A message was waiting for him from the Diamond: Adrian wanted his immediate return. He turned, went back out again and found a ride to the port; and as the full day of Everun got underway, he lifted off on a shuttle, spent and exhausted.
A transmitted bill was waiting for him when he arrived in Diamond Transport. It was a cleaning bill from the Residence. Spider had gotten blood in the car.
“You wanted to see me?”
Adrian looked up, tossing away a thick sheaf of color-coded reports. “Things have gotten a bit hot up here. Rumors are going up and downhill faster than shuttles.” He pulled Tal out into the hall and started walking swiftly. “I want you to attend a council meeting with me.”
Tal stopped. “Now?”
“Yes, now. We’ve been waiting for your arrival, Brandon’s already here. They couldn’t reach you down at the Visitor’s Residence. Where were you, by the way?”
“Taking care of business. Adrian, if things are really heating up, then this is hardly the time to spring me on them in a council meeting.”
“On the contrary, they’ll accept it during an emergency if they ever do.” The Protector pulled him along. “It’s amazing, because I haven’t said anything, I don’t think Brandon’s said anything, and you as we know practice the silence of the grave when it suits you—but everybody seems to have heard about the Sawyer Crown.”
Tal considered this as they reached the nearest lift station. “Where are we going?”
“The Flux Chamber. I’d prefer security on this … for all the good it’s going to do me. I suppose if you’d had any little success in locating the Crown, you would have mentioned it? Yes, I thought so. Well, Opal’s in the act now and the council wants to know what to do about it, which means what am I going to do about it, and why weren’t they informed, and don’t I trust them, which of course I don’t.—Zero level, please.—So as the agent-inplace, I thought it would be good to present you to them.”
“Is that what I am?” The glass lift dropped through the levels like a coin in a pool.
“It is now. The attitude we’re going to present is, everything is going according to plan. Whatever’s happened, we anticipated happening. The object is basically to keep the representatives out of our way so we can function efficiently.”
“A limited democracy in action. Very well. How much success should I report?”
“How much have you had?”
“None.”
“We won’t phrase it that way. We’ll say that your questioning of informants and searching of local museums and churches is proceeding according to schedule.”
“I doubt if it’s in a museum.”
“Not the point.—Lock, please,” he said, holding the lift for the return journey. They stepped out and strode down the shining corridor that led to the Flux Chamber.
“Interesting,” said Tal, as he examined the shifting patterns of color on the walls. “I suppose we’re only inches from the drive.”
“Really?” said Adrian, with a jaded lack of interest. “Here we are.” He coded open the Chamber door.
A tableful of Diamond lords and the highest admins stared at him in polite shock. Only Brandon Fischer was not surprised; he merely looked tired and morose. used to shifting circadian rhythms, thought Tal. “Here he is,” called Adrian cheerfully. “I thought it would be more informative to just bring him along. Tal, you’ve met everybody, haven’t you?”
“I believe so.”
“Lord Salter, were you saying something as I came in? 1 Don’t let me interrupt your point.”
Lord Salter, a veteran of council meetings since Saul Veritie’s day, inclined his head. “Merely passing the time, Adrian. Now that you’re—both—here, I’m ready to turn L to the issue at hand.”
“Excellent. I thought, before we have any questions, that Officer Diamond would report on his findings thus . far.” Several representatives who’d looked tensed and ready to spring now looked cheated. Tal was off-balance ‘ himself; he’d hoped for a few minutes to get his cover story together.
He said, “There’s little to report at the moment. Events are running according to schedule. Our people—” People, indeed. “—are looking into various historical archives, questioning informants, following procedure.”
“And thus far they haven’t found the Crown?” The question was from Lord Salter. Adrian did not reprimand him. The Protector had found it expedient not to follow any rules of order but those that served him best at the moment.
Tal said, “Even negative information is of benefit in a search.”
“What about Duke Peter? What about the Arbriths?”
“They claim not to know about the Crown, although ( the Duke has promised to make an effort to locate it for us.”
“Did we have to pay him for that promise?” The question came from one of the admins.
Tal looked at Adrian, who was politely attentive. Tal said, “Yes.”
“To be expected,” said Lord Salter. “I don’t see that that gets us anywhere. So much the better if the Duke is indebted to Diamond money.” He turned back to Tal. “What are they like, the Arbriths? Can we trust them?”
“Beyond the fact that they like to associate with dogs who make irritating noises, I know little about them.”
“But even negative information,” Lord Salter smiled, “is of benefit in a search.”
Adrian still did not seem disposed to intervene. Tal said, “Very true. In this case I would point out that the Duke’s loyalties are far from predictable. If he takes money from us, I see no reason why he shouldn’t take money from Opal. He hasn’t promised to actually hand the Crown over to anybody, you will note.”
This caused general muttering at the table. Apparently the obvious had not occurred to them, but then they’d been given little time to think the matter through.
Lord Salter—the leader of the loyal opposition?—said, “We can sweeten the pot.”
“I intend to,” said Tal. “I was going to make another withdrawal from the team treasury today. Of course, that plan also has negative aspects, but if our primary aim is the
