“Trust me,” Lakphro promised. “I’ll be the most boring driver in the sky.”
“Good,” she said. “See you tonight. Be boring on the way home, too.” She scampered off, tucking her own new brooch safely away in her chest pocket.
Lakphro took a deep breath, sliding his wife’s jewelry into his own pocket as he turned toward the skytruck. Hopefully, he and Haplif could get out of here before Lakansu remembered to ask for it back.
Fortunately, Lakansu either forgot about the brooch or just decided her husband had enough other things on his mind. She tossed his overnight bag in the backseat and waved as he got the skytruck a couple of meters off the ground and headed over to the Agbui ship. Haplif was waiting with a bag of his own, not much bigger than Lakphro’s, and three minutes later they were in the eastbound air lane burning through the sky toward Redhill.
The ride was mostly quiet. Haplif tried a couple of times to start a conversation, but Lakphro wasn’t much interested in talking. After he’d answered a few questions with single words or short comments the alien took the hint and shut up. Halfway to Redhill he got another call from Lakjiip, who confirmed the Agbui freighter was on its way down and directed him to the official family landing area on the far side of the city from the main commercial site. Well within the hour Lakjiip had specified, Lakphro set the skytruck on the ground a hundred meters from the newly arrived freighter.
A small but impressive group was already assembled near the alien ship. Councilor Lakuviv was standing on one side, talking earnestly with one of the newcomers. From the elaborate pendant the alien was wearing Lakphro guessed he was someone important, possibly the ship’s captain or maybe even some official. Off to the other side were Senior Aide Lakjiip and a few other Xodlak family officials holding some kind of discussion with three more of the aliens. Lakjiip looked over as Lakphro’s skytruck settled to the ground, and by the time he and Haplif had climbed out she was there to greet them. “Haplif of the Agbui,” she said, nodding to Haplif. “Rancher Lakphro,” she added with another nod. “Thank you for your assistance, Rancher. Are those the spices they wanted, Haplif?”
“Yes,” Haplif said, hefting his bag. “I offer you the chance to examine them if you wish.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Lakjiip gestured back at the group she’d just left, and Lakphro now saw there were two satchels half again the size of his overnight bag sitting on the ground beside two of the Chiss. “As you anticipated, they’ve brought more metal for your jewelry.”
“Excellent,” Haplif said. “I would feel better if you would be kind enough to examine the bags before I take possession. I wouldn’t want any question to arise in the future as to whether your Agbui servants brought evil or contraband to your world.”
“Oh, we’ve already searched them,” Lakjiip said. She cocked her head slightly. “You didn’t tell me they would also be bringing in finished jewelry.”
“Did they?” Haplif chuckled, shaking his head. “The combination of long space travel and the firm belief that everyone is an artist. This sometimes happens with long voyages, when the crew becomes bored and resources are readily available.”
“So the crew did these?” Lakjiip said. “Interesting. The pieces look as good as the one you gave Councilor Lakuviv.”
“I’m sure they do,” Haplif said. “But surface quality and long-term durability are not necessarily synonymous. Still, no harm. We’ll examine them and make alterations if needed.”
“Well, good luck with that,” Lakjiip said. “You can take them whenever you wish.”
“I thank you.” Haplif took a step toward the group, then paused, frowning at the ship. “I’m sorry. I just noticed … is that battle damage?”
“So it would appear,” Lakjiip said, turning her head to look. “Not from the patrol ships that brought it in, of course,” she added.
“No, no, that was not at all my thought,” Haplif assured her hastily. “I merely wondered if there were pirates or other dangers they passed through before coming here.”
Lakphro’s mind flashed back to Haplif’s daughter and her reaction to Lakris’s brass-tooth sealer. “Or maybe there are dangers right there at your home,” he muttered.
Lakjiip sent him a puzzled look. Haplif ignored the comment. “Well, I can ask the captain,” the alien said. He bowed to Lakjiip and headed off toward the group with the bags.
“They’ll probably want to talk some, maybe compare notes,” Lakjiip said to Lakphro. “But I don’t expect it to take too long. If you want, you can wait in the receiving lounge over there. There are some refreshments laid out if you’re hungry.”
“Thank you,” Lakphro said. “I have a question,” he added quickly as she turned away.
Reluctantly, she turned back. “Yes?”
“I have this thing.” Lakphro pulled out the brooch Shimkif had given his wife. “I was wondering how valuable it was, like maybe enough to constitute a bribe—”
“Where did you get that?” Lakjiip demanded, snatching it from his hand.
“Haplif gave it to me,” Lakphro said, twitching back from the unexpected intensity of her reaction. “Actually, to my wife—”
“You’re not supposed to have this,” Lakjiip said, cutting him off. “No one is supposed to have these.”
“Yes, but—”
“I’m confiscating it, under the authority of Councilor Lakuviv and the Xodlak family.” She slid the brooch into her pocket. “And you’re not to mention this to anyone. You hear me?”
“No, I don’t hear you,” Lakphro growled, breaking free of the momentary mental paralysis. “You can’t just take my property. What gives you the right?”
“The authority of Councilor—”
“Yes, I know what you said,” Lakphro interrupted. “But there are laws that govern property confiscation, and there are rationales to be delineated and protocols to be followed. You can’t just take something from a Xodlak family member and stuff it away in a pocket and not expect to hear about it.”
“I’m not going to hear about it,” Lakjiip said, her voice abruptly low and dark, “because you’re not going to talk about it. Not to me; not to Councilor Lakuviv; not to anyone. Do you understand, Rancher Xodlak’phr’ooa? Anyone.”
Lakphro stared at her, feeling like he’d been punched in the stomach. No one on Celwis used anyone’s full name after they’d first been introduced. Not unless the circumstances were official, legal, or extraordinary.
“Do your wife and daughter know about this?” Lakjiip continued.
“Yes,” Lakphro said, his heart pounding. Her next likely question would be—
“Did Haplif give you any more of them?”
Fortunately, that half second of anticipation had already set up his mind and mouth with the proper answer. “No,” he said.
For a long moment Lakjiip stared at him, her eyes hard, wondering perhaps if that was a lie. Then her lip twitched, and she gave a reluctant nod. “Warn them not to say anything about this,” she said. “If Haplif offers you another one …” She hesitated. “You can accept it if you want. But then you’re to call me immediately.”
“All right,” Lakphro said. “But—”
“Immediately,” she said. “I know you don’t understand, Lakphro, but trust me when I say this is a matter of deepest security. The ripples from this day will stretch all the way to the Patriarch, possibly even beyond that to the Syndicure itself. No one—no one—is to know about these.” She patted the pocket holding the brooch. “Do you understand?”