“Then I should be talking with you, rather than Pussy,” Darius said, interested.
“We would not presume to say that,” the ball said for Cat.
Darius faced Pussy. “Should I be talking with Cat instead of you?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you, Pussy. I will talk with him, if this will not hurt your feelings.”
She looked confused. “He means kindness. Pussy,” Cat said to her. “He appreciates what you have done so far.”
“Oh, thank you!” she said, relieved. As always, it was the ball that spoke, but the distinction had become meaningless; it was her voice, and her thought.
Cat faced Darius. “This was an example. When you said ‘if’ this would not hurt her feelings, she was not sure whether they should be hurt, which would mean she had in some way failed you. I provided the reassurance you intended. If I interpret your intent incorrectly, or if you prefer that I not do this, advise me and I will desist.”
Darius was fascinated by this information. It was apparent that these servants could indeed be useful. “How may I circumvent the restriction against assigning a service to another person?”
“One way would be to volunteer to do a service yourself for that person, begin it, then have one of us complete it for you. You are free to make commitments in ways we are not.”
Darius nodded. “You serve me because you serve the Captain?”
“We serve you because we have been assigned to you. An officer of the Navy normally keeps his own nulls to serve him wherever he is employed. If you wish other nulls, we can be exchanged. But for the duration we are loyal to you, not the officer, and you may trust us always to serve your interest to the best of our understanding and ability.”
Provos emerged from the cleaning chamber, looking refreshed. She glanced at Darius. “You need more sleep and rest than you get this night,” she said reprovingly in his language. “At least have them give you a nourishment pill.”
“I will show you to a bedchamber,” Darius said, rising. He walked toward her, having no idea where it was or whether it existed. He looked back. “Pussy, please complete this task for me, and see that Provos is as comfortable as I would make her.”
Pussy jumped up, her breasts bouncing. “It is this way,” she said, almost purring as she led Provos to another panel and through to another chamber.
“Thank you, Darius,” Provos said, familiar with this protocol from her memory.
He settled down with the remaining two Felines. He realized that he was hungry. “Nourishment pill?”
“Immediately,” Tom said, and rose to fetch a tablet.
Darius accepted the pill, and gazed at it. “This will feed me?”
“Yes. You may order a conventional meal if you prefer.”
“No, I’ll try this.” If Provos remembered it as satisfactory, it probably was. He popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed it with saliva.
He was no longer hungry. Evidently this was something like magic. That made it acceptable. He returned to business. “The executive officer called me ‘sir’. Why did he do this, and why don’t you?”
“ ‘Sir’ is a token of respect given by a human to one of a higher rank in the Navy,” Cat said. “We are not human, so lack the status to show respect. One must possess sufficient status to have his token of respect be worthy.”
“Pussy has performed a service for me, and you are performing one now. If it is not convenient for me to find a service for Tom to do, how can I avoid causing him distress?”
“His distress has no force against your convenience. You may ignore it.”
“It would cause me distress to cause any of you needless distress.”
“Then I can suggest tasks which would not cause you inconvenience.”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything you desire which would be awkward or inconvenient for you to achieve at present by your own action?”
“I’d like to be with Colene!” Darius said before he thought.
“This is a human person?”
“This is a human person I came to be with. But Ddwng has separated us, pending a mission I must complete for him. I don’t want to do a mission, I want to take Colene home with me. But I think this is beyond your capacity to remedy.”
“It is,” Cat agreed. “But we can provide you with partial satisfaction with no more effort on your part than you choose to exert.”
“Then do it.”
Tom got up. He touched a section of the wall opposite Darius, and the mural became a scene of an office so realistic that there seemed to be a window between the two chambers. A null with the head of a dog sat at a desk.
The Canine glanced at them and spoke in an incomprehensible language.
“Speak English, Bitch,” Tom snapped.
“What do you want, Tom?” she inquired. It was probably a ball speaking for her, but since the sound came through the window it made no difference.
“Information, by order of Captain Darius of the Flay,” Tom said curtly.
“I will give you Dog.” She touched a button. The picture changed. Now there was another office, with what appeared to be a neuter Canine. “What information, Tom?” it asked.
“The present location and accessibility of the human Colene, visitor to this Mode.”
Dog touched buttons of his own. He studied what might have been a screen they could not see. “The human Colene is the present consort of the Emperor Ddwng. As such she is accessible only by his leave.”
Darius was stunned. Consort?
“The Captain requests that leave,” Tom said.
“This may require some delay.”
Cat glanced at Darius. “We’ll wait,” Darius said.
“Proceed,” Cat said.
The picture changed again. Now it showed a woman with the head of a pig. “Tom, why do you seek this contact?” she asked.
“I speak for Captain Darius, Sow. He does not answer to you.”
Darius appreciated the imperious attitude Tom was showing. That was about the way he felt. It seemed appropriate that the bureaucracy should be represented by swine.
A male pig-head appeared. “By order of our master Ddwng, Darius will answer to the Swine,” he snorted. His tone was arrogant in the masculine fashion.
“Boar, Darius wishes contact with Colene, with whom he has had prior connection. Screen contact will do on an interim basis.”
A third Swine appeared, evidently the neuter. “This may be granted. But there is information I must impart first.”
Tom glanced at Darius again. Darius nodded—
“Impart it, Pig.”
“Colene’s present status is nominal. She is not subject to present sexual use by the Emperor, but is required to present herself and comport herself as his consort. This is a compatible existence, and her status is one to incite the envy of all women. If Darius fails to accommodate Ddwng in the required manner at the deadline, Colene’s ovaries will be removed for the genetic bank and she will be given as a full-human concubine, to whatever officer is selected. Should she resist, she will be lobotomized to the degree necessary to make her docile. She has not been informed of this.”
Darius felt faint. He had known that pressure would be brought to bear on him, to make him help Ddwng obtain the Chip. Sterilization of Colene had already been threatened. But he had not realized how ruthless the full course would be. Colene was hostage to his cooperation—and he seemed to have no way to fight it.
“And should Darius do the Emperor’s will?” Tom inquired.
“Colene will be restored to him whole, and they will be given their freedom, either as ranking persons within the Empire or to travel to another Mode.”