"I did not mark them," Darus insisted.
"Then what are those?" Ginni asked, fanning a handful of cards in front of Darus.
"I didn't mark them," Darus insisted again. "If they're marked, talk to everyone else. The only one who doesn't cheat at cards is Xerian."
I looked up at Tayvis. I was sprawled sideways on the padded couch, my feet in his lap. I was toying with a reader, pretending to be interested in the book I'd downloaded. Tayvis' lip twitched.
"You bought them," I said to him. "And then you marked them? I thought the reason you bought a new deck was so that they wouldn't be marked."
"When everyone else is cheating, it's easier to join them. Then my scores don't look so pathetic."
"You marked them?" Darus said, twisting in his chair.
"Like I said, if you can't win, cut your losses and join the cheaters."
"I can't believe you," Twyla spoke up. "A fine, upstanding officer of the Enforcers, stooping to cheating at cards."
"Don't make too many assumptions, Twyla," Tayvis said, all teasing gone from his voice.
"And don't ask him what he actually did in the Enforcers," Paltronis spoke up. She picked up a blaster from the table and wiped the barrel clean. She'd spent most of the trip cleaning and checking our small arsenal of weapons. "You won't like the answers."
Twyla shrugged and went back to her cooking.
"Don't look too closely at any of us," Darus said, shoving the cards back together and shuffling. "You won't like what you find."
"One reason you all get on so well," Everett said. He slouched against the wall, watching Darus shuffle. "When everyone cheats, no one has the advantage."
"Except some of you cheaters are in a league all your own," Paltronis put in. She clicked the blaster back together. "If we're all going to cheat, we need to agree on how badly."
"That is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard," Xerian said. He finished twiddling dials on the medunit and turned back to the rest of the room. "And who says I don't cheat? I think I'm catching on rather quickly."
"I think we've been on the ship too long," Darus muttered. "We're all going crazy."
"So take shore leave when we get to—" I frowned. "Where are we going next, Everett?"
"I set coordinates for Landruss," Everett answered.
"Not a good place for shore leave," Paltronis commented. "Last we knew, the syndicates were battling the Gypsies for it."
"So why are we stopping there?" I asked.
"We're a diplomatic ship," Xerian said. "No one would dare touch us. The Federation is supposed to have strong support at Landruss."
"We weren't supposed to run into trouble at Besht, either," Ginni said.
"They only tried to arrest us," Everett said. "A slight misunderstanding, nothing more."
"You call them sending an armed squad to the ship a slight misunderstanding?" Ginni said incredulously.
"Paltronis straightened them out fairly quickly," Everett said.
I laughed. Paltronis had bullied the whole squad into a full retreat without breaking a sweat. Next thing we knew, the Poltrarch of Besht was calling to apologize, begging us not to call down the wrath of the Federation on his poor planet. It was funny, in a very twisted way.
"They'd better be shaking in their boots," Darus said.
"Who?" Ginni asked.
Darus shrugged and flipped a card onto the table. "All of them. We're the biggest lot of cheaters ever to fly in the same ship."
"I've got an idea," Paltronis said. "How about we challenge the Emperor to a game of cards? We win, we get the Empire. He wins, we leave without blowing anything up."
"It would be nice if it were that simple," I said.
"I forgot, they already know you." Paltronis sighted down the blaster, checking the alignment of the barrel. She slapped in a charge and checked the levels. "They know how badly you cheat."
"So that strategy is out," Ginni said. She looked across the lounge at me. "What are we going to do when we get to Linas-Drias, Dace?"
"I don't have a clue," I admitted. "Trust to luck, I guess."
"It would help if we knew what we were flying into," Twyla said. She put the lid on the pot she'd been stirring.
"Your guess is as good as mine," I said.
"How about a game you can't cheat at?" Everett said to Ginni.
"Crystals? Sure," Ginni agreed.
"You want more players?" Twyla asked.
"Four person tournament," Ginni said. "You in, Darus?"
Darus shook his head. He dealt out a game of solitaire instead.
"Paltronis?" Ginni asked.
"Not against you and Everett," Paltronis answered. She gathered up the blasters on the table and headed for the hidden lockers scattered through the ship.
"Tayvis?" Ginni looked a bit desperate.
"I play," Xerian offered. "If you aren't cheating, I might stand a chance."
Ginni grinned. Everett got out the Crystals set. Twyla washed her hands and took her seat at the table. I shook my head.
"What?" Tayvis asked quietly.
"He's about to be skunked," I said, just as quietly. "Xerian doesn't know what he's getting into. They're ruthless at that game."
"Don't underestimate him, Dace. Will handpicked him for the crew." Tayvis squeezed my ankle. "There's more to him than you think."
"He's a medic," I said dismissively. He was a constant reminder of my condition.
"He was in the Patrol," Tayvis answered. "Not just as a medic. He commanded a ship for a while."
I glanced over at Xerian. He was setting up his pieces on the board. No one was listening to us, at least not openly. Xerian looked harmless enough. I knew how deceptive looks could be.
"As far as I could find out, his orders are to keep you safe."
"I thought that was your job," I said.
"All by myself? I'm happy to have the help." He shifted on the bench, rubbing his hand around my ankles. He picked up his reader in his other hand.
The room grew quiet. Darus flicked cards on the table. The four playing Crystals concentrated on their game. Xerian lasted more than the first ten minutes, which meant he was a lot better than just good. Paltronis finished hiding weapons and went into the cockpit. I tried to read my book and fell asleep instead.
The sound of the reentry alarm woke me. I rolled off the bench and headed for the cockpit before I was all the way awake. Tayvis stopped me, blocking my way with his arm. I pushed at his arm.
"It's my ship," I protested. "I belong up there."
He pulled me close. "I know."
I leaned against him, accepting the truth of the situation. I wasn't in any shape to fly and everyone on board knew it. I watched as Ginni and Twyla took the pilot stations. Everett sat in Jasyn's chair, booting up the nav station. Paltronis took the scans. I was horribly jealous.
The ship bumped its way back into normal space. I couldn't watch any longer. I turned away, not trusting myself to stay out of the way.
"Is everything all right?" Xerian asked me.
"No," I said sharply. I pushed past him and went into the cabin I shared with Tayvis. It wasn't mine. It was Jasyn's and Clark's. Nothing was the way it should have been. I locked the door behind me, shutting out the sound of Tayvis trying to explain my answer to Xerian.
I stood in the middle of the room, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. Jasyn's murals spread across the walls. There was a wide plain of grass and sky above the bed. It shifted into mountains, wild with snow and dark trees on the next wall. The mountains gave way to jungle and waterfalls. The mural around the bathroom door was the only one unfinished. Jasyn had sketched in a lake scene. I could almost feel her presence in that room, her heart painted on the walls.
I closed my eyes and wished she were here with me. No, I wished we were both on the ship, far away from here. I wished all we had to worry about was our next cargo.
The thrusters fired. The ship changed course. I knew Ginni and Twyla were better than qualified to fly the ship. They handled it well. I still wanted to be up there, in the pilot's seat. It was all I'd ever really wanted.
"Dace?" Tayvis knocked at the door. I sighed and unlocked it for him. Locking myself in my room to pout was childish. It wasn't going to help anything. He leaned on the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Am I supposed to apologize to anyone?" I asked tiredly.
His lip twitched. "For what? They all understand."
"Dace?" It was the com this time, Everett's voice.
"What?" I answered.
"They want to talk to the Ambassador. They don't believe us."
I looked at Tayvis, not sure how to handle the situation. He had a lot more experience with politics than I did.
"Tell them we'll meet with them, face to face, after we dock," Tayvis answered for me. "And if they try anything, threaten them with anything you can think of."
"You sure about that?" Everett asked.
"Do it," I confirmed.
"Yes, ma'am," Everett answered.
"How are they supposed to respect me when my own crew doesn't?" I asked Tayvis.
"They don't know you," Tayvis answered.
I shook my head. "Everyone knows me."
"No, they know about you. They don't know you." He cocked his head, watching me. "Just look important and let Paltronis do your talking for you. They'll do what we want."
"And what is that?"
"Refuel the ship and let us go again." He shifted away from the door, unfolding his arms. "You should look the part, Dace. Call it practice for the real thing."
I shook my head, but I gave in. "You figure out what I should wear. You're better at it than I am." I ran a hand through my hair. It was sticking up funny from sleeping on the bench. "I'll go practice what I learned from Madame Yosefie."
Tayvis raised his eyebrow. He hadn't heard about her yet.
"The creams, the ointments," I said, mimicking her outrageous accent. "They will make your skin glow, make your hair fall like silk."
He was raising both eyebrows now. I laughed at his reaction.
"Just trust me, Tayvis." I went into the bathroom still smiling.
I took my time. I had plenty. It was going to take an hour to dock at the station orbiting Landruss. If I spent that hour in the bathroom doing my hair, it at least distracted me from the fact that I wasn't the one flying the ship. I was trying to make my hair do something other than stick up when they docked with the station. I finally gave up and came out of the bathroom.
Tayvis had picked out an outfit for me. It was lying on the bed. I was right, it wasn't something I'd ever have picked for myself. It was a long dress of dark green silk, high collared and tight fitting. The side was slit up to the thigh. He'd left out a pair of high heeled boots to go with it. I shook my head over those. True, they were boots, but the heels? I dug out a different pair of shoes with much lower heels.
There was a knock at my door.
"What?" I called.
The door slid open. Tayvis came in. He looked me over. "Wrong shoes. You're too short."
"It never bothered you before."
"The rest looks great, but you need the heels to impress these people."
"It will impress them when I trip and fall on my face?"
"I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Who do you want as your honor guard?"
"For what?" I asked suspiciously.
"The station master requested your presence at dinner. Since we're going to be here a while refueling and checking over the engine." He shook his head. "You aren't allowed to help with that, either."
"You get to come with me," I said.
He shook his head. "They still remember me here. That wouldn't be a good idea. Take Twyla and Xerian."
"Interesting suggestion. They probably still remember me here."
"But you're the ambassador. You can't hide on the ship."
"They don't know that. How about I tell them you're the ambassador?"
"Go enjoy your dinner, Dace. And wear the heels."
"I'll get you back, Tayvis. Somehow."
"I can't wait." He smiled.
I couldn't resist. I kissed him. He kissed me back. Things were starting to get interesting when someone interrupted us. I was very glad we had a lock on the door.
"Dace?" It was Twyla. "They sent an escort for you. They're waiting."
"Let them wait, it won't hurt them," I answered, shouting through the door.
"Your hair is mussed," Tayvis said.
"Why'd you do that? It took me forever to get it where I wanted."
"You didn't object a few minutes ago. Just hold still." He deftly flicked his fingers through my hair. "Much better." His fingers strayed around my ear and down my neck to the collar of the dress. "Don't stay out too late."
Twyla hammered on the door again.
"Wait up for me?"
"Always."
I didn't want to leave, not without him. He would be very distracting, though. Maybe it was better he stay on the ship. I opened the door. Twyla had her hand raised to pound on it again. She stared at me while she lowered her hand.
"Very nice," she said in surprise.
"Shoes, Dace," Tayvis said. He handed me the high heeled boots.
I took them and left the cabin. Twyla and Tayvis both followed me. Xerian and Everett were waiting near the hatch. Both of them wore formal tunics in blue and burgundy, the colors Roland had chosen for his Federation.
"We drew straws," Twyla said behind me.
"Loser has to go with me?" I asked.
"If you want to look at it that way," she answered.
I sat at the table long enough to pull on the boots. I stood, feeling awkward and a lot taller.
"Do you need anything before we go?" Xerian asked me.
"No," I answered honestly. His pain patches weren't going to help the dull aching that was almost constant now. Everything else seemed under control. For the moment. Madame Yosefie's instructions on poise ran through my head. I took small steps and concentrated on keeping my balance.
Everett opened the hatch.
Landruss had several stations. We had docked at the luxury tourist station. The interior of the station was nothing like the usual utilitarian docking bays. There was a huge glass wall across the docking bay. Inside that was a hanging garden crossed by dozens of walkways. The docking bay itself was glass and polished metals.
Six officials waited for us, along with their staff. They were in full formal dress although there were signs they had been gathered hastily. The uniforms of three of them were completely different from the rest. I wasn't sure if that was on purpose or not. The one with the most gold braid stepped forward as we exited the ship.
"Ambassador?" he asked, looking at me.
"Dace," I said and smiled at him, the kind that predatory animals use. I held out one hand.
He looked at my hand, hesitating before taking it. His hand was cold and dry. He let go of me as if I were poison.
"Stationmaster Eison," he said. "Governor Bartuk will be up shortly. His shuttle is due to dock in about ten minutes. We weren't notified you were coming."
"It's just a refueling stop, Stationmaster. We weren't expecting any kind of formal meeting. But since I am here, is there something you wish me to convey to the Federation for you?"
Eison sputtered for a moment. "That would be up to the Governor," he said, an excuse.
"I'll be certain to ask," I said.
"There's a reception. If you are ready?"
I waited for him to offer his arm. He stood awkwardly for a long, painful minute. He turned abruptly and started walking away.
"It's this way," he said over his shoulder.
His people shuffled their feet, some of them starting after him. I took Everett's arm and followed him. Xerian walked just behind me. I didn't walk fast, I wasn't about to break my neck tripping over my own heels. The narrow skirt kept my steps short anyway.
I was very aware of the people in the station watching us as we walked across the center area and into a very posh restaurant. They were discreet. Considering the station catered to the rich and socially advantaged, I wasn't surprised.
Eison led us into a reception area, a big room with a spectacular view of space on one side and an equally spectacular view of the hanging garden on the other. I stood more or less in the middle and was polite to the people Eison introduced to me. Xerian fetched me a drink. I drank it, knowing it wasn't anything that would interact with any of my meds. Everett mingled with the crowd and was very charming. Xerian stayed near me, a quiet shadow. Time passed. My feet hurt. I smiled politely and pretended I was interested. It was almost a relief when the Governor made his appearance.
He was tall and elegant, everything I would have expected of the Governor of Landruss. He swept regally into the room and came straight towards me. I held my head high. I'd had a lot of lessons in not being intimidated when I was on Linas-Drias. Governor Bartuk was an amateur in comparison. He stopped in front of me and took my hand, lifting it to his lips. I suppressed an urge to yank it back and slap him upside the head. I smiled instead.
"Ambassador," he said smoothly, "this is an unexpected pleasure."
"The pleasure is all mine," I lied back.
"I was unaware that the Federation was interested in our proposal. Their lack of response has obviously led me astray in my assumptions."
I had no idea what he was talking about, but he didn't need to know that. "Your proposal has been taken under advisement. Landruss was not my destination, though. I am unable to negotiate with you at this time. I'm afraid we only stopped for refueling."
"Then I am flattered you took the time to meet with me," Bartuk said.
"I am flattered you would prepare such a reception for me." I gave him my best toothy smile. The reception had been hastily thrown together and it showed.
"Have you dined yet this evening?" Bartuk asked, knowing the answer was no. "I would be most pleased if you would join me." He held out his arm.
I laid my hand on his arm. He escorted me out of the room and into the dining area next door. Xerian followed right behind us. Everett was behind him, a rich old woman draped on each arm. I'd have to tease him about it later.
We were barely seated before Bartuk started digging for information.
"What interests does the Federation have this far in?" he asked bluntly.
"You can do better than that, Governor. I'm not at liberty to tell you."
He leaned back in his chair, studying me through narrowed eyes. His smile never wavered. "So there is a chance I might charm the answer from you?"
"No, but you can try. If you like."
"Against the legendary Dace? I doubt I'd win."
"Then you've heard of me."
Salads were slid in front of us by silent servers. I picked up my fork and stirred through the pile of exotic greens.
"Who hasn't? Why are you really here? Trouble follows you. That much I know. And last I heard, you were very solidly part of the Empire. Now you show up claiming to be the Federation Ambassador. Which am I supposed to believe?"
"Are you trying to provoke a war, Governor?" If he wasn't going to pull his punches, then neither was I.
"How do I know you aren't making a fool of me? Using me? Lying to me?"
"How do you know I'm not?" I stabbed a piece of vegetable off my plate. "If you are that suspicious, why did you invite me to dinner?"
"Because I wanted to find out the truth." He pushed the salad aside.
"You're welcome to question my crew, check my credentials on the ship, if you wish. I really am the Federation Ambassador." I ate the bite of salad on my fork.
"Ambassador to what?" He watched every move I made.
I deliberately finished the bite of salad and put my fork to one side of the plate. "That is not information I wish to give you." I didn't want anyone on Linas-Drias to get wind of me coming until it was too late to ambush me. I didn't want them to know until we actually shifted into their system.
"Who do you really represent? That group of pirates and thieves that claim to run the Federation should all be shot as common criminals."
"They say the same about you," I said with another smile.
He threw his napkin on the table and rose to his feet. "You dare insult me?"
"You started it," I said calmly.
"You are not welcome on this station. You will leave as soon as your ship is through refueling."
I stood and smiled at him. "Thank you for a lovely dinner, Governor Bartuk."
I turned away, walking out of the restaurant. Xerian and Everett hurried after me. We crossed the central garden area and out into the docking bay.
"That has to be a new record," Everett said, "even for you. How soon before they start shooting?"
"He was only looking for an excuse to pick a fight," I said.
"And you gave him one," Everett said.
"It was hard not to. If Roland was worried about diplomacy, he should have sent someone else." I thumbed the controls for the hatch. It slid open.
"You're back early," Paltronis commented. "How soon until they send troops to arrest us?"
"They aren't sending troops," I said. "Why does everyone assume I screwed up negotiations?"
"Because you did," Everett said.
"Because you usually do," Paltronis added.
"The Governor was pushing her," Xerian said. "You can't blame this on Dace, not from what I saw."
"Thank you," I said. "It's embarrassing that someone who doesn't know me very well is the one to defend my reputation."
"That's because he doesn't know you very well," Paltronis said.
"We weren't supposed to be negotiating anything here in the first place," I protested. "You were the ones who said I was supposed to talk to them and try to impress them."
I sat down. My insides were aching again. The pain was getting strong enough to be obvious if I didn't do something soon. I pulled off the boots and pretended my feet hurt. I didn't have to pretend very hard.
"Did you at least get dinner?" Paltronis asked.
"We didn't get past the salad course," Everett complained.
"There's soup."
I rubbed my feet. Everett and Xerian were digging through the galley with Paltronis. I could hear Twyla and Ginni in the cockpit. Tayvis and Darus were down in the engine. It was almost peaceful on the ship. It was a lot more pleasant than the fancy dinner on the station.
"Here," Paltronis said, placing a bowl in front of me.
"Thanks," I said.
"At least we know Landruss isn't openly hostile," Paltronis said, sitting down at the table.
"So send the information back to Will. We have bigger fish to catch." I stirred the soup, waiting for it to cool.
"It isn't going to be any easier on Linas-Drias," Paltronis pointed out.
"It will probably be much harder."
She watched while I ate my soup. I didn't say anything more.