Elvox had requested historical records from the orbiting United Stars ship. Displaying them rapidly and running an automatic search, he found no listing for a terrestrial citizen named Yoshio Kawashita. But the records were incomplete before 1990. He shrugged and handed the display tapas to his second-in-command, a heavyset unterloytnant, Lawrence Tivvers. Tivvers replayed the search and agreed with the negative results.
"I don't think they'll coerce him," Elvox said. "We could prove illegal persuasion in any judgment dispute. But he's open game for any kind of persuasion. He's naive."
"All this is on the fringes of the law," Tivvers said, clearing the outside view ports to see the woman's shuttle and the dome. "But it's pretty clear, even so. He's inherited the planet."
"And we can't investigate a damned thing unless he gives us permission."
Tivvers punched up their work schedule and began to revise it. "I think we're going to have to freeze everything until the Centrum ship gets here." The Centrum oversaw the actions of mercantile consolidations like United Stars, and mediated when disputes arose. "USC won't like us taking chances with a punitive decision."
"Larry, I blew my chances for a promotion out there."
"How? By not taking him in? That may work against her."
"She's too smart to do anything that will work against her. But she's getting friendly with him, and we're out in the cold."
"Wait until the Centrum arrives. We'll get our orders from the CO next accession, ten minutes from now—patience!"
Elvox rubbed his face. "She stepped right in, no weaknesses, no doubts. She swept him away like a storm. I didn't have a chance to think."
Tivvers acknowledged a beep on the intercom.
"Sir, this is Ruysmal. We're ready to examine the dome."
"Hold off on that," Elvox said. "We're going to sit tight for a while." He slapped his palm on a panel and stood. "That's timid, isn't it? Would she be timid?"
Tivvers looked at him, a faint grin surfacing.
"She wouldn't be timid, would she?"
"Hell, no. She's Anna Nestor."
"She's no older than I am, no more experienced."
"No," Tivvers mused, "not in this sort of thing, maybe."
"You believe all those stories about her?"
Tivvers' grin was open now.
"She's something to go up against, you know that? If we sit tight, she's going to run circles around us."
"You're not thinking about taking chances, are you?"
"How did the CO get his command?"
Tivvers shook his head. "Julio, that was thirty years ago, things were different. The Centrum controls the show now. No consolidation dares go up against the Centrum—not when every other consolidation will jump all over its ass. This is a time of honor and decorum."
Elvox made a rude noise, then punched up the cargo lock. "Ruysmal, get your team out to the dome and go over it with every detector we have. Don't disturb anything, but find out everything you can." He squeezed past Tivvers and took the ladder to the next deck, his voice rising up the shaft. "She can't refuse to let me see him. They'll say she was holding him out of communication. She has to let me talk to him."
"Julio, before we do anything, let's at least see what the legal advisers have to say."
The sound of Elvox's steps on the ladder stopped. "Okay. But make it quick. I'm getting a pack ready."