Power Play - Anne McCaffrey [13]
“Either,” Millard replied imperturbably, idly glancing at those passing them in the corridor. Taking a long step, he followed the four young people onto the walkway and turned to hold out a hand for Yana.
She had a half-formed notion to remind him that she was scarcely infirm when a nudge from Sally behind her made her accept the offer of courteous assistance. Feeling slightly regal, Yana accepted with a smile and a nod to Millard.
“You’re doing just great, Yana,” Sally murmured in her ear.
“Will you be coloneling me, too?” Yana whispered back.
“No, but I’m another woman and patently your companion, while Millard has just been booted into the role of escort.”
“Oh!”
When they reached the main concourse, Yana was sorry that Bunny was in front of her. She would have liked to see the girl’s expression when she beheld the mechanical and commercial splendors of the Second Level. Not only was there a ceiling monorail in operation, but there were four levels of shops on this part of the concourse, and belt steps at regular intervals to get people easily from one level to another. Some of the shops were blasting passersby with their sounds, smells, and sensual outputs, assaults to which the residents were no doubt immune but which would stun Bunny as they did Yana, who had only heard about such concourses. The lower-level facilities she had patronized infrequently as an officer had been considerably more primitive than these.
“You will notice, Colonel,” Millard was saying, “that there are location diagrams at convenient intervals by the belt-lifts.” He indicated the one they were passing. “Your quarters are located at Interface Three, that’s two circles right of our present position, Three El one-ten. Please memorize that and record.”
Yana’s hand was halfway to her belt for the recording device that had so often been part of her basic equipment when she remembered Marmion’s gift. She had drilled herself on the position of the keys and now, with a brush of her hand, activated the recorder and spoke: “3-L-110, Interface Three.”
“Handy gadget,” she murmured over her shoulder to Sally.
“They are.”
They continued to the turn, the panels sliding open to admit them at the wave of a wrist and closing behind them, shutting out the frenetic noise of the concourse.
“The walkway is on the port side,” Millard said. “Or you can walk for the exercise.”
“I need the walk,” Yana replied. “Oh, is it safe?”
“Safe enough, Colonel.”
“That’s going to unnerve me,” Yana said between her teeth.
“It’s supposed to have the opposite effect,” Millard murmured back, and she saw the glint of mischief in his eyes.
The living accommodations were on two levels, with belt-lifts to take the upper-level residents to their doors. Obviously the second level was more secure. There was also an air of refined elegance in the floor covering, the discreet, nonstimulating murals and decor. Brass territory, Yana thought to herself, and also thought she could stand a bit of this right now, especially with Petaybee’s winter on its way when she returned to the planet.
Marmion’s quarters were on the upper level and seemed to take over one whole quadrant of the circle. Each wristband had to be presented before the panel would admit another body. Yana had lost track of the luggage ‘bots, but when she arrived in her room, everything was there, so she suspected a service access and wondered if the ‘bots got their IDs checked, too.
In a state of shocked bemusement, Bunny was peering around the sumptuous main lounge of Marmion’s quadrant. And it was a quadrant, Sally told her with a grin.
“Marmion rents four of the five levels to Gal Three,” she added.
“And the fifth?”
“That’s environment, and another company owns it and the equipment. Marmion does have a share in the company, but only a small one.”
“Oh!”
“We’re all on the guest side,” Sally explained. “Marmion’s got a complete office here so she can keep up with her investments.
“This way, Bunny, Diego,” she added, and set off to take the newcomers