“Not much privacy in this place, is there?” Nigel inquired lightly of his son.
She ignored this, adding, “Including fatigue factors.”
“Quite. We really must thank you for a bracing round of workouts. We’re getting into terrific condition.”
“You would be funny if your situation beed not so pathetic.”
“Can’t say the same for you, alas.”
Tonogan sat irritably on another trash can and said she would like to explain “certain things.” Nigel gave Ito a warning glance: be cautious.
As she talked he became reasonably sure that they were setting him up. Not very subtly, either. Greed dulled even keen minds.
He stalled, amused by her impatience. He had known an approach would come but had not suspected Ito as the channel. Still, Nikka had accurately predicted Tonogan’s pattern to him, fully a week before. Despite his worn face she would try a bit of coquetry first, perhaps offer him a drink. And here it came, from a thermos, cutting and heady. Then very earnestly, with much show of concern, she would warn him.
“I know not if I can protect you from the Chairwoman.”
“Who could?”
“Nobody ever insulted her that way. Much less hitted her and lived.”
“Surely she’s been spanked, at least by her mother. Probably by you, eh?” A slight loft of eyebrow; a little TwenCen kink, here; see if it translates across the cultural abyss.
“Be serious!” A pretty scowl, not really convincing. “She could have killed you right there.”
“She could have tried.”
“She be a very dangerous woman. I can help you with her, though. I telled her later that you didn’t really mean it.”
“But I did.”
“You know not what you be doing!”
“Tell her I want an apology.”
“You be stranger, but that no excuse.” Her eyes jerked in a frenzy of expressiveness. Overacting, Nigel thought. A rather bad case. He yawned.
“Listen, I talked to her, calmed her down. She sayed that she would accept some of your goods in trade for your life.”
“Goods?”
An elaborate shrug. “Some of your gadgets might be worth, well, a little.”
“Ummm. That’s her final offer?”
“Absolutely. You have a standard day to agree. Miss that and she shows no mercy.”
“I see. Tell her I make the same offer.”
“What?” Disbelief—genuine this time.
“Give me some trinket and I won’t kill her.”
“You be mad.”
“That will come out even. I don’t kill her, she doesn’t kill me. We’ll call the trinkets even, too.”
“Insults mean something here. I know not what made you float that ridiculous story about Earth, but wherever you be from, you cannot talk this way. And to hit the Chairwoman!”
Tonogan was working herself into a lather and seemed even to believe what she was saying. Astonishing talk poured from her. Nigel never took quite enough account of the fact that people believe in the most ridiculous things, simply because others did, too. Such as the absolute authority of a single fat woman in a baggy robe.
Ito injected, “Dad, stop kidding around. This Chairwoman is the real authority here, never mind how she looks.”
Nigel looked at his son and said mildly, “It’s what she says that makes me doubt her mental balance. Whatever political system they’ve got here, it’s awry.”
Tonogan’s perfect yellow teeth massaged her lower lip and Nigel saw he had guessed right; even the Chairwoman’s minions thought she was askew. The moment passed and Tonogan said precisely, “I should not speak of such things, I suppose, but . . . she will torture you before you die, do you not realize that?”
“Um.” He drew a long face. So things were even worse than he thought. He shook his head. Perhaps Ito’s caution had been good advice. Well, too late now.
Tonogan added, “And all your friends.”
“Family, actually. Go tell her.”
“Your childs! She will—”
“Go.” He pointed and she went.
ELEVEN
