Articles of the Federation - Keith R. A. DeCandido [75]
“Esperanza, it’s Colton.”
At the sound of Ambassador Morrow’s voice, Esperanza smiled. He’s gonna love how I look in this outfit.
That brought her up short. Where the hell did that come from? I mean, he’s nice and all, and we’ve certainly been talking a lot the last month, but—
She shoved the thought to the back of her head. “What is it, Colton?”
“I’m not sure-I’m with Speaker Ytri/ol and his party. We’re approaching the Palais now, and…”
When Colton refused to finish his sentence, Esperanza, who was now about to enter the turbolift, said, “What is it?”
“They’ve been acting-weird.”
“Define ‘weird.’ “
“Cranky, irritable-not at all themselves. They didn’t come over to the Venture the entire time we escorted them here, except when we first made orbit and Captain Henderson had that small reception. But after we left their star system, they not only didn’t come over, they barely ever returned messages. It may be nothing, but I’m concerned now that I’m with them.”
“Let’s hope it’s just jitters,” she said as she entered the lift, crowding into it with the president and her entire detail. “See you there.”
The president looked at her. “Problem?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” I hope.
“Why is it that whenever you say that, I get nervous?”
Esperanza smiled. “You’re a crazed, paranoid old woman?”
“Yeah, that’s probably it. Hey, did you hear about the game yesterday? Yates won it in the bottom of the ninth.”
“I thought Yates was an infielder.”
“He is.”
“Okay, then how could he win it? I thought the pitchers got wins and losses.”
“I swear, Esperanza, one of these days, I will have you shot, don’t think I won’t. Yates hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth with two on to win the game three to two. Sookdeo got the win, but Yates was the one who really won it. By the way, he hit it off Martinez.”
“I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Martinez isn’t given to this sort of loss?”
The president glared at her. “Don’t you ever pay attention when we watch games together?”
“Not if I can help it, ma’am.”
“Hmp.” The president looked ahead. “Shoulda worn the damn heels.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The turbolift doors opened to the twelfth floor. A redcarpeted hallway greeted them. Two more guards-who were, like the president’s detail, in formal wear appropriate to their species-stood at either side of the large wooden doors, which parted with a hiss at her approach.
On the other side of the door, another guard, a Tessenite male named Sxottlan-who’d gotten this duty because of his ability to project his voice-bellowed, “The president of the United Federation of Planets!”
Esperanza looked out over the room. Taking up all of the twelfth floor, the Roth Dining Room had hundreds of tables, all made of actual wood recycled from old sailing ships wrecked at sea on Earth, a project undertaken by the president for whom the room was named. A portrait of the man-a bald, smiling human-hung from the east wall. Throughout the room, people of hundreds of species inter-mingled, including most of the council, some of their staff, and a good portion of the presidential staff, as well as selected members of the press. Esperanza saw Regia Maldonado of FNS wearing a very nice, very practical outfit that actually conformed to modern trends. Some people have all the luck.
On the west wall was a raised platform with a fourteen-seat round table, at which the president traditionally sat during state dinners. The table would be half Trinni/ek and half Federation, comprising Esperanza, Colton, Xeldara, Xeldara’s husband, Ashante, Fred, and the president. Aside from Esparanza, the president, and Colton, they were all present at the table; Colton would, of course, be arriving with the Trinni/ek.
Everyone in the room who wasn’t already standing rose from their seats. The Federation anthem-a tune that Esperanza had to admit to never liking, possibly because she was subjected to it at the beginning of every baseball game the president made her sit through-played over speakers.
The president proceeded to the table, where Ashante, Fred,