Fallon quickly selected a sandwich, cold cucumber soup, and a pot of Japanese green tea. Cabot considered his options for a little longer before making his selections. As he set his menuboard aside, he smiled at her.
“I’m so glad you invited me.” He folded his hands together on the table.
“So am I. I meant to do it sooner, but I’ve been caught up in recent events.”
He nodded knowingly, which made her wonder about his perspective on said events. “What’s the general feeling on the station? Are people anxious? Fearful?”
“There’s certainly more anxiety than usual. An air of nervous excitement. PAC command going into seclusion has only happened a few times, and never in the past century. So of course it’s going to stir people up. But overall, I’d say there’s a…” The corners of his mouth drew down thoughtfully. “An overabundance of faith that things will work out. People are more fascinated than they are frightened.”
“That’s good to know. Why do you think the faith is excessive? You don’t believe the PAC is strong enough to overcome a threat?”
He smiled, but it was a world-weary expression rather than a happy one. “I pay attention to the galaxies, Chief. Our own and all the others within communication distance. I’m also a student of history. I know all too well that no government lasts forever. All societies go through periods of governmental demise and renewal. Most of the time, they end up better for it, but living through the change can be painful—or fatal, for millions of people. So I look at an event like this as, perhaps, the tip of the asteroid. The harbinger of a new era.”
“That’s surprisingly pessimistic of you. I always saw you as someone who had more faith in happy endings.”
“Happy endings happen all the time. But so do tragic ones. It isn’t pessimism, Chief, it’s realism. Is your outlook so different?”
She lifted her chin in acknowledgement. “No, but I’ve seen more bad than most people. I’m hardwired to look for undesirable outcomes so I can try to prevent them.”
“And that’s part of why I like you so much.” His smile returned. “You’re one of the good ones, the idealists fighting to make things better for everyone.”
She shrugged off his praise. “It’s only part idealism.”
“What’s the other part?”
“Hedonism. It’s what makes me feel alive.”
His eyes crinkled with delight. “See? You’re a self-aware realist, like me.”
A server arrived carrying their order on a tray, then carefully laid out each dish in front of them before retreating.
Fallon reached for her teapot but Cabot rested his hand on it first. “Shall I?” he asked. “As I understand it, it’s polite to pour your tea for you.”
“I didn’t realize you were familiar with Japanese etiquette. Thank you.” She watched tendrils of steam curl and waft away as he poured.
“I used to deal with a Japanese trader. Very traditional fellow. I found that I got much better deals when I observed his etiquette impeccably.” He gave her a cheeky grin.
She poured his tea for him. “Funny. Not many people adhere to those traditions. Only on formal occasions back on Earth.”
“That’s what I like about what I do. I see so much variety. There’s always something new and interesting right around the corner.”
She’d always wondered about his background, and this seemed like an excellent opportunity to ask. “Do you come from a family of traders?”
“No. Believe it or not, my parents are scholars on the homeworld. They teach at university. But I knew early on that I wanted to have a front-row seat to everything going on in the galaxies. And I happened to have a knack for business that my parents never did. So here I am.”
She smiled. “Well, I’m glad. I’ve valued your friendship greatly.”
He leaned forward. “Shh. Don’t say that too loudly. If anyone asks, I’m going to tell them that I’m trying to broker a deal between you and the manufacturers of a brand-new type of security scanner. A person in my line of business doesn’t admit to making friends.” His ale-brown eyes twinkled.
“Your secret’s safe with me.” She smiled and sipped her tea, careful not to burn her mouth.
“I don’t doubt it.” He picked up a bite-sized crustacean and popped it into his mouth.
“There are a lot of secrets around here lately.” Her words were light and conversational, but she fixed him with a meaningful look.
“There are always secrets. Some are just more important to a larger number of people.”
“Should we trade secrets?” She raised her eyebrows in a challenge.
“Oh, I never trade secrets,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Bad for business.”
“I see.”
He leaned forward and whispered, “I would consider sharing a confidence with a friend, though. But I’d never pry if my friend wasn’t ready to share in return.”
“So your friend would need to speak up,” she translated.
“Of course.” He ate another crustacean.
That sounded like he had some help to offer if she asked the right question. Or prompted the right one.
She bit into her sandwich, thinking as she chewed. He probably suspected something about the recent goings-on, but would never ask her about it. Yet she couldn’t answer his question without knowing what it was.
“Is there something about recent events that has you troubled?”
His eyes gleamed. He understood that she was offering information. “Now that you mention it, I’ve been concerned about a rumor I heard. Just a rumor, mind you, but sometimes these things stick in your mind and take root. So I’ve been wondering if it’s possible that your job might be in jeopardy. You know we’d hate to lose you here.”
But he wasn’t talking about her job on Dragonfire, and they both knew it. He was asking whether she was part of what was going on with Jamestown and PAC command.
“I
