Spirit Walk_ Enemy of My Enemy (Book 2) - Christie Golden [50]
“Indeed we do, Captain, and mine is calling right now. Let me know if you make any progress in your investigation. Janeway out.”
The Starfleet insignia appeared on the blue screen and the Changeling flopped back in his chair, breathing a gusty sigh. That was close. Too close. He couldn’t risk it happening again.
When he returned to the bridge, he said quietly to Campbell, “Lyssa, I’ve got an important job for you.”
She straightened. “Of course, sir. How can I help you?”
“For reasons I can’t go into right now, I need you to make sure that no one other than myself has any communication with anyone outside this vessel. And I want every single incoming message, no matter how trivial, brought to my attention. Is that clear, Lieutenant?”
“Perfectly, sir. I’ll take care of it.”
He smiled easily. “I knew I could count on you.”
The Changeling took his seat with the ease of one used to it. Despite the direness of his predicament, he mused that it was good to be the captain.
Janeway stared at the screen, only now aware of how powerfully she had wanted Kaz and Kim to be wrong.
She and Chakotay had never discovered any dead bodies on Amasri. Hell, there was no planet named Amasri. She’d made the whole thing up on the spot, hoping against hope that Chakotay would stare at her and say, “Kathryn, what are you talking about?”
Instead, he…whoever, whatever it was, because she knew for damned sure it wasn’t Chakotay…had looked her full in the eye and lied. Lied, too, about the death of his sister. His sister.
No, whatever that thing was sitting and looking earnestly into her eyes a moment ago, it wasn’t Chakotay. There was no question about that. The questions before her were, what was it, what did it want, and how was she going to stop it?
She was relieved that by the time she returned to the conference, there was a twenty-minute break scheduled. She’d already missed five of those minutes, so she quickly headed for the cluster of people who had come to the conference with her. Just as she was about to reach them, she felt a hand, feather-light and respectful, on her arm. Janeway turned to see the smiling face of Amar Merin Kol.
“I was hoping we might use this break time to talk, just the two of us,” Kol said. “I certainly enjoyed our conversation at the gathering the other night. I was particularly interested in following up on a comment you made.”
Janeway gazed at the other woman, her heart sinking. This was precisely the sort of opportunity she had hoped would crop up at this conference. Until now, it had largely been one group holding forth, and then another, each entrenched in their own opinions and using the time while the other was speaking to prepare fresh arguments instead of really listening to what was being said.
Kol wanted to talk to her about a point she had made. Perhaps it was an indication that she had changed her mind, at least about some things? Under any other circumstances, Janeway would seize this chance, steer Kol away someplace where they wouldn’t be overheard, and listen with all her being to what the Amar of Kerovi had to say.
But there was an impostor sitting in place of her friend, on a ship she still regarded, she had to admit, as hers. Her crew, and people who had entrusted their safety to that crew, were in danger. The need to help them overrode any political coup she might count at this conference.
As sincerely as she could, Janeway looked into Kol’s eyes and said, “Believe me when I say I am deeply sorry that I can’t do that right now. I’ve had a dire situation crop up, and I must attend to it immediately.”
The Amar’s face still held that pleasant expression, but Janeway, who knew how to read people, saw disappointment in her eyes.
“I understand,” she said. “I hope you resolve it successfully.”
“Amar, you know that it would have to be something very important for me to miss a chance to talk one-on-one with you.”
“Of course, of course. I understand that emergencies can arrive at inconvenient times. That’s why they’re called emergencies.