“Hello back. Tal’s late, you know.”
“Oh.”
“Care to join me for tea? There’s a little heater over by the link.”
“No, thank you.” It went without saying that I never accepted drinks from strangers.
He just grinned, taking no offense. “I’ll have a cup, if you don’t mind, sweetheart.” He started to busy himself with the water. ‘Tal tells me you came aboard through Baret Station. What’s it like there, if you don’t mind my asking? I’ve never been off the Diamond in my life, and asking Tal is like calling for a printout of their imports and exports.”
I took the yellow leather chair by the desk, moving slowly. There was no reason to believe the area wasn’t under audio scrutiny, and I was brought up to be discreet. For all I knew, this was a test of some kind. Finally I said, “To tell you the truth, Spider, Baret Station is boredom itself next to the Diamond. This place is a marvel.”
He’d beamed when I said “Spider.” Now he tilted his head a bit to one side, as though he weren’t quite sure whether to believe me; but he didn’t seem displeased. Before he could ask more questions, I said, “Are you a friend of Tal’s?”
“More or less.”
“Does it vary with time? Which is it today—more or less?”
He grinned. “Sure you don’t want a cup? If you’re paranoid, you can use the same teabag as me. It’d be an honor, sweetheart, to be in hot water with you.”
“Sweetheart yourself,” I found myself saying, unable to keep down a smile. The man was outrageous. “But no thanks.”
“Best think about it,” he began, when a voice spoke from the doorway.
“By all means think about it.” Tal stood there, carrying a load of loose papers. “Spider’s an expert at living in hot water.” He walked in and dropped the papers on the desktop. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he added, in a voice that I really don’t think knew how to sound sorry, “but I had some arrangements to make. I wanted you to know where this office is, Keylinn. It’s not technically mine, since I don’t have an official administrative post, but I told Adrian I wanted a place off court level where people wouldn’t know where to find me. You may assume its existence is a secret.” He glanced toward Stratton Hastings. “Spider finds it useful, too.”
“True,” said Spider.
“And I wanted you two to get used to each other before I left.”
Spider’s head swiveled round. “Where are you going now?”
“I’ll be gone for ten days, maximum. Feel free to use the office, Keylinn. I want you to familiarize yourself with it and with the City. I got you a free-range pass; most Outsiders never see them. Take advantage of it.” He was walking into the other room as he talked.
Spider turned to me. “I don’t consider this good news,” he said gravely. Then he peered at my shoulder, making me nervous. “What happened to your uniform?”
“Oh!” My hand went to the tear in the yellow jacket that marked me indelibly as Technical/Transport/Hired Outsider. “It wasn’t in good shape when I was issued it, but I didn’t realize till I got it back to my quarters. They told me to turn it in for a new one, but it seems a waste.”
“You should’ve told me,” he said, “I’ll mend it for you, if you like. Only take a minute.” He held out his hand, and I stripped it off and gave it to him, not without misgivings. He smiled again, this time rather shyly. He sat down on the sofa with the jacket and produced a needle and thread.
“You can sew,” I said, impressed, for not many in the wide universe can.
“Oh, Spider’s very good with his hands,” called Tal’s voice from the other room. For some reason this brought a blush to Spider’s cheeks.
“His hearing’s practically inhuman,” I commented, testing it with an even lower tone of voice.
“So’s he.” There was no immediate comment from the other room.
A few seconds later Tal’s head appeared at the door. He had a pinning gaze, I noted; Spider knew at once that he was the one wanted. “Be in Transport at midnight tonight,” Tal said. “And be punctual. I want to leave by twelve-thirty.”
Spider looked wary. “Why?”
“There’s something I want you to do.” He seemed to see no need for further explanation.
“Does it involve leaving the City?” asked Spider, after a moment, for all the world like: Is it bigger than a breadbox?
“No.” Tal disappeared again into the other room. The sounds of packing came faintly through the door.
Spider looked blankly at me for a moment, then sat back on the sofa, his needle flashing. After a minute or two he cut the thread with his teeth, tied it, and held out the jacket toward me.
I took it. “Thank you.”
He leaned back against the cushions, closing his eyes. I wondered if he was thinking about midnight and the Transport deck. “Sure you don’t want some tea?” he said, finally.
“Oh, what the hell,” I said, and got a cup off the desk.
Chapter 7
I have seen some Rings made for sweet-hearts with a Heart enamelled held between two right hands. See an Epigramme of G. Buchanan on two Rings that were made by Q. Elizabeth’s appointment, which being layd one upon the other shewed the like figure. The Heart was 2 Diamonds, which joined made the Heart. Q. Elizabeth kept one moeitie and sent the other as a Token of her constant Friendship to Mary Queen of Scotts.
—JOHN AUBREY
“Don’t expect to be happy.”
Her mother’s last words reverberated in her head, repeating with each footstep. Iolanthe Pelagia made her way from the sedan chair down the echoing length of the Opal Transport deck, without benefit of emotional
