The steam spray thing chose that moment to hiss into life and silence fell. Visibility across the room reduced as a haze of steam filled the air. Nava looked across the misty space between her and the opposite couple. Both of them had their eyes closed and it looked like they would probably be staying like that for a while.
Reaching up and back, Nava wrapped her fingers around Mitsuko’s right breast. Mitsuko’s body stiffened, but she did not make a sound. Perfect. Nava began to stroke and squeeze, her fingers slipping easily over skin rendered slick by steam and sweat. Clearly trying to retaliate, Mitsuko reached for Nava’s chest, but it was just out of reach. Besides, Nava captured the groping hand, popped the index finger into her mouth, and began to suck.
After a minute or so, Mitsuko’s body was trembling. She seemed to have decided that Nava had trapped her, that there was nothing she could do. So, she lay there, aware that they could be seen if Melissa or Rochester just opened their eyes. The danger was possibly winding her up more than Nava’s fingers. The steam was fading now, and Nava was waiting for the next burst. Her hand tightened and relaxed around Mitsuko’s breast, sliding toward her nipple and then back down. Mitsuko’s trembling was getting more violent.
With a hiss, steam filled the room again and Nava’s fingers clamped down on Mitsuko’s nipple. The trembling stopped, replaced by a sudden tightening of muscles. Nava heard a little, rapidly suppressed cry, but she very much doubted that Melissa or Rochester had heard it over the hissing steam. Nava gave Mitsuko’s breast a light pat, as if to say ‘good girl,’ and then she released Mitsuko’s finger and settled back into her resting position.
‘Did you say something, Suki?’ Melissa mumbled from across the room.
Mitsuko coughed. ‘No. No, I didn’t say anything.’
‘Huh. Thought I heard something. Probably just the steam.’
‘Yes. I’m sure it was…’
~~~
‘You are evil,’ Mitsuko said as they prepared for bed.
Nava gave a small shrug. ‘You only just figured that out?’
235/8/7.
Nava went up to the roof to bring Courtney and Kyle down from where a Trenton-owned tiltrotor was dropping them off. Mitsuko’s father was really good about stuff like that, it seemed.
‘We could’ve made our way here by public transport,’ Courtney said as Nava used her ketcom to instruct the elevator where to stop.
‘I have no doubt,’ Nava replied. ‘Aren’t you glad you didn’t have to?’
‘It’s quicker with a private tiltrotor,’ Kyle replied. ‘I am not complaining.’
‘I thought not. I didn’t. Suki’s in the meeting room with Mel and Chess. They’re up to their eyes in statistics. Suki said to show you the bedrooms so you can pick one, then they’ll do a briefing on where they’ve got to.’
‘She’s planning this like a military campaign,’ Courtney said.
‘Well, since we don’t know exactly what the agenda will be, it is like a military campaign. We need to be ready for any eventuality. Speaking of which, what can you tell me about Oliver Barnes Garavain?’ The elevator doors opened, and Nava led the way into the reception room and on through.
‘Um, not a whole bunch. Why?’
‘He’s on the panel and Suki has me profiling the other panel members.’
‘She is running this like a military campaign,’ Kyle said, sounding impressed.
‘Mm. I’d say I was rubbing off on her, but I think she’s always been like this.’
‘Sneaky and underhanded?’ Courtney asked, grinning to show it was a joke.
‘Thank you for the compliment,’ Nava replied.
~~~
‘Okay, Oliver Barnes.’ Courtney had been briefed on the current state of play and had come over to Nava’s office to provide what insight she could. Kyle was with her, of course. ‘Well, I’ve called my clan backward and the Barnes family are hardly an exception. They’re actually one of the most powerful families in the clan, so it’s hardly surprising that one of them is among the clan representatives here. I highly doubt his appointment was based on merit. Honestly, I had to look him up. I think I recognise his picture, but he’s never come to my notice before now. I know Raffaele Chevalier Garavain, the current ambassador. The Chevaliers are the current head family of the clan and Raffaele… He’s very conservative.’
‘I see,’ Nava said. ‘Can you think of a reason why Oliver Barnes would be interested in education?’
‘Uh, the Barneses started an engineering school on Garavain Prime. They’re not exactly sorcery-positive, if you take my meaning. They believe in advancing mundane science and engineering. I don’t actually think they’re wrong…’
‘But it’s unlikely that Oliver Barnes is particularly positive about sorcery education.’
‘That’s a fair assessment, but it might be wrong. Maybe Oliver has a different view to the rest of his family. I just doubt it. Not since he’s been assigned to the assembly.’
Nava nodded, paused, and then asked another question. ‘When you say your clan is backward, or traditionalist as Yuzuki Trenton put it, what do you mean?’
‘Well, all our representatives in the assembly are men. All from the highest-ranking families too. I wouldn’t say that women are treated badly, but you’re more likely to see men in positions of power in the Garavain system. Sorcery is considered necessary, but not desirable. Magicians are less common among the Garavains than most clans. There are no advanced sorcery schools in the system, which is why I left to come here.’ Courtney gave a bleak sort of grin. ‘My parents agreed to me attending SAS-squared because they had this weird idea that I’d see how good things were back home if I spent six years away.’ She glanced at Kyle. ‘That really backfired.’
Kyle shrugged. ‘It’s not like my world doesn’t have its traditionalists. The House clan isn’t exactly forward in its thinking, and outside clan lands… Well, another issue with our relationship is that my parents expect me to head back to Beherbergen to help fight our local terrorists.’
‘I wasn’t aware of a terrorist group from Beherbergen,’ Nava said.
‘Free
