Confluence

CHAPTER TWENTY: EAN LAMBERT

The invitation from Emperor Yu arrived while the Eleven was chasing the Iolo.

The Emperor of Lancia expects the presence of Linesman Lambert at supper.

Ean ignored it until after he came out of regen on Confluence Station. The burn on his leg itched where the new skin had taken; he’d come away with strict instructions on what he couldn’t do until after his third regeneration session. But the burn wasn’t painful anymore, and he could worry about other things, like how to refuse the invitation without aggravating the Emperor.

But first things first, and the lines always came first. He’d promised Scout Ship Three to the Xantos. He’d somehow promised the Confluence it could choose its own crew.

“And we are choosing.”

Didn’t he know it.

He called Abram. “I want to address the council. We need to hurry assigning ships to worlds. Otherwise, the council won’t get to choose.” He made the line as secure as he could. “The ships are desperate for linesmen. They’ll take any who come along, which is how Jakob nearly got Scout Ship Three. It’s a weakness we can’t afford.”

“Line business.” Abram considered it. “It might even settle things because people are worried about—” He grimaced and didn’t say the word they both knew was “Lancia.” “I’ll schedule you to address the council.”

“Thank you.” Ean clicked off.

“Thank you,” came a whispered echo underneath his.

He smiled and turned his attention to the other problem. Declining Emperor Yu’s invitation politely.

Rigel’s lessons had taught him how to accept invitations from royalty, but they’d never taught him how to refuse them. Ean had declined two invitations from Michelle already, but would the same politely worded refusal be enough for the Emperor?

“So, Ean.” He became aware Sale had said it twice. Or maybe three times. “What happened on the Gruen this afternoon?”

He was glad it was Sale who was asking. “I’ll tell you after you tell me if this is a polite enough refusal for Emperor Yu.” He held up his comms and the message he had ready:

It is with regret that I must decline, as I am presently attending to line issues.

“Or do I have to refuse by calling one of his assistants?”

Sale snatched his comms. “Let me see.” She scanned the earlier message. “You’ve had this for hours, Ean. We could have had you there by now.”

“Michelle doesn’t want me to go to functions.”

“This is not an invitation. It’s a summons. Shit. Grab your formal clothes. Quickly.”

“But—”

“No buts, Ean. Hurry. You can change on the shuttle.”

Ean called Michelle as he collected his formal uniform. Michelle was unavailable, so he left a semicoherent message with Michelle’s assistant, Lin—which he wasn’t even sure would be passed on—and made his way back to the shuttle. Lately, he spent more time in shuttles than he did on station.

Sale called up on her comms. “Ean, supper will be over before you get there.”

Dancing attendance on Emperor Yu had never been part of Ean’s plans. Not before he’d met Michelle, or after. But the man held his friends’ lives in his hands. If even Michelle was worried about what Yu could do, the best Ean could do to keep his friends safe was to do as Yu requested—within reason. He hurried back to the shuttle.

Maybe he could use the time to ask Yu to rethink Radko’s wedding.

Sale might have been reading his thoughts. “Don’t mention Radko,” she said, as they took off at speed. “Emperor Yu never, never, changes his mind. You’ll endanger yourself, Radko, Vega, and anyone else who was complicit in it. So don’t. Now, you still haven’t told me what happened today.”

Tell the truth, Radko would have said, simple and from the lines. Plus, it got her off the subject of Yu, and what he could and couldn’t do there.

“You know Redmond tried to steal Scout Ship Three.”

“The whole galaxy knows.”

“They had some sort of magnet. They linked the two ships.”

“It’s old technology,” Sale said, surprising him. “Apparently they used it to link generation ships together. To save on fuel.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Neither did most of us, but Commodore Favager of Nova Tahiti recognized it. Got quite excited about it.”

Clemence Favager was an Old Earth nut. Ean could imagine her getting excited about the use of old technology.

“They were taking a risk all the same,” Sale said. “We know ships physically bonded together can jump through the void, but an electromagnetic bond. I wouldn’t want to be the first to try it. I’d be worried the bond would break in the void.”

Jakob didn’t seem the sort who left things like that to chance. “They had probably already tested it.”

Sale nodded. “How did they get onto the scout ship?”

“Three of the people with Jakob were linesmen. The ship was happy to let them on.” It wasn’t the place or the time, but, “The ships need people, Sale. They’ll start choosing their own soon.”

“Tell that to the admirals, Ean. There’s no use telling me.”

Sale needed to know because she was one of the people the ships were choosing.

Ean continued with what had happened. “The jump was in ten minutes, and the Eleven was four hours away. I couldn’t stop the jump.”

“Not even with line eight?”

“I don’t know how to do it, Sale. I didn’t know what to ask. I couldn’t get it to understand.” Maybe he should have insisted.

Sale put up a hand to stop the flow of words. “It’s fine. What happened next?”

Ean blew out his breath. He didn’t like to admit the next bit. “The trainees aren’t used to training yet. And I’m not—” Sale knew he’d been having trouble; otherwise, she wouldn’t have said what she’d said about Peters the other day. “I wanted to stop the jump, and I wanted to move the Iolo closer to the Eleven fleet. Which meant a cold jump, but Rossi—” He took a deep breath, forced his voice even and smooth. “He doesn’t like cold jumps any more than the captains do, and he… tried to stop me.”

“By stealing Bhaksir’s blaster and firing at you?”

He nodded. “Only Rossi’s a famous ten, so when Bhaksir tried to stop him, the other linesmen came in to protect him.”

“I see.”

Sale had the same direct way of looking that Abram and Michelle did, as if she could see right through you.

“Gruen and I will talk to the admirals,” Sale said. “You’re lucky they have other things to think about today.”

“Thank you.”

Sale turned away from the boards and looked directly at him. “When you’re out of your depth, Ean, you have to learn to ask for help.”

“I can manage.”

“You can’t manage. We have a ship on lockdown because you insist on doing everything yourself. We have a linesman who nearly got his leg shot off.”

He’d spent an hour in regen. His leg still itched, but it was fine.

“Another one with a broken wrist, one with concussion, and five with various laser burns. Four people were arrested.”

What could he say to that?

“Worse, we have to explain to the admirals of the other military forces what happened.”

“I’m sorry.”

This time it was Sale who sighed. “Don’t be, Ean. It’s as much my fault as it is yours. I knew you were having problems. I should have done something about it.”

“You’re not responsible for me.”

“Somebody has to look after you while Radko’s not here to do it.”

Radko’s job was to protect Ean from would-be murderers and kidnappers, not from his own inability to control the trainees.

He was glad his comms chimed then, with a message from Abram. He was to address the council meeting the following day. Even gladder Abram had made it soon.

“If you were a soldier and couldn’t fire a blaster, Ean, you wouldn’t be expected to teach yourself. Your team leader would help out, ensuring you had remedial help.”

He couldn’t fire a blaster, and it was one thing Radko had never shown him. He’d asked her once if she was going to. She’d said, “Ean, your weapons are the lines.”

“Maybe you should teach me how to use a blaster.”

“Are you changing the subject, Ean?”

“No.” Maybe. He wasn’t sure. “What do I do about the line trainees?”

“Let’s see who gets involved before we decide.” The shuttle sounded for landing. Sale strapped herself in. “Meantime, we have to survive this supper first.”

The ship welcomed them. Ean sang his own song of welcome as he followed Sale down the corridor. He checked the ship while he did so. Captain Helmo was on the bridge. He felt—or heard—Ean’s regard, and nodded. Commodore Vega was at shuttle bay five, waiting for a shuttle to dock.

Commodore Bach, the Emperor’s head of security and Vega’s equivalent, was in the foyer of Yu’s apartment, talking into his comms.

“Everything is in hand, Lord Renaud. I assure you. I have set my staff to attend to it personally.” He glanced at Ean and Sale. “You will excuse me, Lord Renaud, but I must attend His Imperial Majesty.” He swiped off, then swiped the comms open again. The woman at the other end wore a Lancian uniform, with the same braid Ean had on his own shoulders. “Find out who assigned Yves Han to a covert operation. I want their head on my desk, tomorrow morning.”

“Do we rescue Han the Younger?”

“What we do is damage control. And hope certain people never hear about it.” Bach swiped off, then looked at Sale and Ean.

“Emperor Yu requested the presence of Linesman Lambert at supper, sir,” Sale said.

Bach looked at her epaulettes. “And he’s delivered by a group leader.”

“Yes, sir. It’s a good opportunity to debrief in private.”

Bach nodded. “I heard about today. What started it?”

“Started it, sir?” Sale looked as mystified as Ean felt. “Captain Jakob attempting to steal the ship.”

“The lockdown of linesmen.”

He shouldn’t have known about that. It was Abram’s area, not Bach’s. Not even Vega’s, although she knew.

“That.” Sale waved a dismissive hand. “You know linesmen. They come in thinking they’re the galaxy’s gift. We’re teaching them new methods. It takes time to adapt. They don’t like change.”

Sale was as talented at dissembling as Abram and Michelle. Ean hid his smile.

“So they always do this?”

“This time was a little extreme. But there were reasons.” Sale saluted. “It’s in my report if you wish to read it. But, sir, I must deliver the linesman to supper. If you will excuse me.”

“Of course.” Bach stepped aside to let them enter. He followed them in.

The walls on the Emperor’s entertaining room were covered with TransScreen, a product that had come onto the market just before Michelle had purchased Ean’s contract. TransScreen had a smooth surface that showed whatever was sent through to its controllers. This particular sheet depicted a 360-degree panorama of somewhere on Lancia, for the sky had a distinctive purple tinge. Ean could hear the feed from line five as a constant stream, and as he watched, a shuttle zoomed high across the sky. A delayed real-time send, he guessed.

How magnificent would it be to switch the view to the cameras on the outside of the Lancastrian Princess? You’d really feel you were in space then.

Or maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. Ean didn’t like to remember there was only a wall between him and the stars.

He wasn’t the only guest. Sattur Dow was there, as was the Factor of the Lesser Gods. Plus assorted support staff. Some of Yu’s, some of the Factor’s, some of Sattur Dow’s. Ean recognized Ethan Saylor, the youth who continually called Vega wanting to talk to Radko.

Two members of Helmo’s crew were clearing away the remains of food on the long supper table. Ean’s stomach rumbled as he saw that. He hadn’t eaten yet.

Yu looked him over as if he were inspecting something he was about to purchase. He glanced at the Factor. The Factor quirked an eyebrow. Ean got the impression that neither of them was impressed.

“So, Linesman,” Yu said, and Ean got the impression more than ever that he was being studied as a pending acquisition. “Why is Galenos hiding information about the alien line ships from Lancia?”

He was glad he’d seen Vega’s tape of Michelle’s meeting with her father. Otherwise, he might have replied that the Department of Alien Affairs was keeping information about the line ships from every world until it was safe to do so.

“Hiding information.” Ean managed a creditable Rossi-like laugh. “From Lancia, who gets knowledge before everyone else does. Who sends their own staff out to the Confluence every day. Other worlds should be so lucky.”

“That isn’t what I have heard.”

It was a pity Yu hadn’t been on ship long, for the lines weren’t picking up his emotions enough for Ean to interpret them. “I don’t know what you have heard,” Ean said. “But if it’s not that, I would question your sources.”

Yu’s eyes narrowed.

The Factor intercepted smoothly. “Tell me, Linesman. What is your opinion of the events today?”

Which events did he mean? The lockdown of the linesmen? Or the attempt to steal Scout Ship Three?

“I’m a linesman, not a politician. If you are looking for opinions, why don’t you ask—” Abram, he’d been going to say, but Yu obviously had it in for him. “Mi— Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess, I mean.”

“Assuredly, we will,” Yu said. “But does it not seem unusual that a man heretofore known as loyal and devoted to his ruler suddenly tries to steal a ship? One might almost believe that Captain Jakob was framed.”

He couldn’t be serious. But it seemed he was.

“By whom?” Ean asked, when he finally found enough voice to speak.

“Someone who wishes to keep the Worlds of the Lesser Gods out of the New Alliance.”

Like Abram, he meant.

“No,” Ean said. “The Factor was not set up. Jakob is working with Redmond. He’s sent them messages in the past.”

“Messages,” Bach asked sharply. “To Redmond. How do you know that?”

Bach’s high-tech center he’d set up on board the Lancastrian Princess would have picked up the transmissions as well. If Ean and Helmo hadn’t destroyed his listening devices.

“We’ve heard some of them.”

“Heard some of them?”

“Jakob sent a message before he left to go home.” Except he hadn’t gone home. “He was speaking Redmond.”

Yu, Bach, and the Factor exchanged glances.

“Why wasn’t I informed of this?” Yu demanded.

Now Vega would get in trouble because Ean had opened his mouth. “We were following it up. Jakob had replaced the camera in his cabin with old footage of him sleeping. We didn’t have any recordings of what he did or said.” Their emotions were stronger now; he was finally picking something up through the lines. Consternation, agitation. “Once we knew more, we would have notified Commodore Bach, of course, but Jakob and the Iolo tried to steal the ship before our investigation was complete.”

Bach asked, “Do you have proof of this?” while the Factor demanded, “Are you spying on us?”

The lines sang a sudden song of welcome. It took Ean a moment to realize it wasn’t because of what the Factor had said, but it was Michelle’s shuttle, arriving in bay three. One of two shuttles arriving at the same time.

It was a pity Michelle wasn’t here, right now. She’d know what to say. Still, he’d talked himself into this. It was up to him to talk himself out of it.

“We are not spying,” for that seemed to be their main concern. Although he didn’t know why, given that rulers spent their lives surrounded by people who knew everything they did. “We look for triggers.” It was even true. “Redmond language, in this case, which was what alerted us to Jakob.”

The three men looked at each other again.

“You have an alert for anyone speaking Redmond,” the Factor said.

“Yes. We do.” Ean did, anyway.

“On this ship.” Yu looked at Bach, rather than at Ean. “Why would they expect that?”

“Concerned they have spies on board,” Bach suggested. To Ean, “You should have informed me, as I am responsible for the Emperor’s protection.”

Ean nodded but didn’t answer.

Yu started to pace. “My own daughter is spying on me now.” He stopped close to Ean. “Why is that?”

He was way too close, and according to Rigel, one never invaded the ruler’s personal space. Ean knew he was supposed to step back, to give him room.

Ean had learned more about intimidation techniques in the last six months than he had in his whole life. He knew how to respond. He didn’t move—back or forward. He curled his mouth in what he hoped looked like disdain, and channeled his best Rossi. “You assume she’s spying on you.”

His hands were clammy. He was sweating. This was as bad as the trainees and had escalated as quickly.

Down in shuttle bay three, Michelle waited for the air to recycle before she could disembark.

A woman exited shuttle bay five. One of Vega’s staff frisked her for weapons.

“I see no need for this farce,” the woman being frisked said.

“I would be negligent if I allowed you in the Emperor’s presence without it,” Vega said.

“Clear, ma’am,” the soldier frisking the visitor told Vega.

“Thank you. This way.” Vega led the woman along the corridor. “I trust you had a pleasant trip, Madam Chen.”

“Fine, thank you,” Chen said, stiffly.

Ean dragged his attention back to the room he was in. It wouldn’t do to miss something right now because he was listening to the ship. Yu was frowning, almost as if he’d forgotten Ean was there.

The Factor said, “If Jakob is working with Redmond, we must decide what to do about him.”

For a moment, it looked as if Yu wouldn’t answer.

“Galenos will question him. I would like to be involved in that.”

There was emotion here, pungent, and sharp. Ean couldn’t pick who it was from, maybe both of them. He tested the taste with his tongue. There was a touch of fear there, too, as if Yu really was worried about what Abram would do. About a man he’d promoted to admiral six months ago.

If he weren’t so paranoid, he wouldn’t need to be scared at all.

Yu turned his back on Ean. “You are correct, Factor. Admiral Galenos will twist the facts to suit himself.”

Ean wanted to leave, couldn’t do so until he was dismissed.

Sattur Dow stepped up beside Ean. “I believe you know my fiancée, Linesman.”

“Of course I do. Everyone on this ship does.”

“But you know her especially well, I have heard.”

What had he heard?

Dow smiled at him. “As such, I would like to extend an invitation to our wedding.”

There was no way Sattur Dow was going to marry Radko.

“Others on this ship know her better,” Ean said, trying to be fair. “They’re as much her family as her real family is, and have been around longer than I. You should invite her whole team.”

He was saved from the awkward silence that statement caused by the arrival of Vega and Madam Chen. Vega withdrew after delivering the new guest. She glanced sharply at Ean on her way out but didn’t say anything.

Chen made straight for Sattur Dow. “I need to talk to you.”

“Later.”

“I need to talk to you now.”

Sattur Dow looked irritated. “Please excuse me a moment, Linesman.”

Ean was pleased to see him go. “Of course.”

Dow tried to halt at the door, but Chen took him out into the foyer. “Privately.”

Ean eavesdropped unashamedly through the lines.

“You set me up.” Ean could hear Chen’s rage, icy on his skin.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Dow said. “But drag me away like that in the middle of a conversation again, and I will most certainly set you up.”

Ethan Saylor moved in to fill the void. “Linesman.” He smiled cordially. “We should get to know each other better since we’ll be working together.”

“Working together?” Most of Ean’s attention was on what was happening outside the door.

“Once your bodyguard marries Sattur Dow,” Saylor said.

Ean looked at him. He was serious.

“You sent me to Redmond to kill me,” Chen said.

Redmond, again. Why so much about Redmond all of a sudden?

“Maybe we could get together for a drink sometime,” Saylor said.

“If this is your way of getting something more out of our agreement, it’s not going to work,” Dow said. “Where are my plans?”

“What about tomorrow night? After you finish work,” Saylor said.

“I don’t have your precious plans,” Chen said. “You know that already.”

“Linesman?”

“You set me up, Sattur.” Chen took something out of her pocket. A chit. Ean was familiar with them from his youth. Chits were guarantees of money. You purchased them from moneylenders at above-market rates. They allowed you to move money without the purchase being traced.

She threw it at Dow. “Here’s your money. Be warned, Sattur. You think you’re too powerful to be reached, but everyone has secrets, you more than most.” Chen turned and walked away.

Dow watched her go. He picked up the chit, then came back inside.

“Is there anyone inside there, Linesman?”

Ean blinked. “Sorry,” he said to Saylor. “I was momentarily distracted.”

Sattur Dow rejoined them. “Apologies, Linesman.” He inclined his head toward Saylor. “Ethan, would you please find out what Merchant Chen’s problem is?”

Saylor smiled although the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course, Sattur.” He nodded politely to them both, leaving Ean alone with Sattur Dow again.

The noise in the room dropped. Yu, Bach, and the Factor looked at Ean.

He should have been listening to them, not to Dow.

“Linesman Lambert,” Bach said. “When did you first realize—” His comms beeped. He glanced at the screen, thumb about to swipe the message to silence it. He paused, then looked up. “Please excuse me. I must take this call.”

Michelle had exited from the shuttle and was making her way quickly along the corridors. Coming this way. She walked so briskly, her bodyguards had to half trot to keep up with her.

“What was in Jakob’s message?” Yu demanded, as they waited for Bach to return.

“I don’t know.” He considered telling them to ask Vega, but Vega would be forced to say he was the one who heard it. He repeated the few words he could remember.

Yu’s face, and the Factor’s, grew grimmer as they listened. “That’s only an approximation.”

“Translated?” Yu asked.

“I don’t know,” Ean said, but Yu was looking at the Factor.

Coming from neighboring worlds, he would know enough Redmond to get by.

The Factor shook his head.

An uncomfortable silence fell.

Ean didn’t break it. Instead, he listened to Bach take his call outside the door.

The woman on the comms was the same woman Bach had been talking to earlier. “This had better be important,” Bach said.

“I found who assigned Han’s son to Redmond.”

Redmond again. Why was everyone at Redmond all of a sudden? Including Radko.

“And?” Bach asked.

“Commodore Jiang Vega.”

“Vega,” Bach said, as Michelle slowed to enter the foyer where he was talking.

Michelle looked at him.

Bach bowed. “Your Royal Highness.”

“Commodore Bach.”

Bach bowed and waited for her to enter before he turned back to his comms. “Send a code five,” he told the woman. He flicked off and frowned down at the screen, then followed Michelle in.

Michelle inclined her head. “Father. Factor. Merchant Dow. Good evening.” She nodded at Ean.

“Daughter. So glad you could make my supper. I heard you were staying on Haladea III tonight.”

“My meeting finished early,” Michelle said. “And I had some security issues I needed to discuss with Commodore Vega.”

“We have been hearing about security issues.” Yu ignored what was an obvious warning glance from Bach. “You spy on your guests.”

“Surely not.” Michelle didn’t look at Ean, but he knew she knew who had precipitated the accusation.

Yu’s comms vibrated discreetly then. And Bach’s. And those of an assistant.

Yu ignored his comms. “Yes, apparently you are—”

The assistant raised a discreet hand.

Yu took out his own comms. He glanced at the message, raised a brow in Bach’s direction. Bach nodded.

Was that Bach’s code five? What was Vega involved in? And if it was Redmond, was Radko involved?

Yu swiped his comms off with force. He looked at Michelle. “We are not finished with this conversation, Daughter, but I have other issues to attend for the moment.”

“Of course. My ship is at your disposal, Father.”

“The Factor of the Lesser Gods wishes to be present at the interrogation of Captain Jakob. Arrange this, Daughter.” He turned to Bach. “We should start now for Haladea III,” and glanced at Michelle again. “In case Galenos steps up the timing of his interrogations.”

He swept out, the Factor close behind him. Bach followed them both, calling Helmo for clearance for the Emperor’s shuttle.

Sattur Dow, left behind, bowed to Michelle.

“Excuse my rudeness, Sattur,” Michelle said. “But I must organize the Factor’s request to sit in on the interrogation. Ean,” and she indicated he was to leave in front of her.

Ean half bowed to Sattur Dow on the way out. “Good night, Merchant.”