Deserter

Chapter 8

Kris rose to wakefulness through pressing dreams. She had to pluck each star from the sky and put it in just the right colored basket. Then she was in the Prime Minister's residence, racing down the back halls, trying to open the right door or find just the right word to please her father. And Mother was…

Kris came awake. She was on top of covers smeared with the wreckage of last night's makeup. She tried to stretch, but her body armor had not been designed with that in mind. Kris felt to the back of her neck; Nelly was still plugged in.

NELLY, HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON AUNT TRU'S PIECE OF ROCK?

YES, KRIS. I THINK I HAVE THE POWER ISSUE SOLVED. I AM READY TO START A SERIOUS SEARCH FOR ACTIVITY ON THE CHIP.

Kris rubbed her eyes, tried to shake the emotions dredged up by her dreams. I THINK I'M GETTING SOMETHING FROM IT.

THAT CANNOT BE TRUE. I HAVE IT TRIPLE BUFFERED. I HAVE LET NOTHING THROUGH. THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING TO LET THROUGH.

Kris was not so sure of that. NELLY, WE AREN'T HAVING THE QUIET WEEK OR TWO I WAS EXPECTING. WE ALSO DON'T HAVE TRU A SHORT DRIVE AWAY FOR CHECKING UP ON YOU. THIS IS NOT A GOOD TIME TO BE DOING SOMETHING THAT WILL MESS YOU UP.

I UNDERSTAND, KRIS, Nelly said.

That taken care of, Kris rang for Abby and breakfast.

''Ouch. That hurts,'' Kris squealed. She had never had much body hair. After Abby got done peeling this body suit/armor off, she wouldn't have any!

''Should have done this last night,'' Abby muttered.

''Tommy kind of had first call on your services.''

''Must have been powerfully busy to forget what happens when you leave this rig on too long. And letting you sleeps in your makeup. Only sluts do that.''

''Last night, I was a slut. Remember?''

''Young lady, you must learn to switch your roles faster.''

''Like you do?'' Kris slipped that one in fast.

''Don't know what you're talking about,'' Abby said and gave the suit a vicious yank.

''Eeks,'' Kris yelped, and glanced down. Nope, no hair at all. Kris let some time pass. Abby went back to gentle pulls that almost didn't hurt. ''I made myself three promises last night,'' Kris said softly.

''What might those be?''

''First, get Tommy back to the Navy where he belongs; then, find out if Wardhaven is quite as civilized as I've been told.''

''That's two,'' Abby said, looking up from where she was working the body stocking down Kris's thigh.

''Find out who Abby really is.''

Abby chuckled under her breath and concentrated on easing Kris out of her armor. ''You find out who that woman is, and you tell me. I've been wondering about her most of my life.''

''I'm going to find out who you are.''

Her maid settled cross-legged on the floor and let out a sigh but kept gently tugging at the stocking. ''You know who you are, Miss Longknife?''

''No, but I'm learning.''

''Why not let Abby worry about Abby, and you worry about Kris?''

''Because I don't like all the hats you keep pulling out of rabbits.''

''Any of those hats not what you needed at the moment?''

''I admit they've all come in handy.''

''Then why look a gift hat in the mouth?''

''Paranoia runs deep in my family.''

''Right,'' Abby said, making one last tug that brought the stocking off Kris's feet. ''I forgot about that survival trait. What say we compromise?''

''How?''

''I'll keep saving you. You keep paying me.''

''You girls decent?'' Jack called from the living room. ''Breakfast is here.''

''I'm starved,'' Abby said, bringing Kris a plush white robe.

''Can't argue there,'' Kris said, cinching the robe tight.

Jack was standing beside a serving cart heaped with griddle cakes, eggs in several manifestations, and three different kinds of meat: bacon, sausages, and fried fish. He was going over the ensemble with the three bug hunting gizmos. ''Seven bugs. Good Lord, don't they have any patience around here? Or fumigators? Shall I squish ‘em?''

''Seven,'' Kris said, giving Abby a questioning glance. ''From only five interested parties?''

Abby rolled her eyes at the ceiling.

''Eight,'' Jack answered, stooping to examine something on the wheel of one cart. ''I think we've got a new model this morning. Could be a new player or just a better try from one of the old, familiar crew. Again, do I squish them?''

''Why bother?'' Kris said, grabbing a plate. ''Dorothy is ready to click her ruby slippers together and go home to Kansas. Nelly, book us passage on the next ship out of here headed for anywhere near U. S. space.''

''Kris, I can't.''

''Why not?'' Kris said as heads peeked out from Abby's room, both Tommy and Penny.

''All ships on approach or waiting to dock at High Turantic are now boosting for the nearest jump point. All docked ships' departures are delayed indefinitely. We are under quarantine.''

Tommy hobbled into the room, Penny an arm around him for balance… or possession?

Kris sighed. ''And why are we suddenly under quarantine?''

The screen in the living room came to life. Suddenly breakfast was being shared with people in blue moon suits and others in regular clothes—dying horribly. A map appeared in a separate window highlighting Bremen, a small town some five hundred kilometers north of Heidelburg. ''Last night,'' Nelly said as the news flashed before them, ''an outbreak of anaerobic Ebola virus was reported in Bremen, a small town on North Continent. Following Society of Humanity regulations, the authorities on Turantic quarantined the town. However, since air traffic from the nearby town of Coors had continued unabated during the virus's incubation period, the full planet must be quarantined.''

Kris studied the map, her lips tightening into a deepening frown. ''Anyone else see something wrong with this picture?''

''You have to quarantine anaerobic Ebola,'' Tommy said. ''It spreads like wildfire.''

''Yes, but we've never had any kind of an Ebola outbreak on Turantic before,'' Penny said in puzzlement.

''There are reports in minor media formats,'' Nelly said. ''Suspicions, really, that this outbreak was not an accident or natural event.''

Jack whispered something to his wrist unit. An information cell opened beside the map of Bremen. The town was a mining site, offering few amenities. The agent shook his head. ''This has the smell of a planned event. That town is too far into the temperate zone to get the virus from an imported pharmaceutical species. It's the end of the road as far as trade is concerned. A town with nothing more than a clinic for the copper and lead miners shouldn't have a sample of the virus for accidental release.''

Kris stepped closer to the screen. ''Nelly, what are the metal reserves for the mines around Bremen?''

Nelly added them to the cell about the town. ''Pretty close to petering out,'' Kris said with no surprise. She left unsaid that a town like Bremen, surrounded by played-out mines, was not much of a resource to lose if you had to have a town suddenly wiped out by plague. Paranoia, thy name is Kristine. She sighed.

''There is a problem here,'' Jack said.

''A problem.'' Kris snorted, turning back to the cooling breakfast.

''They are quarantining Turantic under Society of Humanity regulations,'' Jack said matter-of-factly, picking up a plate. ''The quarantine will have to stay in place until bureaucrats from the Agency for Disease Control do the required inspections and give Turantic a clean bill of health.''

''There is no Society anymore,'' Tommy said, joining them.

''And no Agency for Disease Control with general recognition in human space, so whose bureaucrats will raise the quarantine?'' Penny asked.

Tommy looked pale, weak, and in general like he'd lost a wrestling match with a cement truck. His plate, however, quickly gained a pile of food.

''Uh, Tommy,'' Kris said, ''you should probably know. There are two or three bugs live in this room. Some people seem to be very interested in our conversations.''

Tommy glanced around the room with a glare that should have fused any offending bug if it had any conscience at all, but he seemed to suddenly lose interest in anything else when he spotted a chair, collapsed into it, and began stuffing his face.

Penny quickly filled a plate half as full as Tommy's. ''So, who will cancel the quarantine that will allow you to leave?'' she said as she sat beside him.

Kris found every eye in the room suddenly focused on her. ''How should I know?'' she snapped, settling for a bran muffin, marmalade, and a slab of ham. ''As Grampa Ray is saying more and more these days, ‘That's an interesting problem. Wonder how it will solve itself?' ''

Jack passed close to Kris as he moved to fill his plate. ''Did I just hear the clink of a bear trap closing on…'' he said softly near Kris's ear.

''No! That couldn't be…'' Kris said but bit her tongue as she remembered other ears were listening. She scowled at Jack, shaking her head forcefully. The Secret Service Agent just raised both his eyebrows and went on filling his plate.

''You don't mean,'' Penny started, then seemed to think better of her words. She pointed her fork at Kris, then at Tom, then made a circle that took in the room… and the entire planet.

Kris shook her head violently. There had to be some limits to her paranoia.

Beside her, Jack and Abby nodded with the absoluteness of ancient sages.

Kris snagged an apple and took her plate to an overstuffed chair set against what looked like a wall papered with an ancient Chinese river scene. On close examination, it proved to be a computer screen. Abby and Jack settled into opposite ends of the couch. Tommy munched his eggs Benedict in an overstuffed chair, Penny at his elbow in the straight-backed one that was usually Abby's. For a long moment, the listening bugs picked up nothing but chewing sounds as breakfast held them in its pleasant grip.

Kris broke her muffin into small portions, then slowly chewed them as she ignored the people in front of her and let her eyes rove over the carved filigrees of the wood moldings where the walls, probably all screens, met the ceiling. A chandelier of finely cut glass cast gentle shadows on the walls and even the occasional rainbow. Would a penniless whore like Kris had masqueraded as last night ever see a room like this? Not likely she'd ever catch the eye of a man who might admit her for a brief moment to someplace like this.

No, places like this were reserved for people with money and power. People who mattered. People like Kris. And to get at a person like Kris, would someone kill an entire town?

''Jack, kill the bugs,'' she said as she finished her muffin.

The agent produced a bug burner from his pocket, no bigger than his hand, with two metal horns extending from it. Bursts of crackling sounds marked his movement over the breakfast cart. When he finished there, he took care of one on the end table beside Kris's chair, then ducked into his bedroom. ''We're clean,'' he said when he returned.

''Nelly, what's the death toll so far in Bremen?''

''Only two, but they don't know how many have contracted it.''

Kris rubbed the back of her neck. ''Ebola takes six or seven days to kill anyone. I didn't even know Tommy was on leave back then. You can't blame this on me!'' The last words tasted too much of a plea for Kris's liking. These people were not her judges. She had no right to task them with absolving her.

''Kris could be right,'' Tommy said.

''The young, weak, or elderly often fail from it much faster,'' Abby said in a tone that echoed of the sepulcher.

Kris was out of her chair, pacing. ''We got in yesterday, broke Tommy loose last night, and were ready to bolt this place today. We've only had Tommy for six hours! Nobody could arrange a plague in six hours.''

''Yet the dying words of the woman last night were you'd never get out of here,'' Jack said as he sat back down and resumed eating. Holding a slice of waffle just short of his mouth, he finished, ''Sandfire knows you can move fast. He's showing you he can react just as fast.''

''Three apartments were rented,'' Penny noted. ''We busted Tom out of the second one. I think we did get inside their decision-making cycle.''

''Right. That shows we acted faster than he expected,'' Kris quickly agreed. ''He expected to use that third apartment.''

Abby set down the small plate that had held her meal of toast and fruit. ''Still, the timing of the rentals also tells us this plan has been in the works for some time.'' A glance around the room got her nods of agreement. She went on. ''The Ebola event must also have been planned well in advance. It could have been initiated as soon as you booked passage for here. I suspect if we looked closely at the incident, we'd find the present situation is more window dressing than real. No doubt, that will be corrected in a few days.''

''All this to get Kris?'' Tommy shook his head. ''She is one of those Longknifes, but this is ridiculous.''

''Right,'' Kris said, but a look at the others didn't show any similar doubt. She scrubbed at her face for a moment, trying to wash away feelings she didn't have time to catalogue, then brightened, ''Nelly, message to Grampa Al. ‘I'm stuck on Turantic. Could you please send me a ship to bust me out?' There, we'll use a damn Longknife thing to put an end to this.''

''I have filed the message,'' Nelly said. ''However, I am advised there may be a significant delay in transmitting it.''

Kris lost her breath as well as the confidence she'd found. ''Tell us why, Nelly.''

''There seems to have been a major system failure in the stellar communications equipment last night. Nearly ninety percent of capacity is inoperative. I have paid extra to get us priority, but it will still be a three-hour delay.''

Penny pulled out her wallet and extracted a Wardhaven bill. ''Five will get you ten. Kris's message doesn't go out before the rest of the system crashes.''

''Whose side are you on?''

''Hey, Kris, I'm just learning to bet the odds. Somebody wants you here and seems willing to do damn near anything to keep you here.''

''But why?'' Abby said, just the hint of a puzzled frown passing quickly over her well-controlled face.

''That,'' Jack said, getting up and collecting the dish from Kris's end table, ''is the question I've been asking since we learned Tommy had been snatched.''

''I suspect if we find that out,'' Abby said, adding her dirty plate to the cart, ''we will find a snake much larger than we bargained for.''

''Penny, what's going on here?'' Kris asked. ''Stipulated, someone wants me on Turantic. But why here?''

Penny took a deep breath. Nelly cut her off. ''Kris, you have a call coming in.''

''Put it on-screen. Show me only.''

''I'm so glad to have you with us, Princess Kristine,'' gushed a man with graying hair and jowls far too large for his face.

NELLY, WHO IS HE?

AMBASSADOR MIDDENMITE, WARDHAVEN'S REP—

RIGHT, I know. ''And I'm glad to see you this morning, Mr. Ambassador. I was trying to book passage home, and I'm told that I can't.''

''Yes, I've heard that, too. I'll have someone look into it. What I was calling for was something much more enjoyable. They are inaugurating the Top of Turantic tonight, a ballroom at the very top of the elevator station. Dinner and dancing with a truly marvelous view. I'm told it may be as enjoyable as any state ball on Wardhaven,'' he said wistfully. Kris kept a smile on her face. Balls were the least of her problems at the moment.

''When I received my invitation,'' the Ambassador went on, ''it included one for Your Highness. Might I send it on?''

Kris had many things to do today; top among them was being a long way from Turantic before evening. Still, she swallowed the No that jumped to her lips. How often did Father say, ''When you are trapped into doing something you hate, it is best to do it with grace. Think of it as fighting your way across a raging river. It is foolish to swim against the current.'' Even at five, when Kris first received that lecture, she could not picture her father struggling across a raging river. Still, politics was full of sudden and fast currents, and Father did always arrive where he wanted. Maybe it was time to do a little floating with the flow while she dog-paddled like hell out of sight. Kris let her face form a frown for the Ambassador as she juggled a dozen thoughts at once. Someone was doing their level best to keep her here. How might she return this ''favor''?

''Mr. Ambassador, I didn't come prepared for a full round of formal affairs,'' Kris started. Abby shook her head, letting the merest hint of a smile crease her lips. ''But I could probably throw something together,'' Kris added. Abby took flaming affront to that and headed for Kris's room in full huff. ''I would appreciate it if you could arrange for the host of tonight's gala to offer me the invitation personally. There are security matters to consider.'' She glanced at Jack. He shook his head with a sigh. Kris suspected that protecting her through the mob scene of a ball was the last thing Jack was prepared to do solo.

''I will be glad to pass along to Mr. Sandfire your openness to an invitation. He thought you might be in need of some entertainment,'' the Ambassador effused.

At the word Sandfire, Tommy and Penny were off their chairs, showing a range of emotions that would have earned any media actor the highest honor. Kris froze her face. So Sandfire thought she might be bored this morning. And not going anyplace either. Guess I didn't spring Tom so fast.

''If you are able to make an appearance,'' the ambassador went on, ''at the ball tonight, I wonder if I might arrange further invitations. Sandfire mentioned there was no telling how long this quarantine might last. This weekend is the annual yacht regatta, and I understand you quite enjoy a good sail.''

Tommy's skin took on a greenish tinge. Kris loved a good sail. Still, she should stay focused. ''Mr. Ambassador, this is not a formal visit—'' she started.

''I understand, Your Highness,'' the ambassador cut her off, then paused, shocked at his effrontery, but he went on. ''You must understand, Princess Kristine, there is an election scheduled in the very near future. Many people here have fond memories of their past relationship with Wardhaven. Others seem intent on damaging that relationship, if not destroying it. I would hate to see my adopted planet in, ah, difficulty with my home. You must understand the problem we face here.''

''I've been learning a lot very rapidly,'' Kris said dryly.

''There is little that we can do officially, now that we are foreigners,'' the Ambassador went quickly on. ''However, I have never underestimated the power of social contacts. Many of my friends have expressed interest in you personally, both as a Longknife and as a Princess. What you can do…?'' he finished with an expressive shrug.

Part of Kris wanted to protest that Lieutenant JG Longknife had not even been mentioned. She snapped a lid on that and considered the offer on its merits. Someone had made it impossible for her to get out of here. She could sit on her butt, fuming, or she could get out and do something, probably something that Mr. Sandfire had not planned on. Was this old coot trying to squander her time? She'd always considered her social life a waste. Just now, it was all she had. Maybe it was time to rethink herself. ''Why don't you look into other invitations while I consider matters?''

''I would be glad to.''

''By the way, I've tried to get a message off planet, to see if Nuu Enterprises could send a ship for me. That message is kind of having a slow go of it.''

''Yes, I understand that the new systems on High Turantic are suffering ‘teething problems,' I believe they're called.''

''Well, could you try to move my message up on the priority list? Nuu Pharmaceuticals makes one of the vaccines against Ebola. That ship could bring a load of it when it comes for me.''

''Very good thinking, Your Highness. Yes, I will personally contact the Minister of Communications to see what can be done.''

The Ambassador rang off, and bedlam broke out. ''You are not going to any ball,'' Jack snapped. ''They could pick you off from a hundred different directions.'' ''Sandfire.'' Tommy looked paler. ''He's the bastard that gave me the song and dance I fell for. Kris, you can't do what he wants.'' ''Kristine Longknife, you can't be that dumb.'' was Penny's contribution. ''You pulled off something pretty wild to stop that battle at Paris, but even you can't snap your fingers and beat whatever is coming down here.''

''I suggest this gown tonight,'' Abby said, holding up a bright red arrangement that would draw every eye within a thousand meters, even if it was just Kris wearing it.

Kris lowered her voice but pitched it to carry over the rabble. ''Let's sit down, calm down, and get some organization into our thinking.''

The others did, although Abby retreated to Kris's room to return the gown. With everyone settled in, Kris began what had to be one of the strangest staff meetings in history. ''Penny, from what graveyard did my father dig up that Ambassador?''

''He's a holdover,'' she started quickly. ''Ambassador Middenmite came to Turantic forty years ago. You might not know it, but Turantic's vintners produce a particularly prized wine. Middy was able to corner the market on it for most of the off-planet sales. When we needed help setting up a business mission here, he knew everyone worth knowing.'' She shrugged. ''He wanted to retire from business a few years back when we needed a head of trade missions. He seemed perfect for the job. He helped a lot setting up the military equipment exchanges of the last decade, or so my former boss told me.''

''So, he's great window dressing, but not quite the sharp edge we need these days.'' Penny nodded. ''Who's the real boss?''

Penny flinched away from Kris's gaze. ''Mr. Howling handles the administrative functions.''

''So,'' Kris repeated, ''who is in charge of the real work?''

''Lieutenant Junior Grade, you are not cleared for that.''

''And what about Princess Longknife?''

Penny frowned, glanced at the ceiling, then shrugged. ''That royal stuff is just window dressing as far as the Navy is concerned. It doesn't put you in my chain of command.''

''Reasonable answer,'' Jack cut in with a sigh. ''So, if our target here insists on going off to the ball tonight, what can you and your unnamed boss do to help me keep her from turning into a potted pumpkin before midnight?''

''Actually, I can help you there without involving my boss.'' Penny smiled brightly, relieved to be out of that morass. ''I told you I had contacts with the local police. I can get you a full detail up here within three hours.''

''And who will vouch that they're clean?'' Jack said.

''I will. They're professional cops. They do good cop work and don't give a damn about the political hand-waving going on.''

''Good enough for me,'' Kris said. Jack turned on her, but she cut him off. ''If we wait until we have full fields on all of them to your satisfaction, I'll be well into my third year here with just you at my arm. I got us into this mess, Jack. I take responsibility for this part of the mess.''

''Okay, for the ball tonight, I guess I can go along with that. But you have to keep to a minimum-risk schedule.''

''No, Jack, I'm going along with the Ambassador.''

''You're kidding. You hate that social stuff.''

''I hate social stuff with the usual suspects talking about the same things they've talked about since I was born,'' Kris cut Jack off. ''But how else do I get out and meet people here? How else do I figure out what's going on? Besides, if everyone knows I hate the social stuff, so does Sandfire. If this is the last thing he'd expect me to do, it's the first thing I ought to do.''

''And it does have the advantage,'' Penny said, ''of getting you out among people who are very interested in Wardhaven and what this King thing might mean for them if they vote for the Liberal Party and join United Sentients.''

''Kris, you have another call coming in,'' Nelly announced.

Kris stepped away from the table, tightened the robe around her, and stood in front of the living room screen. ''Put me on.''

A small portion of the screen changed to show a man in a gray three-piece business suit. He had either grown pudgy in early middle age… or was wearing several layers of body armor. His face was thin, relaxed, an open smile… that did not reach to his eyes. ''Hello, Princess Kristine. I am Calvin Sandfire, the owner of the Top of Turantic. I understand the quarantine has caught you here, and you're open to an invitation to tonight's inaugural ball.''

And just how and why do you know that? Kris wondered but chose to keep things social. Channel Mother, Kris ordered herself. ''And I am so glad that I can provide you a royal presence for your first ball. Wardhaven and Turantic have so much in common,'' she gushed. The flash flood of syrupy verbiage surged back and forth for the required moments. He stayed air head social, not touching again on her stranded status. The only fact exchanged was the starting time for the ball.

''I'll drop by your suite at the Hilton to fetch you. You will require an escort, won't you? I understand your visit here was somewhat hastily planned.''

Not nearly as hasty as you wish, Kris thought, even as she made sure sardonic did not slip into her face camouflage. ''I don't think that will be required. I do believe there are several men at the embassy dueling for the privilege of providing me an arm to lean on.''

That brought a dry chuckle from Sandfire.

''Oh, I almost forgot,'' Kris said, raising a dramatic hand to her forehead. ''Mother would slap me silly if I didn't have my security detail review the ballroom beforehand.'' Mother, of course, would never say such a thing. Kris stole that from a girl in high school devotedly understudying for Mother's job.

''I don't see how that could be a problem,'' Sandfire said with a slight twitch of his left hand. ''I will have the head of Ballroom Security meet with him. Say one this afternoon?''

''Certainly. See you tonight.''

''I would not miss this for the world.'' OFF, NELLY.

''That is one lying son of a bitch,'' Kris growled as she stomped back to the table.

''See what I was up against?'' Tommy said.

''A real pro.'' Jack nodded. ''You notice how he converted your security team into just ‘him'?''

''Didn't miss it. Penny, I want you and Jack to be there at one along with as large a detail of those trusted cops as you can shanghai fast. I want to flood that place.''

Penny chuckled. ''Clear signal not to underestimate you?''

''Something like that. Also, Penny, could you get a dress uniform for Tom? Tommy, me boy, you are escorting the Princess Royal to the ball tonight.'' Kris was all grin.

Tommy wasn't. ''You sure you want me?''

Kris swallowed; she was starting to enjoy this, and once again she'd volunteer Tommy to be right next to the target. ''I'm sorry, Tom. I can understand if you don't want to be closer than fifty klicks to the nearest Longknife.''

''That's not it.'' The usually unsinkable Santa Marian couldn't raise his eyes from the table. ''You were the one who dug me out last night. I owe you. I just thought, after all I said about wanting to be far away from you, that you might want to be far away from me.''

Three steps, and Kris was at Tommy's chair. Kneeling beside him, she lifted his chin until he was looking her in the eyes. ''Tom, I need your help.'' She glanced around at the tiny group she'd dragooned into whatever it was she was doing. ''You may have noticed, we are a rather eclectic lot. You were a good man at my back when the darts started flying on Olympia. At Paris, you were my one backup when I faced down our Captain and took on a Fast Attack Squadron. I need your help again because, you may have noticed, there are not a lot of people available just now.''

The Lieutenant looked at her for a long second, then took in a deep breath and let out a sigh that would have been the pride of his Irish grandmother. ''And what else would I be doing with meself if I wasn't galloping along right behind you into whatever mess you're wanting to get into?''

''Thank you,'' Kris said, then got to her feet. ''What else do we need to figure out?''

''Why would this Mr. Sandfire be inviting you to the ball tonight?'' Abby mused.

''I'm a great decoration,'' Kris said, fluffing her hair.

''To rub your nose in the trap you're in,'' Jack grumbled.

''To get a better idea of what he's up against.'' Penny said.

''All of the above,'' Kris decided. ''Let's see that he gets his money's worth.''

At 12: 50, six plainclothesmen, lead by an Inspector Klaggath, presented themselves. Abby ushered them in to stand before Kris while she, in her best noble fashion, thanked them for coming to her aid on such short notice.

''Least we could do, ma'am,'' Klaggath said, not buying into the royal fiction. ''Seems that a certain kidnapping that we all were assigned to was resolved rather interestingly last night.''

KRIS, I HAVE ISOLATED SEVERAL CARRIER WAVES. IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT ALL THESE MEN ARE COVERED WITH BUGS.

ABOUT WHAT I EXPECTED, NELLY. ''I hope no one was hurt,'' Kris said, doing her best to feign real concern.

''No one that mattered,'' Klaggath assured her. ''And we understand the victim was recovered with little harm done. A good end all around.''

''Then I look forward to dancing the night away.''

Her knights errant off on their quest, Kris let Abby pamper her through a bath while the two of them discussed Heidelburg's prospective social calendar for the next week. Any and all listening bugs heard a lot of social chitchat, but none of them tracked Kris's thinking as she cycled her thoughts through what she'd gotten herself into, what might come of it, and what she wanted to do to Mr. Sandfire.

Jack and Penny returned, along with a pack of bugs. Abby and Tommy did the debugging. Was it just coincidence they got matched girl-boy, boy-girl, and the exhausting search went over every inch of their bodies? Kris cringed as the jokes, funny on several levels, began to fly, and she only wished she'd gone out so Jack and Tommy could give her as thorough a pat down.

KRIS, THERE IS STILL ONE ACTIVE BUG.

ON JACK OR PENNY?

NEITHER. IT IS A ROVING NANO GUARD.

MOBILE NANO GUARD! Kris almost said out loud. I THOUGHT ONLY AUNT TRU WAS WORKING ON THOSE.

APPARENTLY NOT. FROM THE BANDWIDTH, IT IS ONLY AUDIO.

CAN YOU KILL IT?

PLEASE GET YOUR BERET FROM LAST NIGHT. I NEED ITS ANTENNA.

Kris started to say something to her maid, thought better of it, and ordered Nelly to open a window on the wall.

ABBY, GET ME LAST NIGHT'S BERET. THERE IS A ROVING NANO GUARD IN THE ROOM, appeared in a small window. Kris waved her maid to it.

With one eye on the screen, Jack began a full briefing. Abby returned, adjusted the beret on Kris, and merged its lead into Nelly's wire. While Jack continued, leading them through a map of the facilities, the location of all the security sensors, and even the remotely controlled weapons, Kris waited for Nelly to report. Jack finished and glanced around the room, not at his listeners, but at the air above their heads. ''That's what we found, Kris. Things should be fine.''

NELLY, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

I THINK I HAVE SEIZED CONTROL OF THE NANO. A MOMENT MORE.

Kris smiled at Jack. ''It sounds like you had a very successful afternoon.''

''I'm glad you like that,'' Jack said, sounding like a bad actor reading from an even worse script.

''I've got it,'' Nelly said. ''It's doing what I tell it and sending what I want it to hear.''

''Land it on the table so I can have a look at it,'' Jack said, producing all three bug chasers. He waited a moment, activated them… and got no response. ''Nelly?''

''It is down. Your gear is not rigged for its signal.''

''I've got full frequency range.'' Jack almost pouted.

''Yes, but this is hopping bands faster than you can follow,'' Nelly said. ''Trudy designed something like this, so she included programs to look out for it in my last exchange with Sam, but she didn't expect to see them for at least another six months. I must tell Sam about this as soon as I can get a message out.''

''Sandfire is full of surprises. Nelly, keep some kind of news flowing. I don't want him to know we've turned his rover.''

''He's listening to a debate about what you will wear.''

''Thank you, Nelly. Draw up a full schematic on this thing for Aunt Tru. Jack, you're sure I'll be safe tonight?''

''No, but if Sandfire wanted you dead, you would be already.''

''Thanks for reminding me. Penny, if you don't mind, I'd like you at my elbow tonight. You want some time to get ready?''

''I also need to scare up a uniform for Tommy, here.''

''Then I guess we all had better be busy.''