Power Play - Anne McCaffrey [30]
“Now, tell me more about this magical planet you come from, Yana. There was no chance to discuss anything intelligent with you last night. Especially when Ples was acting hostess.” He caught her eyes with another of his ravishing glances—she did wish he wouldn’t—and she felt herself flushing at the ardor he was projecting. Really, it was much too early in the morning—or did she mean too late?—for this sort of . . . foreplay. He was leaning forward toward her now, and she reflected that the scent he was using oughtn’t to be allowed, it was so aphrodisiacal.
She had opened her mouth to answer when the entry chime rang again. And continued to ring with each new arrival: others who had attended the party who now wished to discuss business with Yana. Yana urgently motioned Sally and Millard to join her, and then Sally brought Cynthia, and Cynthia thought that Marmion had better be involved.
“You dear people, Petaybee’s only a small planet,” Marmion said, arriving not a moment too soon and instantly assessing the scene. “With very limited facilities, and it’s certainly marvelous of you to volunteer”—that word stopped any conversation as the various representatives turned blank faces in her direction—“to help the colonel set up a modern depot.” She smiled at the surprised reactions. “How good of you to offer. Mind you, who knows what a planet is willing to pay for such amenities, but it is a planet that is virtually untouched. Nakatira-san, I think you need to send at least five of those marvelous structural cubes to Petaybee, just to cope with the influx. Yana, you don’t think Petaybee would mind an up-to-date self-catering hostel? No, two, I think: north and south.”
By the time the bemused entrepreneurs got a chance to retreat, Marmion had made sure that each had signed a contract to deliver, at a cost to be discussed later with the planet, sufficient of their products to replace what Intergal was taking off-planet. And of a higher quality and more modern design.
“I think that about takes care of that, Yana, don’t you?” Marmion said when the door to her suite finally closed on Macci’s heels. “Macci didn’t get you to sign anything, did he?” she asked.
Dazedly Yana shook her head. “But another two seconds and I’d’ve signed anything he put in front of me. Is he always like that?”
“He makes a habit of it. Dangerous man,” Marmion said, “but you handled him very well, considering none of us expected him to appear quite so soon this morning.” Then she made a full circuit of the room with her eyes. “Where did Bunny and Diego get to?”
Sally and Millard exchanged horrified glances. Marmion, however, was looking straight at Bailey and Charmion.
“Haven’t seen them, Aunt Marmie,” Bailey said. “We only just woke up when the mob arrived.”
“While I don’t blame them for a moment for leaving the babel—” Marmion broke off. “Where are they?”
8
The repair bay light was still on by the time Diego and Bunny reached the corridor. The light meant that the outer hatch was still opened and no unprotected personnel could enter. A skeleton crew, suited up with oxygen and gray boots, would shepherd new arrivals on board and tend to any emergency needs. Diego had observed such procedures on many stations before.
The light would go off when the outer bay door closed and the oxygen levels returned to normal. Then it was usually okay to go in and look around, if you kept out of the way. Right now the light was staying on for what seemed an unusually long time to Diego. He hoped there wasn’t a radiation leak or some other problem that would prevent them from having a look-see. He also didn’t want Charmion and Bailey appearing, bored as usual with what was commonplace to them, and