When he'd finished his exchange with Brokols, Lord Vendel Kryger sat frowning at the message pad in front of him. Midshipman Werlingus, Argant's replacement, sat at the key looking at him. Brokols' communications were in the midshipman's simple letters. Kryger's communications alternated with them in crabbed cursive.
Brokols' report held both bad and good. Which was better than the all bad that Kryger'd been prepared for.
* * *
STILFOS MURDERED STOP ONE MURDERER CAUGHT STOP OTHER ONE STILL FREE STOP STATED REASON FOR MURDER WAS ENMITY TOWARD ALMEON STOP HOWEVER PUBLIC MEETINGS HOSTILE TO ALMEON HAVE CEASED STOP I HAVE TOLD AMIRR ABOUT WIRELESS STOP TOLD HIM YOU INFORMED ME OF GORRBIAN INTENTIONS TO INVADE HRUMMA STOP LOCAL SUBJECT IN THE STREETS IS NOW THE GORRBIAN THREAT STOP AMIRR DEFINITELY FRIENDLY TO ME NOW STOP END
* * *
"Message received. Stop. Continue your work. Stop. Any further report? Question."
* * *
AS PART OF ONGOING COVER I HAVE TALKED TO AMIRR AND A NUMBER OF MERCHANTS ABOUT TRADE WITH ALMEON STOP THEIR ARTWORK AND FURS IN EXCHANGE FOR STEAM POWERED ORE CRUSHER STOP HRUMMEAN GOVT WILL BROKER STOP END
* * *
The rest had been the closings.
Just now it appeared that Brokols might prove satisfactory after all, though the situation there still troubled Kryger.
Making a decision, Kryger picked up a pencil and scribbled some more. For security reasons, the Dard was anchored in the harbor rather than being tied to the dock, and it was far more convenient to communicate with her by wireless than to have her captain come ashore for a conference.
"Stedmer," Kryger wrote. "I have changed the procedure you will follow when you arrive at Theedalit. As it stands now, you will land Argant there and stand by while he evaluates Brokols' fitness on the site. Only if he sees fit will you land personally, serve my warrant of arrest on Brokols, and return him to Larvis Harbor. Argant now has alternative, repeat, Argant has alternative, of deciding that Brokols should remain as ambassador in Theedalit. In that event you will bring Argant back to me before steering west to Almeon. End. Kryger."
When he had it written, he motioned Werlingus to send it. Stedmer wasn't going to like the possibility that he might have to turn around and bring Argant back, but he'd have to swallow it. He'd have steam up by dawn, and leave for Theedalit with daylight; he hardly had time to argue. Not that arguing would do him any good. Kryger outranked him militarily, and as Mission Commander he specifically had overriding authority.
* * *
That evening after his exchange with Kryger, Brokols felt unaccountably sleepy and went early to bed.
* * *
Usually, though by no means always, Panni Vempravvo ended his evening meditation sometime before midnight. This night he continued in trance on the mountain till long after midnight, his open eyes seeing nothing. He was busy creating dreams, or rather helping someone else create their own, something the sage couldn't do in an ordinary conscious state, or as effectively while sleeping. His beingness which he thought of as "Hrum-In-Me" always had more than enough of such matters to attend to, with one and another.
Finally it was enough. It was nearly dawn when the sage went into his cave and lay down on his mat to sleep a few hours.