Conley grinned. "Since it worked out, no--I might even get a commendation. If it hadn't, well . . . but I had a hunch I could trust you."

"I'm the last one to argue against following hunches," Cortin said, "but I should point out that doing so can sometimes get you in trouble."

"I know, sir. Uh . . . your King called you 'Protector'. What's that?"

Cortin studied her guest. "I'm not sure I ought to go into that particular subject, Miss Conley. It's a religious t.i.tle, and since it was our beliefs that caused our Founders to flee the Empire, I think it wise to avoid religious discussion as much as possible."

"Yes, sir--though it may relieve you to know that religion's not a very big deal in the Empire, most places, and the Empire itself is strictly neutral." She paused. "I'm sorry, Colonel, but I have a bit of a personal problem. Is there a 'fresher anywhere around?"

"A what?"

"A 'fresher. Let me think--restroom? Bathroom?"

"That we have, yes," Cortin said with a chuckle. "We call them bathrooms. Sis, would you show Miss Conley the nearest one, then her guest room?"

"Gladly." Chang put her arm around the Imperial, smiling. "This way, Miss Conley--may I use your first name?"

"Please--it's Gwen."

The two had barely gone out a side door when Odeon led the rest of the team and their former prisoners through the main entrance. Since they were guests now, Cortin gave them a courteous bow before asking, "How much did you tell them, Mike?"

"Only that they're free; I thought you'd want to tell them the rest."

"Where's Conley?" DeLayne asked, his voice concerned. "Is she all right?"

"She's fine," Cortin a.s.sured him. "She asked for a bathroom, then Lieutenant Chang's taking her for a brief tour. They should be back in a few minutes. It's thanks to Miss Conley's cooperation that you're free and Ranger Medart will soon be on his way to the Kingdom Systems."

"Huh?" DeLayne, Cortin thought, looked like he'd been hit with a sledge-hammer.

"You heard me correctly," Cortin said. She explained briefly, amused by the changes in his expression from disbelief to comprehension, then to determination.

"For someone who's afraid of the Empire," he said when she was done, "you're making one h.e.l.l of an effort to bring it in. If you'd like some help, I'll ask for a temporary a.s.signment here when I report we've been released."

Cortin considered that briefly, then nodded. "Any preliminary groundwork we can lay should help reduce transitional problems. Thank you for your offer, Captain." She paused, then said, "The troopers who brought you in mentioned you were the first group. How many of you are there in all?"

"Four hundred ninety-eight. Except for me, they decided to bring you a random sample; the only Navy ship cla.s.s that has this small a crew is a courier."

"I can't offer all of you rooms here, then. Is your ship small enough to fit on a ten-acre estate?"

"Yes--equatorial diameter's two hundred meters--but since you can't have a dock, we'd leave a rather large hole. Just how big depends on how solid the ground is."

"Fairly solid, and if the Kingdoms survive this, filling a hole will be no problem. As soon as King Mark makes his announcement, then, it might be a good idea to bring your ship here."

"Agreed, Excellency. My Marines can supplement your troops if you think there's a chance of attack, that way."

"Very little," Cortin said. "Being prepared is never a bad idea, though." She turned to Odeon. "Mike, would you call Brad, brief him, and ask him for the loan of any Strike Force troops not on anti-Brotherhood operations?" She grimaced. "Not that I like asking them to camp out this time of year!"

Odeon grinned. "Be glad to, Joanie--and I don't think they'll mind, for you." He went to the phone to call Colonel David Bradford, Commander and Bishop of the St. Thomas RES Strike Force.

DeLayne shook his head. "I don't know what you've been taught about us, but it must've been fierce. And you're on our side!"

"I am not on your side," Cortin said. "If I didn't believe aiding a peaceful transition to be the Kingdom Systems' only chance to survive as a society, I would be fighting you to the best of my ability. You may be able to change my mind--under the circ.u.mstances, I'd like nothing better than to believe the best of you and your Empire--but right now, I'm no more than a reluctant ally."

"A reluctant ally's better than an active enemy, Excellency." DeLayne grinned. "You must have an ultrawave, to've spoken to His Majesty; may I use it to report in and request a.s.signment here?"

"Yes--it's beside the phone Captain Odeon is using. If you can, please also find out how soon Ranger Medart will be arriving, and ask that he be informed I have been named sole negotiator for the Kingdom Systems."

27. Interim

DeLayne's call was fruitful, more quickly than Cortin had expected. As soon as he identified himself, he was transferred to Ranger Medart.

Cortin studied him while DeLayne reported. She'd seen photos of the Ranger before, but that had been before she had any expectation of meeting him, or having her society's future depending on how she dealt with him. But now everything about him was meaningful.

Except for some graying around his temples, he looked young--normal for an Imperial officer, with the anti-aging treatments they got. But there was something in his bearing that made it obvious he was no innocent, even if she hadn't been acquainted, however vaguely, with his handling of the Sandeman annexation. He was, she decided, the sort of man she could respect--which meant she'd have to be careful not to let that feeling hinder her judgement during the negotiations.

She frowned when Medart, informed she'd been named negotiator, asked if she were available--long-distance negotiations didn't strike her as a good idea--but when Delayne replied that she was, she had no choice but to go to the ultrawave. "I am Colonel Cortin."

"Ranger James Medart," the man on the screen replied. "Pleased to meet you, Colonel. I'm also pleased to hear you'll be the one I'll be talking to. Do you have any objection to Captain DeLayne and his crew acting as Special Liaison until I get there?"

"I would appreciate their a.s.sistance, though I am not sure what you mean by Special Liaison."

"In this case, a demonstration of what Imperials are really like,"

Medart said. "Maybe by the time I get there, you'll have decided we aren't the sort of monsters you've apparently been taught."

"That is possible," Cortin said. "I gather you do not intend to carry out our discussions long-distance?"

"No." Medart grinned. "All our experience says long-distance negotiations are much less productive than face-to-face ones, especially something that looks like it might be tricky--such as working with a culture I know nothing about. So I don't plan on anything except this type of talk, and that only if you insist; I prefer to get my data in person. If there's anything you think I can do to help, of course, don't hesitate, but I won't be able to go beyond advice. Unfortunately, even an IBC can't go over three lights per hour, and I'm over five hundred hours away."

Roughly three weeks, Cortin calculated. "I should be able to manage for that time; if not, I am the wrong person for this job. Until your arrival, then."

"Agreed. Medart out."

Cortin looked around, spotted one of her team and a couple of the Imperials watching TV, what looked like a news special. "Chuck!" she called. "What's up?"

"Aaron Spence's a.n.a.lysis of the Imperials' arrival and His Majesty's designation of you as the sole authority regarding them," the young man called back. "He doesn't like the first, but he's in favor of the latter, of course."

"Of course." Cortin chuckled. Spence was the only commentator who supported her completely, so he was naturally Family Cortin's favorite.

But the fact that he'd gotten past the news to the a.n.a.lysis told her what she needed to know: her authority in regard to the Imperials was public knowledge. Odeon was done with the phone; she dialed the main s.p.a.ceport, told its commander the Imperial scoutship was being transferred to Harmony Lodge, and asked him to connect her to its Bridge.

When that was done, she turned the phone over to DeLayne and listened as he gave the necessary orders for its move to her estate. She wasn't sure that was the right move, but with the Brotherhood becoming increasingly active, it seemed the safest one. Her team, the Imperial Marines she knew better than to underestimate, and possibly-- "Mike, did you get through to Brad?"

"Uh-huh. He'll be glad to lend us any local Strike Force troops not otherwise occupied--though he warns you he may need to take 'em back if the Brothers stage any more terror raids--and says to tell you he's asking all the Strike Force priests to include you in their Ma.s.s intentions until further notice. Which Dave and I, at least, will do gladly."

Cortin grinned at him. "All of which I'm grateful for. I'll have to thank him personally next time he comes over--did he give you any idea how soon they'll start arriving?"

"About an hour," Odeon replied. "Shelters will be here about an hour after that. I told Matthew to have the groundskeepers get things ready."