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re-trieve the torp, since it belonged to the foundation, though sent by the
Imperial Service, and find out why Lyr was searching him out.
The captain, a correct lady by the name of Isbel Relyea Herris, shared
the tendency toward formality that the senior tech of the Fleurdilis had
always exhibited, although Isbel insisted she had no relation, to whoever had
served in the Imperial Forces.
"Wouldn't have it! No self-respecting Ydrisian would ever sea c for that
conglomeration of bullies and apologists for the commercial thugs that
comprise the Empire. Yourself excepted, Commander."
"No need to except me, Isbel. That assumes I was one of the bullies in
Imperial Service."
"No assumption. Fact. Your name's no more Shaik Corso than that scout's
the private yacht she's registered, apparently registered, as."
Gerswin had raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.
"Scout's too old and too well rebuilt for the Impies to have done it.
And they wouldn't think of using an old design. New is always better for them.
You're too young to have been senior and retired. That leaves few options.
You're independently wealthy, or you freelance, or both.
"You're successful, and that means experience. Wealth doesn't buy
experience. Leaves age or Impie service.
"Since you're not that old, you have to have Impie service. Besides"ùand
her eyes twinkledù"you wear everything so properly, even shipsuits. Like
uniforms."
Gerswin shrugged. "What can I say? Certainly sounds so much more
impressive than my own poor background, and who am I to instruct the always
correct port captain?"
He inclined his head. "But I do have a few matters. . ."
"I know. Anytime someone sends a private torp, it's urgent or
Hades-fired close. You're excused. Shaik, and cleared into Ydris again. But
I'd feel more comfortable calling you `Commander."'
"You, Isbel, can call me anything you wish, even if it is not totally
accurate."
"Break orbit, Commander." She smiled nonetheless as Gerswin collected
the torp pack and arranged for the torp itself to be carted to the Caroljoy.
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He retreated to the ship as quickly as possible.
Once back inside the scout, he dropped the torp pack into the console.
Lyr's face, straight features, and carefully combed sandy hair filled
the screen.
"I still can't get used to talking to a blank screen, Commander, but I
thought you ought to know what's going on. I hope you have a chance to pick up
one of the torps I've sent before Baron Fugazey surprises you.
She squared her shoulders and brushed back a strand of hair.
Gerswin realized that it was gray, not silver, nor dyed, and shook his
head. He thought of her as always there, and unchanging. While she might be
there for a long time to come, given Imperial medical technology, she was not
unchanging nor immune from the aging process. He wondered if she were the type
whom a complete rejuvenation would benefit as he refocused on what she was
saying .
". . . first sign was a nuisance suit charging that the foundation was
employing its special status to subsidize competition to Fugar House . . .
then a rather sophisticated attempt to penetrate the databanks . . .
continuing shadows on me . . . taken the liberty of hiring Kirnows as
antishadows. . ."
Gerswin continued to listen as Lyr rattled off the lengthy list of
attempts, all of which she seemed to have brushed off with style and without
calling much public attention to the foundation .
". . . That's a brief update on the situation. A more detailed
chronology is speedcoded into the trailer at the end.
"For all the furor about the foundation, Fugazey could care less about
OERF. Prove that I could not. But he could have tied us up in legal battle
after legal battle, which would have been tremendously expensive. He didn't.
Once it was clear he could not get the information he wanted with a given
strategy, he immediately changed tactics. My own sources, and you suggested I
cultivate a few, as I recall, indicate that Fugazey is employing a small
fraction of his not inconsiderable assets to obtain the information from the
only other possible source."
Gerswin knew what was coming, even before she said it.
"The baron has a number of contacts within the I.S.S., and it is a
matter of time before he obtains the information necessary to prove that
Commander MacGregor Corson Gerswin is the same MacGregor Corson Gerswin who is
employed by the OER Foundation. After that, he will use what he can to narrow
your location. Why this is so important to him I do not know, but his interest
may be linked to an attachment his son, Duran, would like to form with a young
lady named Helene Strackna Daeris . . ."
Gerswin shook his head. Of all the damned-fool reasons to have someone
looking for him.
". . . and from what I can determine, her mother was a Major Alhenda
Strackna, who was court-martialed and dismissed in disgrace from her position
as Executive Officer of the cruiser Fleurdilis, then under the command of a
senior commander named Gerswin."
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Gerswin wondered how she had tracked down all the information as he
listened to the remainder of the message.
". . . and that's it. If you wonder how I found this out, it was not
that hard for the standard Kirnow ops to track the rumors from the Fugazey
household. Apparently dear Helene, while attractive in visage, has not
endeared herself to anyone." Lyr frowned and cleared her throat. "Someday,
Commander . . . Commodore, more than one of the loose ends from your past is
going to catch up with you, and since you won't give in, and neither will some
of the people you've doubtlessly offended, the Empire will end up paying for
it.
"Good luck on your latest. By the way, at last there's some Imperial
interest in the growing commercial power represented by biologic technology.
Barons Megalrie, Niniunto, Tvarik, and others are pressing for an Imperial
Commission on the subject, and on firms such as Enver Limited, Corso and
Associates, MCG Biologics. Thought you'd like to know. Needless to say, the
foundation is opposing such a commission unless it includes an investigation
of the activities of traditional firms to block biologic commercialization. I
predict a stalemate, now that the Imperial Trust has endorsed the OERF
position.
"In any case, now you know most of what I do."
Her image remained unspeaking, then she pursed her lips, licked them, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]