Page 18

O ur food arrived. I’d yet to learn anything really valuable, and I had no idea how to bring up the subject of the Star without being too heavy-handed.

Thankfully, Frank stepped in. “Where do you normally house the Omega Min Star when it’s on Loessa?”

The premier wasn’t shy about diving into his food, spooning up a big mouthful before answering. “It’s kept in a secure vault in a somewhat secret location. An underground bunker that is reserved for the shelter and security of myself and other dignities in times of distress, such as the storms we sometimes get.”

Frank nodded, his eyes full of genuine interest. “I’ve read about those. Incredible windstorms.”

“They are,” the premier said. “They come every year and a half, give or take a month or two. In the past, they would wipe out entire towns, but our building technology has grown, and we are now able to construct facilities that can weather the storms with minimal damage.”

“Fascinating,” Frank said, and I sincerely believed he meant it. “What a feat to have achieved that level of safety.”

“Thank you.” The premier seemed proud.

Frank was good at this. I ate while he talked. “I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, but the Star is a spectacular stone. It’s great that you’ve allowed it to be viewed here on the Athos . I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I doubt you will again, either.” The premier smiled, looking pretty pleased about that.

But Frank wasn’t done. “Where do all the smaller pieces of nebulite come from? It’s mined, I assume?”

The premier nodded. “The largest veins of it have been found under two of our seas. Very difficult to get at, as you might imagine, but necessary, as it’s become our main fuel source.

Stones such as that one”—he gestured with his spoon toward my neck—“the small, gem-quality pieces, are much sought after for jewelry, but that’s not where the real value of nebulite lies.”

“Of course,” Frank said. “It’s in the technical and energy attributes.”

“Yes.” The premier paused his eating to take a drink.

That was all the opening I needed. Time to dig for information. “I saw Ayronina has a beautiful nebulite bracelet.”

Fathia set her fork down. “Does she? It must be new.” She cut her eyes at her husband but said nothing else.

He grunted softly, a sound that seemed to imply it was none of Fathia’s business.

Had the premier given that bracelet to Ayronina? I couldn’t really ask that. Could I? I swallowed the quiche I’d just eaten, dabbed at my mouth with my napkin, then tried to look as innocent as possible. “Is distribution of the gem-grade nebulite controlled in some way?”

“Diamonds are like that on Earth,” Frank added.

The premier shook his head. “They are not controlled, exactly, but the gem-quality stones are much more rare than the common rough, which is found in good quantities. That’s partly what makes the gemstones so valuable.” He lifted one shoulder, like this was something anyone should understand. “That is how it works with all gems.”

“I see.” I touched my new pendant. “I feel even more special to have received such a remarkable gift.”

Fathia looked like she’d lost some of her joy. She definitely wasn’t the smiling, gracious woman she’d been when we first arrived. Something was up.

Frank cleared his throat. “Ellis and I would both like to express our sympathies on the loss of the Loessaian guard. It’s a terrible shame.”

I went very still. Hazel hadn’t said anything about whether or not we could talk about the guard, but they already knew one of theirs had been found dead. At least, I really, really hoped they did.

The premier sighed. “Yes, it is a shame.”

I exhaled. Fathia stared at her plate.

“He was too young to lose his life, but I take comfort in the fact that he was doing what he loved.” The premier stabbed his finger into the tabletop. “This assignment meant a great deal to him. He was deeply honored to have been chosen. Many requested it, as you can imagine. Only a handful were chosen.”

Fathia lifted her chin, an almost haughty look in her eyes that seemed out of place to me. “His family will be well compensated, but he knew the risks. There are always risks when dealing with … others.”

Did she mean those on board who were not Loessaians?

She added a quick smile. “You know how it is, of course. You don’t know our customs. We don’t know yours. Mistakes are made. Conflicts are bound to happen.”

She did mean non-Loessaians. Again, I went the innocent route. I tipped my head to the side. “Is that what happened? He got into a fight with one of the Athos ’s guards?”

The premier hastily leaned into his wife’s space to address me. “We don’t yet know what happened, and I think it unwise to speculate. Your security forces are looking into the matter, and if things between Loessa and the Federation are to progress smoothly, I am sure the matter will be quickly and judiciously resolved.”

“I’m sure it will be.” He knew Hazel was my daughter. Was he expecting this conversation to get back to her? If so, his expectations would be met. I nodded sympathetically even as I wondered about his true feelings toward the potential alliance. “We are very sorry for his loss.”

The premier straightened and offered a courteous nod of his own. “Your sympathies are valued. Thank you.” He gestured for more tea.

A server came to refill his cup and ours as well. I concentrated on my food for a moment to give myself a chance to think. In acknowledging the death of the guard, wasn’t the premier basically acknowledging the theft of the Star, too? I couldn’t see how those two things were not related.

It wasn’t my place to question him, though. I’d given Hazel my word. But something else was niggling at me. It was like my brain was trying to make a connection and just couldn’t get there.

Fathia pushed her plate away, her food only half eaten. Her expression had grown rather sour. She reached for a small chocolate croissant on the pastry platter and took a bite. The croissant shed flakes of crust everywhere on the tablecloth, making her frown.

I didn’t know if the frown was because of the mess or if she was embarrassed by it, but I grabbed a small pastry for myself. “I’m so glad you’re having one, because I want to have one, too.”

Leaning over my plate, I took a bite, and another shower of flakes descended. “Mmm … so good.” I smiled as I finished chewing. “Worth the mess, don’t you think?”

For a moment, she looked uncertain. Then, slowly, she nodded, and a smile blossomed on her face. “Yes, very much so.”

I decided to take things in another direction. A friendlier one. “Have you been to the spa? The eucalyptus room is fantastic. You come out of there feeling like you’ve learned how to breathe all over again.”

“I haven’t been, no. What is eucalyptus?”

“It’s a plant that grows on Earth. It has medicinal properties and a fragrance that, when inhaled, opens the sinus passages. It’s very refreshing.”

“I would like to try that.”

If I could get her alone, I might be able to get more information out of her. I tapped my wristband to wake it up and navigated to the spa app. “How does thirteen hundred hours sound? That’ll give us enough time to get back to our quarters, change, and meet there.”

She blinked. “I …”

I was sure she was going to come up with an excuse.

Frank set his coffee cup down. “Say, while the women are at the spa, we could get a little fly fishing in. You ever fly fish, Yut?”

Frank pantomimed the action of casting.

“Fly fish, no. But I have fished before.” The premier broke into a smile that seemed far more honest than any he’d displayed so far. “It’s not something I’ve had time for in a very long while. Perhaps not since I was a young man with my father.”

“Well, the simdeck’s not quite the same as being waist-deep in an icy stream surrounded by the sounds and sights of nature, but it’s pretty close.”

“I would like to try this,” the premier affirmed.

“Great,” Frank said. He touched the screen of his wristband, tapped a few times, then nodded. “We’ve got a simdeck reserved at thirteen hundred hours.” He looked at me. “You ladies enjoy your time at the spa.”

I gave Fathia a reassuring nod. “It’s very relaxing. And it’s just women.”

“Is that right?” She gave her husband a dubious look. “That already sounds very relaxing. I will meet you there.”

“Wonderful.” I finished the rest of my breakfast, including the pastry I’d started. Fathia’s mood had turned around, and we spent the remainder of the meal chatting about her children, both of whom were grown and living their own lives.

Her son ran his own business that specialized in communications technology, and her daughter sat on the board of one of the big mining firms and was expecting their first grandchild in a few months.

“That is so exciting.” I smiled, knowing I was showing my own sadness but willing to be vulnerable for the sake of winning Fathia over. For the sake of Hazel. “I would have loved to have grandchildren.”

“Your daughter is the vice-admiral, yes?”

“She is. She was married, but her husband was killed in a training accident. He worked for the Federation, too. He was part of the team that was constructing the rockets that were bringing all the materials for Athos into space, for the orbital build.”

Fathia shook her head, sympathy in her gaze. “How awful that must have been. I am so sorry for her and you.”

“Thank you.” I glanced at my plate, my mind on that terrible day. “It was very hard for her for so many reasons.”

“I’m surprised she would want to be on this starliner. Aren’t there too many memories?”

I gave a quick smile and made eye contact again. “I think, for Hazel, being on the Athos is like living out Roger’s dream. Maybe, for her, it’s even a way of keeping him alive. He was instrumental in making this starliner happen.”

The truth was, Hazel never wanted to talk about Roger or the accident or any of that. So all I could do was speculate. But I wasn’t lying when I said I wished there had been grandchildren.

That was something I’d never get to experience and probably why I loved having children in the library so much.

Fathia reached out and touched my hand. “You are a good mother. I can tell.”

My smile got a little bigger. I was moved by her words. “I try. I have no doubt you’re a great mother, too.”

“We do our best, don’t we?”

“Yes, we do.” We were definitely bonding. The spa should put us over the top. There was nothing like a good steam to open a woman’s pores and her mouth.

I didn’t know what kind of luck Frank would have with the fly fishing. I’d always thought that was a pretty silent activity, but Frank was cunning. If there was anyone who could get the premier to let a few things slip, it was Frank.

Meal finished, we said our temporary goodbyes and went our way. The premier and Fathia headed for the elevators.

Frank and I took the escalator down. We could talk easier, so long as we kept our voices quiet.

I stood close to him, my side touching his in the interest of keeping our conversation to ourselves. “That went well.”

“Better than expected.”

“Thanks for jumping in there with the fly fishing.”

“I’m always looking for an excuse.”

I laughed. He never liked to make a big deal about his accomplishments. “Well, you certainly got one. You think you’ll be able to get him to talk?”

“I don’t know. I’m going to try. Nice job with Fathia, by the way. She’s not happy with Yut about something, that much seems clear.”

“You think he and Ayronina are…” I arched my brows. “You know.”

“I don’t know if they are or not.” Frank arched his brows back at me. “But men love to brag about such things, and I plan to find out.” His gaze dropped to my throat. “How does that necklace feel?”

“Odd, like I’ve got a living thing around my—” I sucked in a breath. “Frank. I just realized something.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you at my place.” Getting there took a few more minutes, but once we were inside, I turned to him. “If Fathia truly is a paryina , a woman who can feel the pull of the nebulite, she knows without a doubt that the Star currently on display is a fake.”