“But…?” Her mood softened, herbrow lifting in curiosity. “What happened?”
He sighed, his hand dropping tohis side as he turned back to her. “I was expelled from medicine and he spenta week in traction.”
“That hardly seems fair.”
“On the contrary, I considered itquite reasonable. After all, he didn’t want it getting around that he washarassing students!”
Her face creased as she tried tofigure it out, but he wasn’t going to expand on the matter.
He glanced at his watch. “I’vegot to see someone. Do you want to come with me, or I could walk you back to…wherever?”
She shrugged. “I’ve got nowhereelse to be.”
They took the lift to theambassadorial wing. The alien artworks displayed along the corridor were theonly indication this area was not inhabited by the human population. Theambassadors were free to mix with as much or as little of the generalpopulation as they wished. While their own wing was not out of bounds, humansrarely had the need to be there.
John checked his bearings,counting the doors until he reached the right one and pressed the beeper. There was no answer. “He mustn’t be back yet,” he spoke to himself.
“Who?” McReidy asked.
“Mark,” John answered.
McReidy swallowed hard. “Youcould have told me.”
“Would you have changed yourmind?” he smiled, leaning back against the wall. He had known Mark for most ofhis life and trusted him completely. And right now, he knew of no one whowould have more answers.
“I guess not,” she decided.
They didn’t have to wait long. Mark came strolling along the corridor with the Antarian ambassador. He noddedacknowledgment to John, but continued his discussion at the Antarian’sdoorway. After a farewell, he strode slowly towards John and McReidy.
His dark eyes took in everythingat a glance, seeming to stare right through any object. His entire face lookedset in steel as he stopped next to John, standing a good six inches taller.
“It’s good to see you again.” There was little emotion in the deep voice, but the handshake he offered Johnwas warm. “Lieutenant Commander McReidy,” he acknowledged her.
“Hello,” was all she couldstruggle to get out.
“Please, come in.” He unlockedthe door and showed them in, entering last and locking it behind them.
“So how do you like being anambassador?” John asked.
“Are you kidding?” Mark was morerelaxed now that he was in his own quarters. “The opportunities one has toadvance humanity, the millions of races out there as yet undiscovered –”
“How do you like being anambassador?” John repeated. He read Mark equally as well.
“I hate it,” Mark confessedsighing. “The constant arguing and petty bickering that goes on. If they’donly try to accept each other a bit and get on… Ah, well, you’re not here todiscuss my problems. I’m sorry I was late. The meeting ran overtime.”
“Meeting?” McReidy asked.
“We don’t run by your schedule. We hold our meetings when it suits us.” Mark slid a chair from around behindhis desk to join the two in the lounge area. “Would you like a drink? I knowI need one!”
Mark moved effortlessly as thoughhe floated across the room. He had a bottle and three glasses on the coffeetable and was settling in his chair at almost the same time that it tookMcReidy to sit down.
“Is that what I think it is?”John asked as Mark poured.
McReidy picked up her glass andtook a sip. She almost dropped it, coughing and spluttering, and gasping inair. Both men appeared to ignore her distress.
“Betelian wine,” Mark continued. He took a long sip, leaning back in his chair. “I acquired a taste for it afew years ago.”
McReidy’s gagging eased and heturned his attention to her.
“It gets better. By the time youfinish the glass you won’t notice it.”
McReidy took another sip, asthough his words had instructed her to do so.
John remembered his firstexperience with Betelian wine. His reaction was almost identical toMcReidy’s. He sipped slowly, the green liquid burning his throat.
“What do you know?” Mark asked.
“There’s a lot of ships here anda lot of strange things going on. At least five ships have been destroyedwithout a trace.”
“Five?” McReidy queried.
“If you want to find outsomething, don’t hang around admirals,” John told her, then turned back toMark. “Magellan is the only one that had survivors –”
Mark turned from John to McReidy,effectively cutting him off. “Tell me what happened.”
“It’s in my report,” sheanswered.
“I don’t have access to yourreports.”
“Just tell him what you told me,”John tried to be helpful.
McReidy started at thebeginning. Mark listened silently without interrupting. When she finished, heremained silent.
“And that’s all you remember?” hespoke at last.
“Yes.”
“What sort of ship was it thatattacked you?”
“I don’t know. It was… big.”
“You saw it. You must rememberit.”
“Only for a fraction of asecond.”
“That’s long enough for the brainto retain an image. Anything about it would be helpful.”
She tried to remember, but allshe could put together were bits and pieces.
“That might be enough,” Markhoped.
“Do you really think it’spossible that it is Rache?” John asked, a sudden chill setting in.
“Quite probable,” Mark answered.
“But he was killed during theoverthrow.”
“It was never confirmed.”
“That still doesn’t explain theother ships.”
“No, it doesn’t. And you are notthe only ones who’ve lost ships. The Antarians are still looking for one oftheirs. Some minor outposts are gone. All within the past few months and alltowards the outer edge of the galaxy, towards Andromeda. The Betelians have aship investigating at the moment. So, too, I believe, is the Ark Royal.”
“She’s due in some time tonight,”John added.
“I wondered why you looked sohappy,” Mark smiled, then turned back to the matter at hand. “Unconfirmedrumour has it that Rache retreated to Andromeda. He seems to have found somefriends powerful enough to make good on his threats. And if he’s after you,”he stared directly at John, “I would be very careful.”
John stared into his emptyglass. Coming from Mark, the warning seemed to carry a lot of weight.
“I think we’ve taken up enough ofyour time.” John put his glass on the coffee table and stood up to leave,swaying slightly on his feet. He guessed he must have had one too manydrinks. The thought that Mark’s words had unsettled him never entered hismind.
“Then I will see
