The Shadow of Saganami

'I'd hoped our technical representatives would have been able to hasten that process for you, Admiral. Indeed, it was my understanding they'd done just that.'

'Your people have been extraordinarily helpful,' Hegedusic told him, which was nothing less than the truth. 'I think the problem's that the capacity of our facilities was overestimated when the original schedule was projected. I've been reporting our difficulties to my superiors-' which meant, as Levakonic no doubt understood, Bourmont '-for some time now. I'd hoped you'd been informed.'

'Unfortunately, I wasn't.' Levakonic shook his head with another frown. 'I could have arranged another additional draft of our own yard workers and some additional equipment if I'd known. Now, by the time I could get word back to Yildun, it would be too late to get additional help out here in time to make much of a difference.'

'I'm sorry the word didn't get back to you in time. An oversight on someone's part, I'm sure.'

'No doubt,' Levakonic agreed, and Hegedusic thought he might detect the beginning of genuine respect-or, at least, sympathy for a competent officer trying to get a job done despite his -superiors. 'Well,' the Solly went on briskly, 'I'll still look forward to inspecting the work. And, obviously, if I can think of anything to speed the process up, I'll definitely bring it to your attention.'

'Thank you. I'd appreciate that,' Hegedusic said sincerely. 'However, the real reason I wanted to speak to you has to do with the missile pods.'

'Don't tell me they've been delayed, too!' Levakonic said with a levity Hegedusic suspected was just a bit forced.

'No, they arrived on schedule early last week,' the admiral reassured him. 'What I wanted to inquire into was the possibility of deploying some of them here, in Monica, to bolster Eroica Station's security when we began drawing down our existing naval strength to find personnel to man the new vessels. We're recruiting additional men, but we're still going to have to lay up every existing ship. I don't like being that vulnerable.'

'I don't blame you'

Levakonic thought for a moment, then nodded and looked back at Hegedusic.

'I don't see why that should be a problem,' he said so readily Hegedusic was hard pressed to hide his surprise. 'We'll need at least a couple of weeks-a month would be better-to overhaul them before they'll be ready for deployment in Lynx. But you ought to have enough of the new battlecruisers in commission to let me began picking the pods back up with time to spare. Even if that doesn't happen, we probably wouldn't have to deploy more than thirty or forty pods-a hundred or so, at most. If it's no more than that, we could almost certainly overhaul them aboard ship on our way to Lynx.'

'To be honest, I'd prefer to deploy as many of them here as we can,' Hegedusic said. 'On the other hand, I realize I'm probably oversensitive where Eroica's security is concerned. But I'll deeply appreciate the ability to deploy any of them.'

'I understand completely, Admiral,' Levakonic assured him. 'I'll talk to my project officers about it while I'm out here. We'll want to discuss exact numbers with you, but I'll authorize the deployment before I return to Monica.'

'Thank you,' Hegedusic said, even more sincerely.

'Admiral,' Levakonic told him with a desert-dry smile, 'Technodyne has a lot of money tied up in this operation. And, to be honest, we're extremely hopeful of having the opportunity to look at some of the Manties' new technology first-hand. We're deeply committed to making the project a success, and this sounds to me like a perfectly reasonable request.'

'I'd hoped you might see it that way,' Hegedusic said. 'And I'm relieved you do. So,' he stood again, and this time he did walk around his desk, 'let's go arrange that tour of the yard for you.'

* * *

'So,' Bernardus Van Dort said quietly, standing beside Terekhov's command chair on Hexapuma's bridge, watching the main plot as the Copenhagen headed out of Montana orbit under new management, 'when do you start trying to throw me off your ship?'

'I beg your pardon?' Terekhov turned his head to look at him.

'The way I have it figured,' Van Dort said thoughtfully, 'you're going to say something about how instrumental I was in convincing Westman to call it quits. And then you're going to argue that I really ought to stay here on Montana to make sure nothing else goes wrong. And, of course, you'll promise to pick me up here on the way back from the rendezvous to return me to Spindle.'

'That's what you think, is it?' Terekhov had the definite look of a man sparring for time, and Van Dort smiled cheerfully at him.

'Well, you certainly tried hard enough to manufacture some 'reasonable' reason to ship me off aboard Ericsson . Which, as my keen intelligence noted at the time, was the only one of your three messengers which won't be coming back here to Montana before you go haring off to your rendezvous with Copenhagen .'

'I think,' Terekhov said after a moment, 'that we should take this conversation to my briefing room.' He looked past Van Dort to Naomi Kaplan. 'Guns, you have the bridge.'

'Aye, aye, Sir. I have the bridge,' she replied, and Terekhov climbed out of his chair and beckoned for Van Dort to follow him.

The briefing room hatch closed behind them, and the Manticoran turned to face the civilian.

'Now,' he said, 'suppose you tell me just what sort of nefarious scheming you've imputed to me.'

'Oh, really, Aivars!' Van Dort rolled his eyes. 'I've known more or less what you had in mind ever since you got me and Trevor Bannister to help you figure out how to steal Copenhagen .'

'Borrow,' Terekhov corrected almost absently, and Van Dort snorted magnificently.

'Oh, forgive me!' he begged earnestly. 'Of course I meant 'borrow'! And stop trying to divert me.'

'I'm not trying to divert anyone,' Terekhov protested. Van Dort gave him a fulminating look, and he shrugged. 'Anyway, go on with your exposition of my Machiavellian motives.'

'Aivars,' Van Dort said much more seriously, 'there's only one reason for you to 'borrow' a Solly freighter, load one of your remote sensor drones into its hold, and send it off to Monica. Especially when you follow that up by sending orders to any units at Dresden, Talbott, and Tillerman to join you here before you go off to rendezvous with Copenhagen on her return. And, extra especially, when the rendezvous you've set is a hundred light-years from Montana... and only thirty-eight from Monica.'

'It's just a routine precaution.'

'Which, undoubtedly, is the reason you never told the Montanans about Marianne's last trip to Monica. You know, the one when Duan and his cutthroats dropped off the Technodyne technicians?'

'Well, maybe not totally routine.'

'Oh, stop it! You even commandeered Suttles' only dispatch boat to carry your message to Tillerman. And ordered it to return straight here and accompany you to the rendezvous.'

'All right, Bernardus,' Terekhov said flatly. 'I already knew you're a clever man. Now tell me why I shouldn't leave you behind?'

'Because I won't stay,' Van Dort said, equally flatly.

'Don't be stupid. Of course you'll stay.'

'Not unless you're prepared to use Marines to put me forcibly dirt-side,' Van Dort told him unflinchingly.

'Bernardus, be reasonable!'

'I don't think so. You've got this set up so that by the time Ericsson gets to Spindle, it'll be too late for Khumalo or Baroness Medusa to get dispatches to you forbidding you to leave Montana. You and whatever units you can round up from Khumalo's 'Southern Patrol' to go with you. And if Copenhagen reports what you and I both suspect she will, you'll be moving directly from your rendezvous to Monica. Oh, don't bother trying to look innocent at me, damn it! What the hell do you think you're doing?'

'Using the initiative expected of a senior officer of the Queen,' Terekhov told him, without a flicker of humor.

'And making damned certain no one can stop you. And that the Star Kingdom will have 'plausible deniability' if it all hits the fan. The Queen will be able to disavow your actions with the