The Road of Danger-ARC (52 page)

Daniel reached into his right cargo pocket. He paused and burst into laughter as he finally understood the reason Adele had given him the chip case.

“Oh, my goodness!” he said. “Captain Leary, the harmless beast of burden who can stick his hand into his pocket without risking a resumption of war! Here you are, Master Storn—documents which my good friend Lady Mundy thought would interest you.”

Storn wore a chip reader pinned to the outside of his breast pocket. He inserted the chip from Adele’s case, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“I’m sorry, Daniel,” Adele said, sounding ill at ease. “I meant no reflection on your…”

She doesn’t know how to go on
.

Grinning at both spies, Daniel said, “If you meant that I’m a terrible pistol shot, then you’re right and I don’t feel in the least insulted. Quite a practical solution to the problem of trust, I would say.”

“I told Olafsen,” Storn said, tilting his head slightly to the assault boat to indicate the driver, “that even if I were killed in front of him, he should return to the
Feursnot
and inform my superiors instead of reacting himself. I’m not, however, certain that he would obey my orders.”

His eyes were focused on the holographic image blurring the air in front of him. His twitching left little finger was presumably controlling the data flow.

“I have the same concerns about Tovera,” Adele said. “Though of course it won’t matter to me under those circumstances.”

She and Storn exchanged smiles again.

Storn switched off his chip reader and met Adele’s eyes. “So,” he said. “Another case where it’s uncertain which of us is doing the other the favor. If your information is correct—”

Daniel chuckled.

Storn looked at him and said, “Yes, I have a tendency to be overcautious with my phrasing. Habit, of course. If your information is correct, Lady Mundy, then my government will find another position for Governor Blaskett. As fertilizer, for example.”

“I leave the matter in your capable hands,” Adele said. The hint of approval in her voice suggested that she wasn’t being ironic. “Then I believe our business here is finished.”

“Yes,” Storn said. He bowed again to Adele. Then he faced Daniel and saluted. Daniel returned the salute in awkward amazement.

“The personnel of Master Storn’s bureau hold military rank, Daniel,” Adele said. “I believe he is the equivalent of a lieutenant general.”

“General of the Army, Lady Mundy,” Storn called over his shoulder as he mounted the step into his vehicle. “It has been a pleasure to meet you both. It gives me faces to put to the reports I’ve been reading.”

The assault boat drove into the low surf. It proceeded in a relatively sedate fashion until it was far enough out that spray from the water jets didn’t splash Daniel and Adele.

Daniel let out his breath. “We should get back to the
Sissie
,” he said. “When the
Feursnot
lifts, it won’t be dangerous on the beach but it won’t be very comfortable either. And besides—”

He grinned at Adele.
We’ve won!

“—I’ll be
really
glad to be back on Cinnabar!”

“Yes,” said Adele. “But we’ve got a little time, Daniel. I want to show you the beach vegetation I noticed when I came here the first time. It’s called gray plantain.”