Note216
There is someone to see you.
Note217
How much do you remember?
Note218
I’m afraid you’ll have to leave us. Your machines as well, since I’m certain that they have recording devices.
Note219
We’ll leave you alone for exactly five minutes, Remontoire. Will that be sufficient?
Note220
It’ll have to do, won’t it?
Note221
Sorry…
Note222
Five minutes, Remontoire.
Note223
Do you remember the comet? Clavain was with us. You were showing him the buried ships.
Note224
Clavain stole the corvette before you or I could get aboard. It was still tethered to the surface of the comet.
Note225
Yes, but we’ll come to that. The problem is what happened during his escape. Clavain applied thrust until the tethers gave way under the strain. They whiplashed back towards the comet. I’m afraid one of them caught you.
Note226
You were injured, Skade. Badly. If you hadn’t been Conjoiner, hadn’t had the machines in your head to help your body cope with the shock, you would very probably not have survived, even with the assistance that your suit was able to give you.
Note227
I would if there was a mirror in this room. But there isn’t, and I can’t bypass the neural blockades that Delmar has installed.
Note228
This isn’t why I came, Skade… Delmar will put you back into a recuperative coma very shortly, and when you next wake you’ll be healed again. I came to ask you about Clavain.
Note229
Actually, they haven’t managed to stop him yet.
Note230
That’s the funny thing. No one seems to know. They had a fix on his exhaust. He was heading towards Eridani — towards what we assumed would be Yellowstone or the Rust Belt.
Note231
Clavain especially. But now it doesn’t look as if he was going there at all — not directly, anyway. He turned away from the sunward vector. We don’t know how far into his journey, since we lost his drive flame.
Note232
The problem is that Clavain knows the positions of those monitors. He can make sure his beam doesn’t sweep across them. We have to keep reminding ourselves that he’s one of ours, Skade.
Note233
Yes, but they never got close enough to establish their own fixes. They didn’t have enough fuel to make it back to the Nest, so we had to detonate them.
Note234
Even if we pick up Clavain’s signal again, he’d be out of effective missile range. And no other ships can catch a corvette.
Note235
Even Nightshade isn’t that fast, not over solar-system-type distances.
Note236
We just need another moment…
Note237
I’m staying here, I’m afraid.
Note238
How much higher?
Note239
Shouldn’t we be thinking of ways to bring him back alive?
Note240
Skade…
Note241
If I should consent to your proposal…
Note242
Not a demand. A request. That Felka be allowed to join us.
Note243
That depends. If you intend to make this an execution squad she will be of no use to us at all. But if you have any intention of bringing Clavain back alive — and I think you must — then Felka’s usefulness cannot be underestimated.
Note244
Not blackmail, Skade. Just negotiation. If any one of us can talk Clavain out of this, it has to be Felka.
Note245
Even if he thinks she’s his daughter? Is that what you were going to say?
Note246
Later, Skade, after you’ve been healed. Then you can know. Until then, I’d rather put you back into coma.
Note247
All right. But don’t say you weren’t warned.
Note248
I’m sorry, Skade, but I did warn…
Note249
Eventually, yes…
Note250
Yes, it’s me. I’m glad you were able to follow my proxy. We’re inside the range of the device now. Do you feel any ill effects?
Note251
Be my guest.
Note252
You seem a little surprised. Why? Does my state disturb you? I’ve experienced far more unsettling conditions than this, I assure you. This is merely temporary.
