Deserter

Chapter 17

With a laugh, the kid vanished into traffic.

Kris threw the shawl around her head and half covered her face. She lowered her head like anyone going to a job she hated and waited patiently in line to feed cash into the turnstiles before merging into the herd heading up. Four o'clock was close enough to a shift change to give her plenty of company. For the half-hour ride, she kept moving, made three trips through the coffee shop, and didn't spot anything like a tail. She did ID a transit cop busy helping a plumber work a stopped drain in the ladies' room.

She also came up with a plan that just might get her back to her suite.

Following the herd off the ferry, Kris took an elevator out to Circle One, the huge promenade that was the station's largest deck. A slide car took her from Stop One up to Stop Twenty-two, a three-minute walk from the Hilton. Kris had Nelly order Jack to meet her in the lobby, Number 3 door.

JUST PASS THE MESSAGE TO HIM. NO TALK. NO REPLY.

DONE.

ANY EXTRA ACTIVITY ON THE POLICE NET?

NO. CORRECTION, YES. IT IS GETTING MORE ACTIVE ALL SCRAMBLED. GIVE ME TEN MINUTES, AND I CAN READ IT.

I'D NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THREE MINUTES, OR IT'S HISTORY. DON'T WORRY, JUST LET ME KNOW IF THERE'S A LOT OF POLICE ACTIVITY CLOSE TO US.

Kris kept her head down and her pace even as she walked by the first door into the Hilton. It was clear. But the long, lonely walk across the lobby to the elevators offered too many chances to notice her and intercept. Kris kept walking.

Three out-of-breath security guards in gray were just coming to a stop at the main entrance to the lobby as Kris walked past. By the time they started looking around, all she presented was her back.

The third entrance's wide arch led directly to the elevators. Two SureFire Security types were getting themselves comfortable in the doorway when Jack, Klaggath, and three of Kris's security types burst past them. Kris took a sharp right into their ranks. Jack and the agents did a rapid about-face and surrounded Kris in a comfortable box. They charged back through the grays so fast the guards hardly had time to get their mouths open before Kris was past them. Kris spat out the cheek expanders and stuffed them, along with her scarf, in the pocket of her brown raincoat as Jack took it off her and Klaggath wrapped her in a royal blue one with a large diamond crown pendant on the right lapel.

She was almost to the elevator before running footsteps came up behind her, and a harsh whisper said, ''We need to talk to that maid.''

Kris whirled; Jack and Klaggath turned to stand between her and the grays. Another agent summoned an elevator. ''What maid?'' she demanded in her mother's most irritated voice.

Both grays, the senior a Sergeant, bumbled into Kris's team and bounced back. What looked to be a Captain led a contingent from the main door, but they were well off. The two in Kris's face mumbled something that sounded like ''that brunette.''

''We have appointments to keep. When you have something to say, call our embassy,'' Kris said regally, turned, and was in the elevator and the doors shut before anyone in gray could recover.

''That was fun,'' she laughed.

''That was too damn close, '' Jack growled.

''That was something only I could have pulled off,'' Kris pointed out.

''And just what have you pulled off?'' Klaggath asked.

''Nothing, nothing at all,'' Kris said, demurely settling herself on the elevator couch and making sure the raincoat covered her brown uniform. One security man frowned a question at Klaggath. He shook his head firmly, and all of them took to studying the elevator door for the rest of the trip.

Once in, Abby took over, almost dragging Kris into the bathroom and barely giving her time to get out of her dress and body stocking before dunking her in the bath. ''Wash your face with this,'' she ordered, and Kris's makeup came off easily.

Kris waited until Nelly announced, ''All clear, but I had to zap the four bugs we picked up in the lobby.''

''How's Penny?'' Kris asked.

''Doing as well as you can expect,'' Abby said. ''Jack, you want to come here. She'll want to know about that message you got.''

''We got it,'' was all Jack said. Kris glanced over, but he was out of sight, so she was, also.

''Have you looked at it?''

''Looked at nothing but it since it came in. Big, bad layout. More guns than they need to arm the ships in dock. Somebody's expecting to have a lot more merchant ships available real soon.''

''Damn.'' Kris sighed, enjoying the warmth of the tub but knowing she had to get out. ''Abby, hand me a towel.'' The fluffy robe was clean and waiting for her. Jack stayed out of view while she made herself decent. Damn nice of him.

''Young woman,'' Abby said, ''you have about fifteen minutes before I want you back in that tub so I can wash your hair and get you presentable for tonight. You are not going to a ball with hair looking like it should be pinned under a greasy wig.''

''Only ‘cause that's where it was today.'' Kris sighed and told Nelly to call the Ambassador.

''Yes,'' came a moment later.

''Mr. Ambassador. I am in receipt of a very strange message concerning unlicensed weapons construction. Have you by any chance seen anything like that?''

''I don't know,'' he said. ''A long message came in not too long ago, full of plant video and the likes. I passed it to my officer for trade negotiations. I haven't heard back from her. Kris,'' his voice now a whisper as if that might reduce its digital distribution, ''I am not sure that such material is legal and in Wardhaven's best interests. If I wasn't afraid I might be destroying evidence needed to substantiate criminal charges, I would suggest you erase the message entirely.''

''That's an interesting point I hadn't considered,'' Kris said as if that was her first encounter with such a thought. ''Let me know what the embassy's lawyer thinks. I suspect I have a copy of the same message. If you think it should be destroyed, I certainly would want to know.''

''I'll keep you informed.''

''Well, my maid is telling me I must do my hair for tonight. Will I see you there?''

''Of course,'' he said, ringing off.

NELLY, GET ME SENATOR KRIEF. In a moment, the screen showed a very harried woman.

''Make this quick, I'm on two other lines.''

''Did you get a large message this afternoon?''

''I'm on two other lines with people who might be able to tell me what to make of it.''

''So I assume I won't see you at tonight's ball.''

''Oh, no. I wouldn't miss it. Most of the people I need to buttonhole will be there.''

''See you there.''

Two hours later, Kris was about ready to be there. Except, ''I guess we'll have to use your Navy tiara,'' Abby said, looking at the bare skeleton of the fancy one Mother had fallen for.

''Well, I could have Nelly use the dumb metal we have around here somewhere to re-create Mother's concoction,'' Kris said.

''I can do that,'' Nelly said, voice enthusiastic to try her hand at jewelry making.

''On second thought, let's go with the Navy tiara,'' Kris said, spotting the ten-kilogram slug of Uni-plex in one of her trunks. ''It can only change shape three times and…'' She let the thought trail off unspoken.

''If you insist,'' Abby said, sniffing at the simple silver ring the Navy provided.

''I could add some diamonds or rubies to it,'' Nelly offered.

''Enough. I'll wear the Order of the Wounded Lion. That ought to be enough jewelry for any outfit.'' Since tonight's dress was a lovely green, the blue sash and gold medallion went very well with it. Klaggath had a full team and a worried look on his face as they took the slide car to the top.

''Problem?'' Jack asked him.

''Not here, but something's happening. Units are being ordered to new nets, ones I never knew we had. Lots of them. Not many of us on the main net.''

''How close?''

''Midtown. Nothing near the station.''

''A riot?''

''Doesn't sound like it. Princess Kristine, is your computer picking up anything?''

''Nelly?''

''Nothing unusual. There's a cat up a tree and several fire trucks are trying to catch it. All but two of the news stations are covering the story. So far, the cat's winning.''

''Dumb animal,'' one of the agents snapped.

''I like cats,'' another said.

''Slow news night,'' Klaggath concluded.

Not if I and a few of my friends have any say. Kris grinned.

Kris stayed with the slide car as it went past the high exit and started to turn around, taking it to the lower station. She figured to save herself from the long walk down in these heels and avoid having her name shouted by the guy in knee britches. She should have finished the ride.

Her security detail walked right out of the car and into another equally large and no more willing to move aside set of tuxedoed security. While Klaggath and a goon twice his size tried to straighten out the gridlock, Kris stood on toes to see who the poor victim was.

''Hank?''

''Kris? Kris Longknife, is that you?''

''What are you doing here?'' Kris called over three guards.

''Not going anywhere at the moment,'' Hank Peterwald laughed. Officially Henry Smythe-Peterwald the Thirteenth on a vast array of legal documents, he had the finely sculptured beauty parents with too much money tended to give children these days. Some parents, not Kris's. He also was heir to a fortune close to if not more than Kris's, depending on which market was doing better on any given day. Oh, and Auntie Tru was real sure his papa had tried to kill Kris a few times. Father, being Prime Minister, said there was insufficient evidence to present in a court of law. All that aside, Kris had hit it off well with Hank the one time they got together with no parents on the same planet.

Kris waved and started moving some of her blockers aside. Jack growled; one of the failed attempts on Kris's life occurred the day after she and Hank had a wonderful lunch. Kris was sure Hank had nothing to do with that hit. Well, fairly sure. Anyway, in a social situation, he was nice to be around. And he couldn't kill me here in front of God and everybody.

They finally got in touching range, had a good laugh, and both said, ''So, what are you doing here?''

''Boys go first,'' Kris insisted.

''Dad has this huge pharmacy plant coming on-line. Caley Sandfire insisted it was the biggest ever and just the thing for my latest assignment. Anyway, I got here about five minutes before they closed the port. We tried to back off, but there were a half-dozen lasers backing up a very insistent port official yelling, ‘Nobody goes nowhere,' so we didn't.''

''It was about four hours later I tried to book a ship out of here. I'm still trying,'' Kris said.

''And they don't have the net fixed,'' he said, shaking his head. ''My old man would have kittens and heads if that happened on Greenfeld.'' Kris knew the kittens were figurative. The heads were likely to be literal, at least in Grampa Trouble's opinion.

For social purposes, Kris laughed. ''Fixing that net problem would have fixed a lot of my troubles. I wanted to order in some Ebola vaccine and get this quarantine lifted. Hey, that pharm plant of yours, it have anything good for Ebola?''

''Didn't I check that out, first thing,'' Hank said, rolling his eyes at the void above them, which included the stars and the rest of the universe. ''They tell me Ebola is a bitch, takes a unique feed product and processing. Only three or four plants do that. Hey, didn't your grampa goodie-goodie say he was going to stockpile the stuff on every planet?''

''He did,'' Kris defended Grandfather Al. ''Somebody stole our stock a bit before the outbreak.''

''Lots of interesting coincidences here,'' Hank said. ''But I must tell you, that is a dazzling dress you're wearing tonight.''

Kris beamed and did a pirouette. Nearly backless, this dress was slinky with a slit up the right side. ''Ought to be fun to dance in.''

''Certainly better than the green things you were wearing last time I saw you. Green and wet and everyone hungry. By the way, how did that stuff I donated work out?''

Kris froze her smile in place, tried to school every muscle in her body to act just so. Would Hank actually ask if he knew the answer? She swallowed to get her voice just right. ''Most of it came in very handy. We really needed those trucks.''

''And the boats?'' he asked, not a tick or quiver in his too beautifully handsome face.

''Had some problems,'' Kris said, lowering her eyes to study him through the lashes. ''There was a glitch in the smart metal. Third time you changed their design, they fell apart.''

''Good Lord, I never heard about that. I hope that didn't happen when you needed them.''

What do I do now? Tell him the truth and let the chips fall, or tell a social lie and have fun tonight? His tuxedo fit him perfectly. What more could a woman ask for in a night out than his elbow to lean on.

''I was on a raging river in a particularly narrow canyon with the water rising when I found out,'' Kris said.

''Oh Lord. That's terrible, Kris. I'm sorry.'' And for a moment, that overly refined face looked like he meant it. Then Kris could almost see something click in behind his eyes, and her father warning her, ''Never say anything we can be sued for.''

''That sounds more exciting than what I'm doing,'' he said in a well-schooled voice. A smile came out that didn't quite reach his eyes. ''Looks like you're still having all the fun.''

He reached for the sash of the Wounded Lion and slowly ran it through his fingers. Was it an accident that one of his well-manicured nails also ran its way down between her breasts? ''Earth must have liked whatever you did at that get-together in the Paris system,'' he said as Kris failed to suppress a shiver.

Maybe someday she'd tell him the truth, but not now, not in front of everyone. ''You know how it is, being a kid from the right family. Some old fools decide to put a crown on my great-grandfather's head, and a guy in the housewares department back on Earth sends a fancy for the new Princess's wardrobe.''

''Yes. Dad is rather proud our money dates back to when the Pope still had an Army. I imagine if I looked through the back of my closet, I might find a few doodads as well,'' he said, but he no longer eyed Kris as a dance partner. No, it was more like the way you studied a cobra.

What must I look like to him?

''Pardon me,'' Jack said beside her. ''We are blocking the car exits, and I think Mr. Sandfire is casting glances this way like he's looking for Henry but doesn't want to admit it.''

Sure enough, Kris's main candidate for nemesis on this planet and a bevy of eye candy were circling in the distance, not enough to force eye contact, but not likely to be missed.

Hank started to frown but quickly suppressed it and morphed his face into a smile and a nod in Sandfire's direction. ''He'll tie me up half the night with people who just want to be able to say they shook my hand,'' he told Kris through his smile.

''I have people I need to see, too,'' Kris admitted. ''I'm surprised Ambassador Middenmite hasn't already nailed me.''

''Duty calls,'' Hank said, turning to Kris, taking her right hand, and bowing to kiss it. What his thumb was doing on the palm of her hand was enough to make any girl go weak in the knees. Buck up, Lieutenant, you've got business, remember.

''Save a few dances for me,'' Hank said, glancing up while still in midbow, still with thumb playing with her hand, her knees, and all parts in between.

''Even if I have to kill a few social climbers to keep the slots open.''

''Good. See you in an hour or so,'' he said as he turned.

''You having fun?'' Jack asked.

Kris shrugged, which in this dress set off enough shimmering to make her a hazard to navigation. ''Girl's got a right to spend a little time with a possible like soul.'' Clearly, Tommy's dance card was full of Penny.

Clearing his throat like some ancient duenna, Jack said, ''I've spotted several of your political allies. You might want to edge to the left here.''

With only a tiny helping of self-pity, Kris turned to duty. She waded through a small throng of social greetings before she and Senator Krief occupied the same quiet eddy in the flow of well-dressed and gorgeous people. The Senator cut through Kris's greetings with whispered glee.

''The President outmaneuvered himself, or at least the idiots telling him when and where to throw parties did. When I told Senator Earlic what happened to Nara, I didn't even have to hint that my daughter was set up for something and his daughter was gotten out of the way by the President's barbecue. He may be Conservative, but he's not blind, and this is only the latest in strange coincidences. You top that with the sudden call in the Congress for a vote on war with Hamilton, and you've got a lot of people wondering if we aren't being led around by our noses.''

''Think you can defeat the vote?'' Kris asked.

''It doesn't have a chance. My guess is their whip didn't do a nose count today. Bad move for them, very bad move.''

''And the pictures you got today?''

''I'm not quite sure what I have, but I talked to someone who is. He says they show enough naval-size lasers to outfit a fleet twice the size of what we have parked in the yard below us. Makes you wonder why someone is spending money on so many more guns than we need,'' she said, slowing to a thoughtful pause.

''What's the size of Hamilton's merchant fleet?'' Kris asked.

DO YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER? Nelly said.

NO.

''I don't know for sure,'' the Senator said, ''but I understand it's larger than ours. Much larger.'' Her eyebrow rose in alarm. ''A whole lot larger than ours.''

''I think my computer can answer that. Nelly, do you have Hamilton's approximate tonnage and bottoms?''

''The Hamilton Merchant Marine is just a shade less than triple Turantic's in total standard tonnage. Their ships are, on average, slightly larger than Turantic, so the number of ships are about two and a half times Turantic's number. THERE, KRIS, DID I DO IT RIGHT FOR A HUMAN, NOT PRECISE BUT IN APPROXIMATE TERMS SHE CAN USE?

PERFECT, NELLY. INCLUDE AN ''ATTA GIRL'' IN YOUR REPORT TO TRU.

ONLY ONE!

FOR NOW. NOW, QUIET.

The Senator edged herself over to a table and settled into a chair. Kris did the same, her guards closing in to keep the space hers. Kay shook her head slowly. ''Hamilton doesn't have so much as a patrol boat in orbit, not the last time I checked. Damn that communications blackout.''

''When do they say they'll have it fixed?'' Kris asked.

''God only knows, and she ain't telling. Yesterday they announced they were tearing the entire system down to rebuild it from scratch. But they'll be using the same parts. How will that make it better?'' the Senator asked the ceiling and the unblinking stars beyond it. ''Worse, for the last couple of days the problem up here has been knocking towns off our local net. First time that happened, the news was all over it, insisting the place must have come down with Ebola and the government was hiding it. We sent a convoy racing up there, over mountains and in the snow, no less. Even had a few newsies in it. Everyone was fine, just terrified about what was happening to the rest of the planet while they were out.

''Glad to hear that didn't last long.''

''Ah, but we've had two more towns drop off net, and every time, someone in the media starts talking about Ebola.''

''It won't go away,'' Kris said.

''Or someone doesn't want it to.''

''How is Bremen?''

''No more deaths reported. And Earlic heard something very strange. They didn't actually do autopsies on the ones who died. Just cremated the bodies.''

''I thought Ebola was a pretty ugly way to die. Kind of hard to mistake.''

''It is, though the medical team in Bremen is pretty basic. Still, the bodies are dust, and no one can find the blood samples they took for analysis.''

''If they called it Ebola, they had to do blood tests.''

''Yes, we have the computer reports of the tests, but no one can find the blood samples to run a second test. All lost.''

''Are they sure it was Ebola?'' Kris asked.

''No question, they've got fifty-seven early cases of Ebola.''

''Early cases?''

''Yes.''

''How early?''

''Another interesting question. Since I only have Earlic's word that he heard this from someone who picked it up from a good friend who happens to know someone who has a relative in Bremen, you can understand it's kind of hard to get to the truth.''

''In other words, a rumor.'' Kris tried to squeeze the sarcasm out of her smile, but it still must have looked bitter as lemon.

''Isn't it a mess? We're making decisions that could shape my daughter's future. My grandkids' future. And we're doing it by guess and by God. We may not all have computers like yours that are smart enough not to waste my time giving me tonnage to the last ounce, but we have some very good ones, and I can't say what's happening five hundred miles north of here, or on the next star system,'' Senator Krief said with a bitter laugh. ''You know something? President Iedinka could be right, and I would never know it.''

''Yes,'' Kris agreed.

The Senator spotted someone, waved to get his attention, then slipped by Kris's security cordon and launched into an animated discussion. Kris nodded to Jack to drop shields and found herself being introduced to three vineyard owners by Ambassador Middenmite. She smiled prettily, complimented the wines they had her sample, and tried to diplomatically praise all three without saying anything that would end up in tomorrow's advertising feed. When they moved off, the Ambassador held back.

''I was so sorry to hear about what happened to my assistant who was working with you. Damn bad show.''

''Have you heard anything about who might have done it?''

''I'm sorry, but I have to admit I'm rather busy with other things at the moment. All those stories circulating about how Wardhaven has been favoring Hamilton over the years. I don't know where they come from. They say they're documented. There's nothing in our files to support them.''

''But the media has ‘full documentation' on their story?''

''Well, they say so. I can't say that I've seen the stuff; you know how newsies are about giving away anything that might reveal a source. But I know what we've bought from Turantic, and it's a good bit of business. I keep trying to get on shows, tell people all that we've done, but no one seems to be listening.''

''Telling people what they already know isn't news.''

''That's what they say. Damn, I wish I had more Wardhaven files. I assumed if we needed something we could order it from home. I didn't want trade confidential files on my system. I'm told security is good, but you hear of this teenager or that cute six-year-old who wandered into this or that on the net.''

''Hard to know what is a good risk and what's too much,'' she agreed as the old man wandered off, shaking his head. Kris spent the next half hour shaking hands at a more leisurely pace. Either there were fewer people here tonight, or fewer wanted to brag tomorrow that they'd shaken the hand of a real Wardhaven Princess. Kris suspected it might be the latter.

An hour gone, Kris wondered if Hank might be getting near the end of his command performance. NELLY, COULD YOU RING UP HANK'S COMPUTER AND SEE IF IT WILL TELL YOU WHERE HE IS?

''I don't like that bored look on your face,'' Jack said. ''You wouldn't be thinking it would be nice to spend some time with that good-looking trillionaire, would you?''

''And if I was?'' Kris sniffed.

Jack scratched behind his ear, resettled his receiver in place, and shrugged. ''I've been thinking of briefing Klaggath on the bad blood between your family and the Peterwalds. Wonder how he'd take to your spending time with—''

''What, a security risk? Hell, Jack, Hank knows as much about how the universe spins as I do.''

''How about a major threat to your life and limb? Kris, he showed up on Olympia, and you almost got killed.''

''My office got rocketed while I was away at lunch with Hank. That saved my life.''

''Kris, you know about the other times as well as I. Damn it, woman, you're a big girl, now, and you need to start acting like one.''

Problem was, Jack was right; she was acting like a big girl. Real grown woman. She whirled on Jack, wanting to ask him where he suggested she find a man, her man. Tommy was joining all the others that gravitated toward her since high school. They'd get near enough to her to get a good look, and look good, then grab onto someone else. If she was a bridesmaid to one more best of friends, she was going to… To what?

Behind Jack, Hank hove in view. As he spotted her, his face lit up in a smile that just about took in his whole body. He waved. Kris snorted, trying to drive out all the mixed feelings, put on a smile of her own, and waved back. Jack forced a smile as he turned and the two security teams began a careful approach as their primaries rushed into each other's arms.

KRIS, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, Nelly said.

''Hank, you got free early.''

''Told Caley he could take some of his cronies and shove them. I had a dance card to fill up.''

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, PROBLEM?

THERE IS A FIRE AT THE TURANTIC CAPITOL.

TURANTIC CAPITOL?

THE CAPITOL HOUSES THE LEGISLATURE. THE BUILDING IS BURNING.

Hank looked distracted two seconds after Kris found herself no longer staring into his eyes but off into space, both their arms slipping to their sides.

''Sounds like a minor problem,'' Hank said, but his voice didn't reflect that.

''They have, or had, a vote scheduled tomorrow on going to war with Hamilton. I hope the fire isn't bad,'' Kris said, but she could hear the doubt in her own voice.

''My report says the building is fully involved,'' Hank said.

Klaggath signaled to one of his agents, who stepped forward and pointed his hand, palm out. A heliograph of the capitol appeared before them, both the dome and the two wings fully involved in leaping flames.

''That building is stone,'' Kris said. ''It can't burn like that, can it?'' She glanced around.

An agent on Hank's team answered her. ''There are reports of a lot of communications equipment, chemicals, not all listed on the authorized storage report, and more paper than anyone expected. Still, it's going up fast, way too fast.''

Hank shook his head. ''As my father would say, ‘something is rotting in Denmark.' ''

Kris ordered her gut to change gears, even as it screamed and screeched. ''One does not dance while Rome burns. Bad PR, I remember someone saying. Want a rain check on those dances?''

''I see Caley headed this way. I get the impression you don't much like him.''

''He's far down on my list of folks I enjoy,'' Kris agreed.

''Well, I'll go his way and you go your way, and maybe someday we'll end up in a quiet place by ourselves with nothing much to do.''

''Sounds like a dream I have,'' Kris said, but Jack was pointing over her shoulder. Senator Krief headed for Kris with three or four other people who looked important. ''See you when I can,'' she tossed over her shoulder without looking back.

Kris did look back when the Senator expended a second to measure the distance between her group and Sandfire's. Hank's elbow was in Calvin's iron grip, and he was being towed quickly away. She and Hank shared raised eyebrows for a moment before they concentrated on what was so dear to those around them.

''We have a problem,'' the Senator said, taking Kris's elbow and steering her toward Senators Showkowski and LaCross. The tall LaCross wore a light-green dinner jacket. The large woman senator was easy to spot in a bright-blue suit offset by an orange blouse and gay scarf.

''They've arrested Kui and Earlic,'' Showkowski blurted out.

''They can't,'' LaCross said. ''We have legislative immunity.''

Father put up with some pretty shabby antics from members of his own party and the opposition. Kris had heard him, snarling under his breath, that he'd rather do that than set the precedent that you could use any old pretext to jail a congressman and change a vote. ''You start down that path, and you have nothing between you and tyranny. Nothing!''

Someone was going flank speed down that path.

''What are the charges?'' Kris said as softly as she could and be heard among the Senators as they repeated and denied the same report. She repeated herself three times before they quieted.

''They've just been hauled in. No charges yet.''

NELLY?

I AM SEARCHING. NO CHARGES REPORTED. THEIR APPREHENSION HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED ON ANY OF THE MEDIA.

Kris had Nelly repeat that for the Senators.

''He can't do this!'' came from three senators.

''Someone has. Who?'' Kris asked.

Klaggath answered her. ''It has to be President Iedinka. No cop would dare do that without express orders.''

''I'm calling him this minute,'' Krief said, staring at the floor. A moment later, she looked up, eyes wide. ''He's unavailable. Izzic is unavailable, and no one on his staff will take my call. Someone always has something to say to a Senator!''

Today looked like a day where always or never didn't apply. Kris glanced around. She couldn't see them, but she didn't doubt that anything said here was going straight to the President or to the type of security people who hauled Senators and congresspeople off to jail. Time to take this discussion off the record.

''Excuse me,'' Kris said, ''I have a suite in the Hilton. I also have a security guard that can assure that what we talk about will be secure,'' Kris said, glancing over their heads.

''Oh,'' ''Right,'' came back to her without much conviction for the need.

''Why don't we adjourn? And if someone decides any of you need arresting, I could at least raise Wardhaven sovereignty.''

''In a hotel room?''

''Hey, I'm new at this Princess stuff. I've got a security team, and even if I don't quite have the diplomatic power I think I have, it will slow things down and force a conversation.''

None of the Senators seemed all that persuaded, but Kris was moving for the slide way and her agents with her. The Senators, caught up in her bubble, sidled along.

Kris had started the day hoping just to get a few good pictures. She'd gotten them, distributed them, and gotten reactions. Turned out to be more reactions than she'd expected. Riding the slide car, Kris wondered if everything on this planet had the same tendency to slide away from you.