Vorlynkin nodded to Jin and Mina, clinging together in white-faced silence.  Miles wasn't sure whether to read their postures as fear, or anger, though at least they weren't weeping.  In either case, Vorlynkin was probably right—it wouldn't do to discuss the gruesome details of an autopsy in front of them just now, even if the subject wasn't their mother after all.  Children, as Miles had reason to know, ranged naturally from deeply sensitive to remarkably bloody-minded; sometimes, confusingly, the same child at different times.  Was dealing with women practice for dealing with children?  It was likely just as well he didn't have time to follow up that thought.  With a sweep of his arms, Miles shepherded Vorlynkin and his charges back out into the corridor.

"I'm so sorry about all this," Miles repeated inanely.  "I promise you"—damn, he really needed to cull that phrase from his vocabulary—"I'm still going to look for your mommy.  The problem has just suddenly become a lot more interesting.  Er, difficult.  It's just become a bit more difficult.  I need more data, d—"  Need more data, dammit, was an old mantra of his, almost comforting in its familiarity.  Some setbacks were simply setbacks.  Others were opportunities breaking down the door in disguise.  He was reasoning ahead of his data—remember, data?—to imagine this was the second sort.  Well, that was what experience could grant one—a high degree of certainty while making one's mistakes . . .

Mina said, "But what's going to happen to us, now?"

Jin added anxiously, "You're not going to make us go back to Aunt Lorna and Uncle Hikaru, are you?"

"No.  Or at least, not yet.  Consul Vorlynkin will take you back to the consulate for the moment, until we get somewhere with all this, or . . ."

"Or?" Vorlynkin repeated, as Miles trailed off.

"We'll get somewhere."  I just don't know where.  "I'll stay here for the cleanup, then join you all there later. When you get back, Vorlynkin, put Lieutenant Johannes on a preliminary data sweep-search for me.  I want to try to find that Dr. Leiber, the one who was associated with Lisa Sato's group here in Northbridge eighteen months ago."  Not much of a clue, but he had to go with what little was in hand.  Miles wondered just how common that surname was on Kibou.  Well, he'd find out shortly.

Vorlynkin nodded, and herded the kids off.  Jin looked around as if regretting his lost refuge.  Mina reached up and took the consul's hand, which made him twitch a little, possibly with guilt, but he manfully endured.  This was clearly distressing for the children.  Hell, it's distressing for me.

Roic, sleep-rumpled, stuck his head out the door of the improvised bunk room and squinted as the trio vanished around the corner.  "I heard voices.  What's going on?"