The Elysium Commission (18 page)

“That sounds more like a reason to work together rather than separately.” She gave the slightest headshake. “Krij just flashed me. Our client is arriving.”

“You'd better go. Thank you.”

Her image vanished.

Two tours in the Assembly IS? She'd said she'd liked the piloting best. That meant she was deep-space qualified. I'd never gotten to that, just in-system small craft.

I still didn't have much more to go on for any of my commissions.

Then…something Siendra had said struck me. If word usage were a signature, couldn't I use that to search? It took me almost a stan to set up a search routine that compared elements of style, subject, and presentation. I turned it loose on all literature and vid-dramas created in the past year on Devanta. The systems promptly informed me that the expected time of completion would be some thirteen standard hours. I'd suspected it would take a while, but that long?

There was no help for it. So I tapped into the current news, then had it play out with holo and audio. The image appeared in the space before my desk.

How could it deepen? It was alien and billions of years old, as I recalled.

I laughed out loud. It had to be a fraud of some sort. Humans hadn't been around millions of years, let alone a billion, and the odds of another race producing a similar craft were statistically improbable. It was more than a little unlikely that humans had copied the alien craft, either, since spacecraft development had been progressing for thousands of years. Progressing far too slowly to have gotten an infusion of alien technology. As for a burial monument in deep space…I snorted.

I thought about blanking the audio as another image flicked up into a holo projection. I didn't look, but half listened.

The dear sisters? I couldn't say that I was that fond of the Civitas Sorores. They were anything but representative, despite the facades erected around them and the illusions of representation fostered by the elected advisory representatives. But I'd never been that fond of popular democracy either, and I certainly didn't want the MGA policy revisions to be used as a tool to demand reformulation of Devantan planetary government structures—or the lack thereof. Why were people always meddling with what worked?

I winced at that. The law already prohibited prebirth sexual manipulation, except in cases determined medically necessary. Why were the Masculists digging up that legal corpse? No judiciary would change the law, and the sisters certainly wouldn't.

Something about that nagged at me. I couldn't have said why.

Max…quick background on EsClox.

Within minutes, Max had something. I blanked the news and read the short paragraph off the holo projection.

That brought me up short.
Max…search high-tech Gallian sector corpentities with technology-sharing agreements with either Classic or Eloi enterprises.

There were thirty-seven—all on Devanta. None had any name remotely similar to Elysium. I had to hand it to the Eloi boys. They had access to a lot of new technology. Why Legaar and Simeon would need it in their businesses I couldn't understand. What I could understand was that EsClox was pursuing a legal challenge to buy time. That suggested Legaar clearly had something going on with Classic Research that he didn't want to license to the Sorores. Or not until he cleaned up matters, such as his use of Lemmy's technology. Yet…with all the tech-sharing, Eloi was expanding elsewhere?

I was learning more than I'd ever wanted about Eloi Enterprises, but not much of it pointed to Maraniss or to whatever Elysium might be. Not that I could see. Not yet, anyway.

From as soon as I'd stepped into my study on Miercen morning, I'd gotten to work on setting up more indirect searches for my pending commissions, based on variations of what I'd set up for Terrie McGerrie the day before.

The style comparator routine had come up with another possible pseudonym for Terrie McGerrie. The probability was over seventy-seven percent that a newer dramaturge with the pen name of Marley Louis was also Carey Douglass/Terrie McGerrie. Louis's latest work was entitled
The Endeavor Affair.
Except for the name, the bio was close to identical to those for Douglass and McGerrie. I sent a mental and silent thank-you to Siendra. I was beginning to see why Krij was more successful with Siendra as a partner.

With a smile, I went back to work, this time setting up a modified routine to compare biographies among those registered in the Artists' Centrality, plus those listed in the various works. Then I set it running while I studied the results from my earlier work that morning.

Unlike the dramaturge search, those for the Elois and Stella Strong were less successful. The results told me nothing I hadn't already known. There was absolutely nothing else on Astrid Forte, either. Obviously, Siendra and Krij had access to sources I didn't.

Over the past weeks, I'd learned a great deal about Eloi Enterprises and its Classic subsidiaries. The problem was that I had no idea what was relevant. I'd learned some about Terrie McGerrie/Carey Douglass/Marley Louis, mainly that she was clearly a most talented—and reclusive—writer and that she lived somewhere in Thurene. And, on the other hand, I'd learned virtually nothing about either Stella Strong/Maureen Gonne/Astrid Forte. Nor had I discovered anything close to what Seldara Tozzi was seeking.

Incoming from Odilia Ottewyn.

Accept
. Why was she vidlinking? She said she detested virtie-comm.

Odilia remained slim, dark-haired, and seemingly virginal. She wore a velvet jacket shaded to the cranberry with a cream blouse. “Blaine, I just read your charming note. You were so sweet to handwrite it.”

She'd never mentioned that the day before. I didn't push. “I could do no less after such a warm and wonderful evening at the opera, Princesse.”

“I would have responded in kind, dear man, but I'm rather pressed for time. We're leaving on
L'Etoile
in the morning.”

“You mean I won't have another chance to accompany you to the opera this season?” That would have been unlikely, but I had to say something.

“I fear not, Blaine. Amelia insists she must go to the ball—the midwinter ball on Firenza. When one's daughter's future might be determined by her presence at such festivities, what can a mother do?”

I'd never heard Odilia mention her daughter, or any child. “That sounds like a long visit to Firenza. I hope that you enjoy every moment of it.” I smiled. “Or that Amelia does.”

“I'm most certain that she will, dear Blaine. I do wish that you could be there on Firenza when all the fireworks go off. The midwinter festivals there do so much to lift one's spirits. At times, even the most shadowy of individuals needs to get away and bask in the light.”

Fireworks? I set the system to do a quick search of Firenza and its winter holidays, with a query on fireworks. “I fear you have me, Princesse. I bow to your kindness, and to your warmth.” I did bow and smile.

“We'll be in the Palacio di Soleil, should you choose to grace us with your presence.”

“Thank you.”

With a smile, her image vanished.

I swallowed and read over the console display set into the desk surface.

Firenza did have midwinter holidays. There were three of them, each a week apart. They were lavish, social, and extravagant, especially for those with wealth, who took turns as acting as the duke—or duchess—of merriment. There were incredible light shows. Fireworks were banned.

Odilia had to have known that. She was warning me that fireworks were about to go off around me. And that she wasn't about to remain on Devanta. She'd linked one day after I'd told her that the Sephaniah at the opera was a fraud. Was that also a factor?

Incoming from Siendra Albryt.

For a moment I hesitated before recognizing her surname. Krij had introduced her once, and from then on, she'd just been Siendra.
Accept.

As usual, she wore an earth-toned jacket. This one was somewhere between tan and khaki, but with its collar and lapels trimmed in a thin green piping. That touch of green combined with the soft shimmering cream blouse somehow made the hazel of her eyes more vivid.

“Blaine, Krij and I undertook some information surveillance. You may be onto something. Eloi Enterprises has been transferring credits off Devanta for almost a year. They've also sold most of their real estate and are leasing it back from the new owners. It's been very gradual.”

“Are they in financial trouble?” That didn't seem likely, but I'd learned a long time back that corpentities could be more than slightly deceptive as they approached financial collapse.

“We don't think so. It looks more like they're tired of dealing with the sisters and are trying to ease out. If anyone knew they wanted to relocate most of their operations, people would bargain for better deals. They've also set up full-scale escort and entertainment services in Abssennya, Frydrich, and Neuiravia.”

“That's not a sign of financial weakness.”

“Neither of weakness nor of indecision.”

“Why now?” I couldn't help musing.

“Their relations with the Civitas Sorores have been getting worse. The sisters have brought four civil complaints and motions against Eloi Enterprises in the last year. In three cases, the Sector Judiciary upheld the System Judiciary against the Elois. The fourth is pending.”

“What about the Assembly revisions in the definitions of repressive governments? Would that be a factor?”

Siendra paused, tilting her head slightly. “Generally, repressive governments are harder on operations such as the Elois'. A less repressive government would benefit them.”

“Only after the reformulation,” I pointed out. “Values of real estate could decline in the interim as well.”

“The sisters aren't anywhere as repressive as most governments the Assembly has determined worthy of reformulation.”

I shrugged. “It was just a thought.”

“I'll ask Krij. She may know something.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh…on those non-Eloi names. The banker secured subsidiary financing for his employer from Classic Finance. It likely saved Banque de L'Ouest from an unfriendly takeover. That confirms your belief in his position. We've filed a denial of his credit notice against you, and demanded documentation, but there's been no response yet. The other is just what she seems, but she's been doing research on Old Earth for at least the past four months. Very noted scholar. One of her daughters is employed by Classic Media. That's all we could find out that we didn't discuss earlier.

“Now…about the Tozzis and Dr. Dyorr. There's a lot there, but nothing in the slightest out of the ordinary, except for one thing.”

“What's that?”

“There's absolutely no information on any romantic or other personal attachments for either Dr. Tozzi or Dr. Dyorr. Krij had mentioned you were interested in that aspect for him, but I thought it might be worth checking on her as well.”

I nodded. “I appreciate that.”

“Cecilia vonKuhrs comes from an old, old, Old Earth family, but she's a most effective foundation administrator.” Siendra smiled. “She has what one might call a catholic taste in men, but she's always used it to her advantage.”

“With women, too?”

“I couldn't say from the record, but given some of her known liaisons, I'd doubt it. There's nothing at all except the bare basics on Darlya Rettek.”

“Thank you. Is there anything else I should know?”

“At the moment, I can't think of anything.”

“Send an invoice for whatever I owe you.”

“Krij said to tell you that the information value is more than worth our time.”

It must have been. Krij had never hesitated to invoice me, if at discounted rates. “Thank you…and her.”

Once Siendra broke the link, I sat back behind the table desk, thinking. I didn't get far.

Incoming from Myndanori.

Accept.

“Blaine, dear man. To what did I owe your link?” She was wearing a soft purple blouse and an off-black vest. The combination of that sort should have clashed with her hair and complexion. It didn't.

“I'm still working on various commissions. You remember Dr. Dyorr?”

“My mind isn't that scattered. Your client has this impression that Dyorr's some sort of hidden samer. If he is, he's so hidden that he'll never find himself, let alone another samer.” Her laugh was light and cruel.

“That's probably true, but it raises another question. Could you ask around about a semihidden samer named Marie Annette…”

“Last name? Or is this Dr. Tozzi? Blaine, you have a devious mind.”

“I'd appreciate it if you ask around only using the first names. If I'm wrong, I get some protection. So does she. Besides, I'm not sure what name she might be using, if she is. Fairly tall woman—”

“Black-haired with gray eyes, severely beautiful, if a touch muscular,” Myndanori finished. “If she's been around, someone will know.”

“Also…I'm interested in what you might know about a Daryla Rettek. She's the science media linkster at the Institute.”

“I should know her…”

“Petite blonde…pretty, not beautiful, but still good-looking.”

“I'll have to think about that. You'll owe me for these.”

“I always do.”

She laughed—and broke the vidlink.

I hoped Myndanori could come up with something. If she couldn't, then I'd have to consider other alternatives. What those might be, I had no idea.

For the moment, I was far more worried about what was happening with Maraniss and the Elois. Odilia had almost never vidlinked with me, but she'd gone out of her way to let me know she was leaving Devanta for at least half a year for a system scarcely that close to Devanta, and that her departure hadn't been planned for that long. It might not even have been planned the day before. She as much as told me that fireworks, or something was going to happen on Devanta. Her indirection suggested that she was also certain that either my system or hers had been compromised. She was leaving Devanta as quickly as possible. She was worried, if not frightened, and that was a side of Odilia I'd never seen.

On top of that, the Elois were liquidating assets and transferring funds out-system and had been for at least a year. Legaar had the equivalent of a jumpship generator at Time's End, and Lemmy had been killed when someone had discovered he had traced the use of that set of patents to Time's End. Legaar also had the equivalent of military-level RPFs guarding his estate.

More than one thing still didn't make sense. Why had Sephaniah snooped me in a way that was bound to be discovered? So that I would tell Odilia? So that Odilia got a message indirectly? But Odilia claimed she scarcely knew Sephaniah.

Either way, that suggested someone besides Legaar.

The other thing was my near-instant transport from the limo. That suggested a tool with incredible possibilities…yet all that I'd seen was a section of a wall dropped and…

Of course! Whatever the device or technology was, it was complex and had limits. The wall had been dropped to stop the limo. That suggested the device wasn't that good at handling moving targets. The fact that I hadn't been moved or killed while sleeping suggested that it was limited by defense screens as well. For now, at least. Technology always got better.

The week before I'd been intrigued and mildly concerned. I was more than that now. Much more.