singing open the great gates

[middlingalong]

The following day, very little happens, except for Vorreedi mentioning that Yenaro has been arrested (by the civil police, for theft, on charges from a ghem-lord Miles has never heard of, as opposed to by Cetagandan security for treason).

Also, Ivan gets bored - with all the bodyguards Vorreedi now requires for them after the incident at the bioestheties exhibition, the possible spontaneity of going out with his ghem girlfriends is much reduced.

But the next day they get to attend the Singing Open of the Great Gates.

And oh, is there ever singing.

Comments

[exerce_imperia]

"I would do a better job at the impersonation, but I am reluctant to deliver myself to Kety; he would have too many potential uses for me. You lack strategic importance, and your temperament is suitable even if your experience is not. You'll do." She turns to Miles. "I suggest you contact your party and make soothing noises to keep them from coming after you while we arrange this."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Certainly, if someone will lead me to a comconsole."

Someone leads him to a comconsole. He provides Ambassador Vorob'yev with the first plausible lie that pops into his head - oh, Ivan's getting a tour of the Star Creche, he suffered an attack of cousinly competitiveness, they'll be returning to the party as soon as they can get away without insulting their hostess, which shouldn't be all that long but Miles suggests that no one hold their breath. He promises quite sincerely to restrain Ivan from attempting to Ivan any haut-women, and follows his escort back to the freight bay.

[middlingalong]

Ivan, thoroughly unconscious (though breathing evenly) on the floor of the freight bay, is in no condition to Ivan anybody at all.

[isthisart]

Linyabel collects Vio's belongings in case she'll need to account for any of them to Kety or his other helpers.

[thisvorlunatic]

"My people will remain soothed for at least the next hour," Miles reports to Lisbet. "If Ivan wakes up, I'm sure you won't have any trouble keeping him under control. If - something goes wrong - I suggest you go directly to ghem-colonel Benin, to your Emperor, or both. My professional analysis of the situation is that Governor Kety's repeatedly demonstrated ability to diddle what everyone fondly believed were diddle-proof systems says in no uncertain terms that he has highly placed security connections, and allowing that person or people to get within rescuing distance could prove disastrous."

[exerce_imperia]

"Your logic is very convincing and your advice is noted," says Lisbet. "Good luck to you both." She stands back from the reconfigured float-chair.

[isthisart]

Linyabel assumes Vio's place in it, faint apprehension on her face but unhesitating.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles climbs onto the armrest and allows himself a moment of deep regret that he is going into combat in dress blacks and riding boots, without so much as a stunner to his name - they're bound to pass through a security scanner or two that would recognize an energy weapon's power pack even behind a haut-bubble force-screen. Whatever little goodies Linyabel took from Vio will have to suffice.

"How many doses of that drug-mist was she carrying?" he murmurs. "And do you know how to work it? Point and squirt and hope the target breathes...?"

[isthisart]

Linya sloshes the substance around in its bulb and listens. "Two more doses, maybe. I imagine it does need to be inhaled -?" She looks at Pel, who nods. "We should go slip into Kety's delegation right away, unless there are more things I need to know?" She looks at Lisbet.

[exerce_imperia]

"You could wait for us to question haut Vio, but there isn't time. Go."

[isthisart]

Linyabel nods and puts the screen up, and fiddles with the controls to distort her voice as much as possible.

"I can set it to block relatively soft sound," she murmurs to Miles, "but don't assume I have done unless I say so and definitely don't be loud."

And off she goes to sidle up to Kety's delegation.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Understood," he murmurs back.

When they reach haut Kety, Miles stares moodily through the force-screen at the Sigma Cetan governor's artificially grey-touched hair.

[isthisart]

Kety gestures Vio's bubble with its human contraband into his own vehicle. "You're late," he remarks. "Complications?"

"Nothing insoluble," says Linyabel, imitating the accent of Vio's age-cohort as best she can and trusting the bubble to handle the rest.

"I'm sure, my love," says Kety, and Linyabel makes a face. "Keep your force-screen up till we're aboard."

"Yes," agrees Linyabel.

She gets on, she fiddles with the controls. "This will do until he talks to me again - I think it is probably safe to assume that Nadina would rather we prioritize the Key over her personal safety, but obviously plans allowing the safe retrieval of both would be the best."

[thisvorlunatic]

(Miles makes a face, too, at that endearment.)

"The Key will be in a cipher lab, but that's a what, not a where," he murmurs once Linyabel engages the soundproofing. "Nadina might know where Kety set up the lab, if he's tried to get her to give up information about the Key, and brought her to it in the process. Of course, that leaves the question of where he put Nadina... the brig's probably too public. Maybe a cabin? Close to his personal quarters, to keep her under his eye...? I'm just guessing here."

[isthisart]

"Somewhere private, so when he staged whatever scene he has in mind involving her and your cousin it wouldn't leave a motive trail to him."

Kety looks over his shoulder; Linyabel puts one finger over Miles's lips and fiddles with the chair controls. "Is he waking up yet?" Kety asks.

"Not yet," replies Linyabel.

"I want to question him, before. I must know how much they know."

"There is time."

"Barely." That seemed to be that; she adjusts her controls again and takes her hand from his mouth.

[thisvorlunatic]

Her gesture is very successful at getting Miles to sit still and shut up. It takes him a few seconds after she removes her hand to re-engage his brain.

"I can't imagine he's planning to stage the scene with Ivan and Nadina on board his own ship," he murmurs. "Nor the Celestial Garden again. Something planetside, I'd bet, but not there. Let's start with Nadina; you can keep a widget most anywhere, but keeping a person requires facilities. Fewer places to look."

[isthisart]

"And she may know something useful," agrees Linyabel.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Yeah, exactly. Use the one to narrow down the other."

[isthisart]

"Assuming she's all right. If Lord Vorpatril was intended to be usable in the staging while recently drugged she might not be in particularly good condition."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Well... we'll see."

[isthisart]

Linyabel nods.

The vehicle arrives where it's going; the shuttle loads up; the ensuing shuffle of people and things distracts the governor sufficiently that he doesn't try to talk to "Vio" again. Ghem-General Chilian doesn't try to speak to "his wife" either, perhaps not knowing that she's there in Nadina's bubble; Linyabel pilots the chair through the crowd according to Kety's gestures without having to speak again. The shuttle goes up.

When the shuttle is docked at the ship, Kety leads them to a corridor of suites. One cabin door down the hall has a single liveried guard, standing at attention as soon as he sees Kety, standing outside its door. Kety goes into another room, though.

"Possibly Nadina," murmurs Linyabel.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Damn unlikely to be anything else," Miles murmurs back.

[isthisart]

The governor leads Linyabel into an unused cabin. When he opens his mouth to speak, she again touches Miles's lips and dials up the permitted sound permeability of her bubble.

"Can you keep him under control chemically, or must we have some guards?" Kety asks.

"Chemically," replies Linyabel. "I will need," she invents, "synergine and fast-penta. Including a patch to check for induced allergies, as I doubt you want him dead here."

"Clarium?" asks Kety.

...Linyabel doesn't know that one. She glances at Miles.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles nods. It's a standard military interrogation tranquilizer, which of course Linyabel has no reason to know, but Kety seems to think Vio would.

[isthisart]

"That, too," Linyabel agrees.

"No chance of his waking up before I get back, is there?" Kety asks.

"No. I dosed him very thoroughly."

"Hm. Please be more discreet, my love. We don't want excessive chemical residues left on autopsy. Though with lucky, there will not be enough left to autopsy."

"Of course," Linyabel agrees, making the face again when he calls her his love.

"Good."

"I'll await you," she adds coolly.

"Let me help you lay him out. It must be crowded in there."

"I'm using him for a footrest," she says, rolling her eyes but letting none of the exasperation into her voice. "I'm so comfortable - please let me enjoy my chair a little longer," eyeroll, "my love. It has been so long."

Kety is amused. "Soon enough, you shall have more privileges than the Empress ever had. And all the outworlders at your feet you may desire."

He nods at the bubble, and strides off.

Control panel rejigger. Hand down in lap again. "Thank you."