“For us, as well,” Applegate said. “Though now that I think about it I suppose it shouldn’t have been. Sooner or later, a travel agent searching for exotic locales would have to find his way to Modhra.”
“It
“Good day, Mr. Compton,” he replied, his dark eyes steady on mine, his face settled into the half-contemptuous, half-amused expression I’d found so irritating at the UN hearings a year and a half ago. “So you’re a travel agent now, are you? Interesting career move.”
“I mingle with a better class of people this way,” I replied. “I see you’re being as careful as ever with Confederation money.”
The amused half of Losutu’s expression vanished. “Meaning?” he asked, a note of warning in his voice.
“Meaning I must have missed the brochure that talked about Modhra I’s prominence as a weapons purchasing center.”
Losutu’s eyes shifted to Applegate. “Colonel?”
Applegate’s lip twitched. “I may have mentioned something of our mission to Mr. Compton,” he admitted. “As a former Westali agent, I thought—”
“
“You’re looking to buy some expensive starfighters to guard the transfer stations at New Tigris and Yandro,” I said, forcing myself to meet his glare. I was a private citizen, and we were a long way from his little fiefdom. “Strikes me as a good-money-after-bad sort of thing.”
“There are three million Confederation citizens in those two star systems,” he said, a little stiffly. “Yandro itself is up to nearly half a million, I might add, despite your predictions to the contrary.”
“I never said no one could live there,” I countered. “All I said was that the place wasn’t worth the cost of putting in a Quadrail station.”
“Those half million colonists would disagree,” he said, calmer now as he settled into the rote rationalization he’d probably used a thousand times in the last couple of years. “Frontiers are important for the human spirit, whether they immediately earn their keep or not. Give the people there another twenty years, and I think you’ll be surprised at what they create. In the meantime, they deserve the same degree of security and protection as you do.” He pursed his lips. “And whatever you may think of me personally, that
“A job you may be able to help us with,” Applegate jumped in. “The Western Alliance is having some problems over Director Losutu’s proposals. You might be able to help smooth the way.”
I thought about reminding him that he’d already made this pitch to me back on the Quadrail. But it was obviously supposed to be a secret, and getting him deeper in trouble with Losutu than he already was wouldn’t gain me anything but a little petty vengeance. “I think you overestimate my influence,” I said instead.
“You might be surprised,” Applegate said doggedly. “The least you could do is check out the fighters we’re looking at and give us your opinion.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, but we don’t have room in our schedule for any side trips into Cimman space.”
“No need,” he said. “Two of the fighters are stationed right here at Modhra.”
Pressed close beside me, I felt Bayta stiffen. “What for?” I asked.
“Protection of the resort and coral harvesting areas, of course,” Losutu said. He was looking at me more thoughtfully now, like a tool he might be able to find some practical use for. “They’re actually stationed over at the other moon, Modhra II, where they’re more unobtrusive.”
“No, we wouldn’t want to upset the paying customers,” I agreed cynically. “But I thought you were looking at Cimman fighters.”
“We are,” Applegate said. “Chafta 669s, which are a joint project between the Cimmaheem and Halkas. We were scheduled to have our talks at Grakla, but there was a scheduling foul-up and the people we needed to talk to were all the way across the Republic and wouldn’t be back for a few more days. The nearest Chaftas were here at Modhra, so one of the negotiators suggested we come here and have the Halkas run them through their paces for us.”
“So when is this supposed to happen?” I asked.
“Tomorrow morning,” Applegate said. He looked questioningly at Losutu, got a microscopic shrug in reply. “Would you be interested in joining us?”
“Actually, afternoon would be better for my schedule,” I said.
Losutu rumbled something under his breath. “We’re already set up for morning,” Applegate said, warning me with his eyes not to be difficult.
But I was nowhere near his little fiefdom, either. “In that case, enjoy yourselves,” I said, taking Bayta’s arm. “And have a pleasant evening.”
We retraced our steps back through the lounge and were nearly to the elevators when I heard a set of rapid footsteps coming up behind us. Turning, I saw Applegate, the dark look of an approaching storm on his face. “Damn it all, Compton,” he snarled. “Anyone ever tell you what a flaming uncooperative son of a mongrel you are?”
“Once or twice,” I said. “Is this one private citizen to another, or UN flunky to private citizen?”
He glared at me, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it. “Look. I know you don’t like Losutu, but he really
I shook my head. “I want to take one of the tours out to the Balercomb Formations, and the bus leaves in the early morning. Did you read about the formations?”
He snorted. “We’re not here on vacation.”
“They were formed a hundred years ago when a fragmented comet slammed into the surface about forty kilometers from here,” I told him. “Between the multiple impacts and the resulting shock waves, they shattered and boiled off a lot of the ice, which naturally started refreezing almost at once. The result was a dozen square kilometers of pitted landscape with lots of hills, caves, and weird formations.”
“Fascinating,” he growled, clearly not interested in the slightest. “What if we can arrange to drop you there after we look at the fighters? You could do your exploring and take the bus back with the rest of the group.”
“I don’t know,” I said, thinking hard. With the new toboggan tunnels at the top of tomorrow’s itinerary, the last place I had actually planned to be was on a tour bus. But unless I came up with something quick, my bluff was going to be called right out from under me. “They’re supposed to give you a lot of the historical background on the ride there. I really ought to go along to see what that’s like.”
He exhaled loudly in exasperation. “Will you at least give me a chance to talk you into it?”
“I’m listening.”
“I meant over dinner,” he said. “I’d like you and Bayta to join us.” He managed a faint smile. “On the UN’s credit tag, of course.”
“Better check with Losutu first,” I warned. “Anyway, Bayta wouldn’t be able to join us. I have a research project for her to do in our room.”
“Well, just you, then,” Applegate persisted. “And don’t worry about Losutu. I can handle him.”
I shrugged. “If you can persuade him, why not? Where do you want to meet?”
“Let’s make it the Redbird Restaurant on the fourth level,” he said. “Say, in two-thirds hour?”
“Fine,” I said. “By the way, you said one of your contacts suggested you come here to Modhra. Which contact was it, exactly?”
“I don’t know his name,” Applegate said, frowning slightly. “One of the Halkas. Why?”
“Just curious,” I said. “Two-thirds hour in the Redbird, then.”
He turned and headed back to the lounge, and I touched the button to call the elevator. “What is this research you suddenly want me to do?” Bayta asked suspiciously.
“Something I should have thought of days ago,” I told her. The elevator arrived, and we got aboard. I focused my attention briefly on my watch; no tingling. “If the Bellidos were taking a later torch-liner from the Quadrail, they should have been here by now. The fact that they’re not implies they went to Sistarrko after all. Right?”
“
