"You work too hard." Roland curled in the overstuffed armchair, tucking his tattered brown robe around his bare feet. "Come watch a vid with me."
"I don't have time," Will answered as he shuffled through a stack of paper. "I've got dozens of reports to read."
"That's why you have a staff. Maybe I should make you go talk to the Gypsy Council for me. I hear they're arguing again. It will at least get you out of your office for a while."
"I will when we reach Tebros."
"We've been orbiting Tebros for the last day and a half."
Will set his papers down. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Roland shrugged. "I did. You were too busy to listen."
The door to the office slid open. His secretary entered with an armful of printouts. Data cubes spilled from the top of the stack when she set it on Will's desk. "The latest reports just arrived. These were all marked urgent, but I think this is the one you really want to read." She tapped the top sheet.
"He's going to watch a vid first," Roland said. "That's a presidential order. I can have you arrested if you don't."
Will leaned close to the paper, scanning it quickly. He yanked it from the stack and read it more carefully. "Not good."
"What?" Roland dropped his feet to the floor, leaning forward.
"What is she thinking? Stupid, stubborn woman." Will slammed the paper onto the desk, spilling half the stacks onto the floor. He didn't even glance at them as he pulled up his screen and started typing.
Roland moved to stand behind Will's shoulder. "Will, what's going on?"
The secretary answered. "Latest report on the position of your trade advisor. She isn't headed back this way. She's headed straight into Syndicate territory."
"Who?" Roland pulled the report out from under Will's hand, scanning it quickly. "At least they found Dace. But why isn't Jasyn coming back here?"
"Because she doesn't want to." Will slumped back in his seat, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "She never wanted to. But why is she taking her ship into Veelyn Sector? We don't have any control out there. And neither does the Empire. It's all Syndicate now."
The secretary leaned one hip on the desk. "We know that, but on the surface, it looks like business as usual. She wouldn't know. If she keeps her head down, she might make it through safely, but not if she spends too much time there. Petrel clan can send them a message at least, or maybe Raven. They've got a few ships still out that direction. We can warn them."
Will scratched his hands through his hair. "And tell her to hurry back."
Roland set the paper back on the desk. "We can give Jasyn some time, can't we? She doesn't have to come straight back. The syndicates won't dare touch her."
Will shook his head. "Who knows what they'll do. Lowell doesn't have the power he used to, despite being named head of the Patrol. Dace has too many enemies. They should have come straight back here, where we could protect them. They're moving out too far."
Roland straightened, tugging his brown robe straight. "How far away is the Phoenix?"
"Clear across the Empire. We can't reach them, Roland. Not until they choose to be found again. This ship will take months to get close, months we can't afford to spend."
"I'll have Shonteroy send the messages." The secretary left the room.
"What can we do?" Roland asked, his shoulders slumping. "Are they really in danger?"
"Always." Will slowly crumpled the paper in his fist. "Always."