Envoy to Earth (28 page)

She smiled and packed the tray
up, which he took after he stood.

Her voice was still shy sounding
to his ear.

"I don't know if that's
exactly correct, but I can see how it might feel like that. Thank you for
seeing to my needs, Gerent. I haven't had anyone except my sister for a while
now...
Oh
!" She looked panicked for a moment, then shy as she looked
at the floor of the room. There was a large throw rug under her feet, made to
look all orange and yellow. Happy colors, he realized, meant to improve her
mood.

Swallowing she put a hand out,
and then bowed low.

"I... My sister, Misha...
I"

Gerent smiled then, working out
what the problem was.

"
Crewman
Misha
Coltress? She's going to be our aid Ambassador to Austra. Or she might be.
I
think it's a good plan, but Tiera might have something else in mind when we get
there. She, your sister, has a good look for that land however. Did you know
that she feels that she's really meant to be a man?
That's
different,
isn't it?" It wasn't as if the woman had hidden that fact from him, so he
was willing to bet that her own sister knew.

Bonita smiled, and then spread
her hands a little.

"A fact that disturbs both
of our parents to no end. Most people, to be honest. It seems unnatural to
them. I never minded though. Michelle always went out of her way to be kind and
gentle with me, even when others were cruel. I won't abandon her now."

"Misha. She wants to be
called that, not Michelle. Anyway, that part's already set up, or well enough
along that you won't need to worry about it, unless we need you to go and see
to another land as well. I'm really worried about Tellerand. Everyone else took
the aid we provided, but they... Well, it isn't your problem. Right now... If
you could be ready a bit early and then make sure that everyone going is packed
and set up in time? I should be off and making the rest of the arrangements
now."

He felt tired, but collected
another hug from Bonita, and then managed to escape the nice room easily
enough. She even smiled at him on the way out. It wasn't some brilliant and
happy thing, but it spoke of a person not truly ready to take a cutter to their
neck at that very moment. Balancing the tray carefully in both hands he
returned the empty thing to the kitchen, where it was whisked out of his grasp
by a short young woman that looked to be about sixteen or so. She was thin, but
well dressed and her skin was smooth and tan. A commoner, but one that had used
a healing amulet in the last months. It wouldn't take away wrinkles, if you
were old enough to have them, but it did remove pock marks and scars. He
certainly didn't have any left now.

"Thank you! I... Would it be
possible to have a light meal ready for everyone at about eight-thirty in the
morning? We need to leave at nine or so. Perhaps something set up for people to
get a bite even earlier than that?" He tried to make himself sound very
noble, but the phrasing was wrong, if not the accent. That wasn't perfect either,
but the girl just curtsied a bit, her hands being full.

"Y'onit, M'laird. An you'll
be'cert to gone on der'mon?"

He nodded. "Right, we'll be
on to the Moon after that. I should be back in the evening, myself. I don't
know about anyone else."

There was another curtsey, and
then the girl scurried away, with the tray and dishware, to do whatever it was
they did with things like that now. He had a strange feeling that it might
involve a trip into the hopper on the food unit. That would certainly be faster
than washing.

It took a lot more work on the
communications device to get with everyone he needed than he'd thought it
would. First he had to find a way to connect with Princess Veronica, which
meant using the old, first generation, communications device that the house
had, and talking to her husband, Count Peterson. He of course was mainly
concerned with their
other
activity.

"When do we move on those
guardsmen?"

Gerent blinked, but tried to put
everything he needed together mentally before speaking.

"We need to speak in person
first. All of us. I'll try to set something up with the King for tomorrow, or
the next day, depending on his schedule and everyone else's. Can you manage to
be free then? I think we need to see about the old Count first." He didn't
mention which one, but then, doubted he needed to. "That situation has
changed. The leaders of the rebellion seem to be more or less with us in that
action, against him. So we need to make certain that the King is with us as
well, but..."

There was a laugh, and that man
didn't speak for a long time.

"You got them to give over
the life of one of their own? That must have taken a pretty load of gold to
pull off."

"Surprisingly little.
None
,
in fact. I think most of them simply view this in the same way the rest of us
do. There are things you don't allow to happen, because you don't want them to
happen to you and yours at some other time. I don't know what the politics of
the situation will end up requiring us to do, but it seems that everyone is
more or less with us in this case. Except William Rodriguez. Or... Well, I
haven't asked
him
yet. Perhaps the day after tomorrow?" He sounded
flat and angry, as if he were going to torture and kill the man himself.

It was, he realized, his plan,
but the real situation might not turn out that way.

Shaking himself a bit, he managed
to make a pleasant sound and then sigh.

"At the moment however I
called to see if your wife would like to come on a little trip with me in the
morning? I just don't know where she is or how to get in touch with her. You're
welcome to come along too, naturally, if you aren't busy?" Because, why
not? The man was always nice enough to have around and less intimidating now
that he only loomed over Gerent by a foot and a half, not nearly five.

"That sounds wonderful!
Unfortunately I can't attend tomorrow. Not if I plan to take time the day after
for other work. I can certainly ask Varley for you. One moment, I can cross
connect with her, if she's still awake. It should be after meal time at the King's
Palace."

It took about ten minutes, but
the young woman seemed to instantly understand what he meant. That, or she
thought he was inviting her on a picnic for other reasons, and was fine with
that.

"Am I spending the night
with you?" She wasn't coy about it, but her husband was listening in, so
it would be indiscreet to say yes, even if she
was
supposed to stay the
night on the Moon. Really though, he doubted that was needed.

Alison would need to sleep after
all, and they would be getting in late in the day. Watching a sleeping child
might just be a bit of a waste of time. He could get her back there when she
needed to go after all. Even if it was the next day.

"If you want to, of course,
but I think we can have you back in time for luncheon. I just want to impress
you by taking you into orbit for a while."

Not that anyone in the world
would be fooled by what he was saying. All the spies had to know that her
daughter was with her brother and other sister in Harmony. Still, it was the
noble way, making pretense like that, wasn't it? She seemed to be playing along
and hinting that they were sneaking away for a romantic meal, rather than to
see her little girl.

It was more interesting for him
that way, but he wouldn't push his luck there. Having her in his debt as a
friend, and
not
enraging her husband, was worth too much to him. He could
pay for sex if he needed it that badly, but you didn't just
buy
having
Princess Veronica owe you. Not that he needed anything, but that might change,
later. If nothing else, she seemed like a nice girl. Someone to be protected
and not taken advantage of.

He managed to get her to agree to
meet him in the morning, at Tor's place, for an early meal and a trip into
space for a few hours. Then he had to wake up Prince Alphonse or Princess
Karina and try to make certain that the baby would be available, and not off at
school or running the wine shop the Prince owned. Gerent smiled, not being so
clueless that he really thought that a two year old would be operating a store
on her own yet. So, school then.

It turned out that no one on
Harmony was going to wake up before six in the morning, and that the work day
didn't start until nine, which seemed a bit late to him. Neither of the Noram
nobles answered his attempt to find them at all, so he had to go down the list
to find someone that was actually awake. It seemed strange, but he finally gave
in and tried Tiera, figuring that she was going to have her devices with her,
if only for emergencies. That turned out to be correct, except that he wasn't
waking her like he feared. She was already up for the day, and panting hard.

For a moment he wondered if she
were having sex with someone, which would be embarrassing, but the image over
her shoulder proved to be some kind of weapons practice area.

"Gerent! Is everything all
right?" She sounded concerned, which probably meant he needed to be in
touch more often so that she wouldn't get scared every single time he wanted to
chat with her.

"Not at all..." Then
disarmingly, he grinned at her. "I really just need to leave messages for
people, and no one else is awake yet. I wouldn't bother normally, but Princess
Veronica is coming, at about four-thirty your time? In the evening. Along with
everyone else. Um, we have some dignitaries with us. The new Ambassador from
Vagus, Princess Veronica and all those volunteers you sent along with us. They
did wonderfully, by the way. There are a few wrinkles to work out, but most
people at least have a chance at getting food now, which is better than things
were. I still need to set up the weather thing for Austra... That will be a few
days however. Some of the devices are already being deployed, but there are a
few left, I think. I sent those off to Two Bends..." It was too much
information all at once, but the girl just nodded, "I can set things up
here for the visit later. I should get back to my work however. It's going to
be a full day, it sounds like. Thanks for the call, Gerent. I'll talk to you
before you land?" There was a bit of demand to the tone, as if he'd better
make that happen.

 "I'll get in touch before
we leave even. That will give you about twenty minutes. Maybe... I don't know,
but something smaller than what you all did the other day? That was
intimidating, and Mage Eto doesn't seem the type to be hung up on trappings
like that. Princess Veronica... Well, she's coming to visit her family."
He whispered that part, then grinned so she could see his face. "Though if
anyone asks we're having a tryst, her and I."

It felt naughty, saying that, but
the lovely girl on the other end of the device nodded simply enough.

"That makes sense. If the
Queen isn't going to do you herself, she needs to at least throw one of her
daughters your way. Honestly however,
I'd
suggest you see about Karina
for that. She seems lonely lately. Later though." She got off the device,
and it went blank, showing only the smooth pale glass like focus stone at
first, with colorful names coming into place moments later.

Finally he managed to get to bed,
and didn't wake up until morning, when someone poked him on the shoulder
tentatively. He managed not to swing on the girl that was doing it. The same
one from the kitchen the night before.

"M'laird? Su'mt guest is
at'able. You'd din'afor ya'lev?"

Gerent had to translate the words,
but he'd been in enough back villages to get the idea. Some of the guests were
already eating and he should eat before he left, if he was going to.

He nodded at the girl, who was
both small and scared looking, but who had, it seemed, managed to get the right
idea and wake him for the day in time.

"Thank you! I almost overslept.
Say, what's your name? I'm Gerent. Call me Ger, if it's easier."

The girl blushed and looked down,
but answered anyway.

"I's be an Laney Samson,
M'laird."

Gerent winked at her and got up,
dressed in decent night clothes. It wasn't until he stood that he noticed that
certain parts of him were already awake, it seemed. He glanced down and that
got the girl to as well. She looked panicked by the whole thing, but he just
made a loopy face.

"I need to shower. I'll be
down in a bit? If you could tell everyone?" He wasn't certain that Laney could
manage that, but she bobbed her head and left anyway, going faster than was
strictly polite. Horribly embarrassed, most likely. If she was from the kind of
situation he suspected, then seeing him in that state was probably about the
same as if he'd been naked and... In that basic state. It was embarrassing, but
there was nothing to do about it then, except pretend that it hadn't happened.

Hopefully she wouldn't be scared
of him after that.

Cleaning up didn't take long and
he dressed in bright red and green velvet for the day. It was festive and
everyone that saw him smiled. Probably at his horrible taste, but no one
commented on it. He grabbed a ripe peach before he went, and two slices of
toasted bread. It was good, and he could have eaten a lot more, but he didn't
really have time for it at the moment. Everyone else was eating already, and
starting to finish, when Princess Veronica and four Royal Guards walked into
the room. They all looked very deadly and proficient. Three of the guards had
bags with them. Large ones that made their muscles ripple as they carried them.

They were all the same, but made
of sturdy canvas, un-dyed and undecorated. This wasn't the luggage of the
Princess then. Gerent stood up and walked over to them, the girl in the middle,
dressed in an almost see through gown of pale blue. She stepped forward without
pause and kissed him on the cheek, taking both of his hands in hers. Selling
the role she was playing pretty well.