The room on Herifon was the same as before, a dusty box with battered furniture. The sun beat down, baking the weeds outside to desiccated sticks in the cracks of the ancient pavement. The air conditioning labored without success to lower the temperature. Lowell waited, booted feet on the desk, silver eyes staring at the cloudless sky.
The door creaked. Tayvis walked in, face set.
“The trial’s over then?” Lowell shifted his gaze from the window to the other man’s face.
“I didn’t wait to hear the verdict,” Tayvis said, his voice flat, hollow.
“Ah.” The single sound hid layers of deeper meaning.
Tayvis dropped a single sheet of paper on the desk.
“What’s this?” Lowell twitched his feet to the side.
“My resignation.” Tayvis moved to the window, staring at the expanse of weedy plascrete.
“You can’t resign,” Lowell objected. “The Patrol owns you—”
“For another two years, seven months, and eight days.” Tayvis turned to face his commander. “I’m resigning from the Enforcers. And you.”
“I’ll bust you clear back to Ensign, third class.” Lowell spoke the threat in the same mild voice.
Tayvis reached for the sector commander clusters on his collar.
“Think about it, Tayvis,” Lowell said, his voice sharpening.
Tayvis yanked them free, dropping them on the desk. “I have.”
“What if I refuse? I could claim you aren’t in your right mind; put you on leave for emotional distress.”
“Then I’ll turn in another resignation after I’m certified sane.” Tayvis towered over the shorter, seated man. “Bust me back. Assign me to Planetary Survey or Peacekeeping. I don’t care. The price of working for you is too high. You cost me the one thing I wasn’t willing to lose.”
“Dace.” Lowell pushed the clusters towards Tayvis. “I’m sorry, Tayvis. Take them back. I’ll send someone else to tail her.”
“No.”
“Be reasonable.”
“The price is too high, Lowell. I’m not going to lose the small chance I may still have. I resign, Lowell.”
Lowell gathered up the paper and insignia. “So be it, Ensign Tayvis. Report for your new assignment tomorrow morning.” He stood, shoving the chair across the floor with one foot. “Unless you think it over and change your mind.”
Tayvis shook his head.
Lowell left him in the dusty room, staring at the dead weeds and brooding. Dace wasn’t a priority, not anymore. Events had passed over his opportunity. Other situations claimed his attention. In a month or two, maybe Tayvis would be ready to listen. He absently dropped the insignia pins in his pocket.