frown deepened.
“Uh …” his thought was interrupted by Thorne whispering, (“Tell him Bharaputra’s alive and well.”)
“Baron Bharaputra is alive and well,” said Mark, “and can remain so, for all I care. As a go-between, it seems to me you would be well-placed to demonstrate your good faith to House Bharaputra by helping to get him back. I only wish to trade him—intact—for one item, and then we’ll be gone.”
“You are optimistic,” Fell said dryly.
Mark plowed on. “A simple, advantageous trade. The Baron for my clone.”
(“Brother,”) Thorne, Quinn, and Bothari-Jesek all corrected in unison in his ear-bug.
“—brother,” Mark continued, edged. He unset his teeth. “Unfortunately, my … brother, was shot in the melee downside. Fortunately, he was successfully frozen in one of our emergency cryo-chambers. Um, unfortunately, the cryo-chamber was accidentally left behind in the scramble to get off. A live man for a dead one; I fail to see the difficulty.”
The Baron barked a laugh, which he muffled in a cough. The three Dendarii faces across from Mark in the shadows were chill and stiff and not amused. “You’ve been having an interesting visit, Admiral. What do you want with a dead clone?”
(“Brother,”) Quinn said again. (“Miles insists, always.”)
(“Yes,”) seconded Thorne. (“That’s how I first knew you weren’t Miles, back on the
“Brother,” Mark repeated wearily. “There was no head-wound, and the cryo-treatment was begun almost instantly. He has good hope of revival, as such things go.”
(“Only if we get him back,”) Quinn growled.
“I have a brother,” remarked Baron Fell. “He inspires no such emotions in me.”
Thorne piped up in Mark’s ear, (“He’s talking about his half-brother, Baron Ryoval of House Ryoval. The original axis of this vendetta was between Fell and Ryoval. Bharaputra got dragged in later.”)
“In fact,” Baron Fell went on, “my brother will be quite excited to learn you are here. After you so reduced his resources on your last visit, he is alas limited to small-scale attacks. But I suggest you watch your back.”
“Oh? Do Ryoval’s agents operate so freely on Fell Station?” Mark purred.
Thorne approved, (“Good one! Just like Miles.”)
Fell stiffened. “Hardly.”
Thorne whispered, (“Yes, remind him you helped him with his brother.”)
What the hell had Miles done here, four years ago? “Baron. I helped you with your brother. You help me with mine, and we can call it square.”
“Hardly that. The apples of discord you threw among us on your last departure took far too much time to sort out. Still … it’s true you dealt Ry a better blow that I could have.” Was there a tiny glint of approval in Fell’s eye? He rubbed his round chin. “Therefore, I will give you one day to complete your business and depart.”
“You’ll act as go-between?”
“The better to keep an eye on both parties, yes.”
Mark explained the Dendarii’s best guess as to the approximate location of the cryo-chamber, and gave its description and serial numbers. “Tell the Bharaputrans, we think it may have been hidden or disguised in some way. Please emphasize, we wish it returned in good condition. And their Baron will be too.”
(“Good,”) Bothari-Jesek encouraged. (“Let ’em know it’s too valuable to destroy, without letting ’em guess they could hold us up for more ransom.”)
Fell’s lips thinned. “Admiral, you are an acute man, but I don’t think you altogether understand how we do things on Jackson’s Whole.”
“But you do, Baron. That’s why we’d like to have you on our side.”
“I am not on your side. That is perhaps the first thing you don’t understand.”
Mark nodded, slowly; Miles would have, he thought. Fell’s attitude was strange. Faintly hostile.
No. He respected
Fell shot him a narrow glance from under his white eyebrows. “What about the other clones?”
“What about them?”
“House Bharaputra will be inquiring.”
“They do not enter into this transaction. Vasa Luigi’s life should be sufficient and more.”
“Yes, the trade seems uneven. What is so valuable about your late clone?”
Three voices chorused in his ear, (“Brother!”) Mark yanked the ear-bug out and slapped it to the counter beside the vid plate. Quinn nearly choked.
“I cannot trade back fractions of Baron Bharaputra,” snapped Mark. “Tempted as I am to start doing so.”
Baron Fell raised a placating plump palm. “Calm, Admiral. I doubt it will be necessary to go so far.”
“I hope not.” Mark trembled. “It’d be a shame if I had to send him back without his brain. Like the clones.”
Baron Fell apparently read the absolute personal sincerity of his threat, for he opened both palms. “I’ll see what I can do, Admiral.”
“Thank you,” whispered Mark.
The Baron nodded; his image dissolved. By some trick of the holovid or the stimulant, Fell’s eyes seemed to linger for one last unsettling stare. Mark sat frozen for several seconds till he was certain they were gone.
“Huh,” said Bothari-Jesek, sounding surprised. “You did that rather well.”
He did not bother to answer that one.
“Interesting,” said Thorne. “Why didn’t Fell ask for a fee or a cut?”
“Dare we trust him?” asked Bothari-Jesek.
“Not trust, exactly.” Quinn ran the edge of her index finger along her white teeth, nibbling. “But we must have Fell’s cooperation to transit Jumppoint Five. We dare not offend him, not for any money. I thought he would be more pleased with our bite out of Bharaputra, at the strategic situation seems to have changed since your last visit here, Bel.”
Thorne sighed agreement.
Quinn continued, “I want you to see what you can find out about the current balance of power here. Anything that may affect our operations, anything we can use to help. Houses Fell, Bharaputra and Ryoval, and anything coming up on the blindside. There’s something bout all this that’s making me feel paranoid as hell, though it may be just the drugs I’m on. But I’m too damned tired to see it right now.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Thorne nodded and withdrew.
When the door hissed shut behind Thorne, Bothari-Jesek asked Quinn, “Have you reported all this to Barrayar yet?”
“No.”
“
“No. I don’t want to send this one over any commercial comm channel, not even in code. Illyan may have a few deep cover agents here, but I don’t know who they are or how to access them. Miles would have known. And …”
“And?” Bothari-Jesek raised an eyebrow.
“And I’d really like to have the cryo-chamber back first.”
“To shove under the door along with the report? Quinnie, it wouldn’t fit.”
Quinn shrugged one defensive shoulder.
After a moment Bothari-Jesek offered, “I agree with you about not sending anything through the Jacksonian jump-courier system, though.”
“Yes, from what Illyan’s said, it’s riddled with spies, and not just the Great Houses checking up on each other, either. There’s nothing Barrayar could do to help us in the next day-cycle anyway.”
