out on the floor with her. But ultimately, they were willing to try their luck. The Amazon biologist Leandro Santana told her, “Once you’ve seen a crocodile smile, nothing else will ever scare you.” Nonetheless he followed her tepidly into a lucinda. And then caught fire.
She danced with almost every male in the place, traded jokes with the women, and even got some laughs from Patricia. The music, of course, was provided by a sound system. “If we’d brought in a band for something like this,” Frank told her, “it would have been all over the media.”
She thought about making her case with Dr. Campbell, but it was possible she might be perceived as rushing things if she did. Campbell now knew who she was, and that was maybe enough for the moment. In any case, she wouldn’t have felt comfortable about walking away from her job after Patricia and Frank had gone out of their way for her.
She was usually a cautious drinker. But everybody wanted to toast her, and then they toasted each other. By the end of the evening, she was pretty thoroughly toasted herself. The reason some of the guests stayed extraordinarily late was that the station operated on Greenwich Mean Time. And 2:00 A.M. in Greenwich was only 9:00 P.M. on the east coast of the NAU.
* * *
SHE OVERSLEPT, WOKE with a headache, and finally staggered into the office. Frank stopped by and suggested she might want to take the rest of the morning off. “You look a little wiped out,” he said.
He had left the party only shortly before she did, and Priscilla had no interest in letting him think he was tougher than she was. The guy was, after all, only a bureaucrat. “I’m fine, Frank,” she said. “No sweat.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “Okay. You know best. But let me know if you decide to head out, all right?”
“I’ll be here,” she said.
She got some coffee, put the operating-area-maintenance files on her display, and propped her chin in her right palm. “Nikki,” she said, her eyes closed.
“Yes, Priscilla.”
“Let me know if you see Frank heading back this way.”
“Of course, Priscilla.”
* * *
SHE DOZED OFF for a few minutes. But it was no way to sleep. She got up, went to the washroom, and wiped her face with cold water.
More coffee helped. She got through the morning okay, skipped lunch, and sat for an hour in the lounge. The afternoon went on forever. No more parties, she decided. Not like that. Not on a weekday.
She was about to quit for the day when Nikki called. “Priscilla, Mr. Irasco asked if you were still here. I told him you were. I hope that was all right. Anyhow, he wants to see you in his office.”
* * *
“HOW’RE YOU FEELING?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m fine,” she said. “What do you need, Frank?”
He looked doubtful. “Governor McGruder wants to meet you.”
“The governor wants to meet me, Frank?” Her throat tightened. “The Gremlin again?”
“Enjoy your time in the spotlight, Priscilla. I’ve seen this before. It can go on for weeks. But once it fades out, it’s gone.”
Lord. “When?”
“Usually a couple of weeks. This is going on a bit longer.”
“No, I mean when does he want to see me?”
“Oh.” He glanced at the time. “As soon as we can get there.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I never kid, Priscilla.”
Her eyes slid shut. She wanted to scream. “How do I look?” she asked.
“You look fine.” He hesitated. “I could tell him you’re sick.”
It was obvious he didn’t want to do that. “No. Let’s go.” He led her through the door but didn’t turn, as she expected, toward Patricia’s office. “Where are we headed?”
“He’s on his way to the dock.” The elevator was open when they got there. “Look,” he said, “you know how this guy feels about us, right?”
“Sure. He wants to close us down.”
“Don’t give him anything he can use.”
“I won’t.”
“Just tell him the truth, whatever he asks, but don’t embellish. Okay?”