A Forest of Stars - Kevin J. Anderson [50]
25
RLINDA KETT
The direct summons from the Hansa Chairman came as a complete surprise. With her ship still languishing in a public dock on the Moon, Rlinda Kett had maintained a low profile, hoping no one would notice her unpaid bill. She had no idea why Basil Wenceslas would want to speak with her.
Either she’d done something grievously wrong, or the Chairman wanted something. Did he know about BeBob’s desertion from the EDF? Even if he did, why would such an important man care about one missing pilot? And why would he go through so much trouble to find her?
When the Voracious Curiosity vectored toward the VIP zone in the Palace District, Rlinda received immediate landing clearance. Her ship looked out of place among the government craft and royal escort ships.
When she emerged from the Curiosity, two people greeted her. She didn’t recognize the clean-cut blond man with Germanic features, but the slender woman beside him was a surprising and welcome sight. “Sarein! I forgot you’d been assigned as Theron’s ambassador to Earth.”
The woman was dressed in immaculate Earth clothes adorned with traditional Theron scarves. Her eyes were hard, but Sarein’s smile seemed genuine as she said, “We’ve helped each other resolve some trade difficulties, Rlinda. We’re both creative and determined businesswomen. How could I forget you?”
Though the younger woman remained formal, Rlinda gave her a quick, motherly hug. “Now is definitely the right time for some creativity. This damned war has sure put a crimp in everybody’s commercial prospects. I’ve got a cargo hold of luxury items that nobody wants to pay for, and I can’t even fly around the Spiral Arm in search of new customers.” She snorted. “If I see one of those drogue warglobes, I’ll moon it out the porthole—I swear I will.”
The blond man led them to a private transport craft. In a wistful voice, Sarein said, “Maybe we can talk Basil into acquiring some of your shipment. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a decent Theron meal. I never thought I’d miss the things I ate every day, but I do.”
Once they were aboard the transport, Rlinda could not contain her curiosity. “So, I’m ready for answers anytime, Sarein. Why exactly am I here?”
Sarein smiled secretively. “I overheard Chairman Wenceslas mention that he needed someone to fly a small ship on a fast but discreet mission. Naturally, I offered to contact you.”
Rlinda looked at her, unable to hide her obvious skepticism. “You mean the Hansa Chairman couldn’t find somebody on his own?”
“Oh, he could have. But I saved him the trouble and scored a few small points in the process. Are you happy for the chance to earn a valid commission, or would you rather keep running up your tab at the lunar docks?”
Rlinda smiled warmly, but her heart was pounding. Finally, some legitimate work! “As long as the man supplies me with ekti and doesn’t expect some sort of government discount, I’m sure we can work out equitable terms.”
Inside the HQ pyramid, Sarein introduced Rlinda to Basil Wenceslas. The young woman hovered by the doorway as if hoping the Chairman would invite her to stay, but the dapper man made it clear. “Ms. Kett and I need to chat face-to-face without anyone looking over our shoulders.”
When they were alone in his luxurious office, Rlinda settled herself onto a wide sofa. Basil did not offer her refreshments; in fact, the Chairman observed none of the usual niceties that generated rapport between two parties. Instead, he sat down at the clean, organized desk, folded his hands in front of him, and got right down to business.
“One of our new colony worlds, Crenna, is in desperate need of supplies. The Ildirans abandoned the world in the first place because a plague wiped out their population, and now a completely different fever is affecting our human settlers. Only one case has proven fatal, but a full thirty percent of the population is either bedridden or still recovering and not well enough to work.”
Rlinda tried to remain impassive, but she drew a quick breath when he named the planet. Leave