“Ha! You would make a strong man weep, and I am not a strong man. The Council of the Sidarte, they would need some changes, some hope that we would not need to spend so much…”
“IIS can be flexible over time,” Van replied, with a shrug. “A lower retainer, but a higher charge for emergency services. It would need to be a much higher charge.”
The Minister sighed, dramatically. “The council…fifteen percent less, they might accept for the retainer…”
Van considered, recalling the options he had calculated earlier. “Fifteen percent…that would require a fifty-five percent increase in emergency service charges, based on the past probabilities of services. That will be difficult, because there is a higher probability that you will need those services more than once in a year.”
“A higher probability?” Sahid was clearly puzzled. “When the Revenant forces can no longer raid our systems?”
“When renegades are more free to operate? When you have the Republic of Tara taking over the Keltyr systems? When both the Argenti and Coalition forces are occupied in pacifying and controlling the new protectorate? With your experience, I am most certain you have thought of these possibilities, but have the members of the council?”
“They may not fully understand what you have explained. Under these circumstances, it might be possible that they would consider a decrease of as little as ten percent in the retainer, if there were no significant increases in the emergency charges…”
“I would have to calculate, but perhaps we could work an offset…” Van smiled politely, once more. He had hoped for a relatively quick renegotiation; but like everything, it seemed, that process was going to be neither quick nor easy.
Chapter 81
As soon as the Joyau was docked at Meroe orbit control, Van put through a link to the Taran embassy. He was fortunate, because Emily was there. Her image filled the holo screen in the stateroom. Van took in the short and severely cut blond hair, the straight features, and the gray eyes. The severity vanished from her face with her words. “Van…where are you?”
“At the moment, I’m locked to orbit station one. We’ve just arrived.”
“Are you coming planetside?”
“I’d planned on that. Is there a possibility we could have lunch or dinner, or something? What time is it there?”
“It’s midafternoon.”
Van frowned.
“Is that bad?”
“No…but I need to meet with my sister…”
“That’s Sappho?”
“Yes, and thank you for helping her.”
“I was glad to.” Emily paused. “I was sorry to hear about your fathers. I really was.”
“Thank you.” After a moment, he asked, “Do you know any more? She only told me that they had…been executed.”
Emily’s face clouded.
“You think it’s something you’d rather discuss in person?”
“That might be better. I’ll meet you. That would also be best.”
Van understood. “A late dinner? Twenty hundred local? You name the place.”
“D’Oro Real—it’s not that far from the embassy, on the Plaza Dulein. I’ll make reservations.”
“Thank you. D’Oro Real on the Plaza Dulein at twenty hundred…”
Van held her smile in his mind for a moment after the link faded.
Although he had Sappho’s codes and physical address in Kurti, he wasn’t about to call her until he talked with Emily. There was too much he didn’t know. So his next link was to the local IIS office.
He got the simmie receptionist. “If you would please…”
“This is Managing Director Albert. I’d like to speak with Miryam Adullah as soon as possible…”
The simmie vanished, to be replaced with Miryam’s oblong dark face. “Van. Where are you?”
“Orbit station. We just docked a few minutes ago.”
“We heard about Trystin…”
“That’s one reason why I’m here.”
“How long will you be here?”
“How long do you need me here?”
Miryam smiled, but there was a sadness in the expression. “He picked well. We do need to talk.”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“You have something?”
“There’s another problem. I’m meeting with someone from the Republic embassy tonight. And I’m trying to track down my sister.”
“Your sister? The one—”
“Yes. She and her partner left Sulyn, but I haven’t talked to her since our fathers died…”
“I understand.” Miryam nodded. “We do need to talk. Nine o’clock tomorrow morning?”
“I’ll be there.” Van smiled. “And sometime while I’m here, you can take me to G’zai’s.”
“I will take you up on that. Especially since you remembered.”
“How could I have forgotten?”
That brought a momentary smile to Miryam’s uncharacteristically somber face. “Until tomorrow.”
After he broke the link, Van took a quick shower and changed into a pale—almost white—bronze singlesuit. He packed several days’ worth of clothes into a single bag, then went to look for Alya.
She met him in the passageway outside his stateroom.
“You can have the next two days free to go planetside,” he said. “Just make sure that the ship is totally sealed. Charge the shuttle and any hotel to the operating account, but meals are on your own.”
“We’re not going to be called off somewhere?”
Van shook his head. “The local IIS office needs me for things for at least two days. You might even get more time than that.” He paused. “Let’s do it this way. Meet at the local IIS office in Kurti at ten hundred two days from now, and we’ll see where we stand.”
Alya smiled. “You’re certain?”
“Certain,” he affirmed.
“Thank you, ser.”
“I should have thought of it earlier. I’ve had a lot on my mind. If you hurry, you can make the next shuttle.”
“I think I’ll wait for the one to Omdu. It’s in two hours. I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“Then…just call the IIS office at ten hundred two days from now. No sense in your traveling cross-continent.”
“That would be all right?”
“Just go. Enjoy. I don’t know that you’ll get much of a break after we leave Meroe.”
“Yes, ser.” Alya
