Xia smiled warily.  "My plate at work is actually rather full.  I was only able to come here tonight because it's after hours."

"Partner or employee?"

"Me?  I'm one of three associates in the galactic business law department of my firm.  We work under a partner."

"The Durona Group will certainly be needing full-time local legal advice," murmured Kareen.  "Perhaps we should talk instead about salary . . . later."

Xia waved this away, provisionally.  "In any case, Ms. Suzuki, I'd invite you to think about what is the better long-term practical result for your patrons.  You serve one community; this technology has the potential to serve the planet.  If the—"

An echoing boom from outside rattled the windows.  Roic shot to his feet and peered into the night.  "What t' hell . . . ?"

"That sounded awfully close," said Xia uneasily.

"Was that us?" said Madame Suze.  "Tenbury . . ."

"Could be the plastics fabricator next door," said Fuwa, joining Roic.  "Though I can't think what they'd be doing over there at this hour.  Or something from the street . . . collision?"

But with the municipal traffic control net here, collisions were vanishingly rare, Miles had thought.

"It's hard to tell the direction," said Tenbury, craning his neck as well.

"Go up on the roof and look," directed Madame Suze.

Tenbury was halfway out the door when Miles's wristcom chimed, emergency secured channel.  Vorlynkin.  Not good.  Miles found himself on his feet without remembering standing up.  "Vorkosigan here."

"Lord Auditor."  Vorlynkin sounded winded.  "An arson team—I counted four men—just put a fire bomb through a ground-floor window of the heat exchanger building.  Asterzine, I think—it was a two-part liquid fire-starter, anyway."

"Call the local fire guards!"

"Already did, sir."  The cadence of Vorlynkin's language was reverting to old military training, Miles noted in passing.  "Police, too.  They should be here in moments."

"Good man."

"I'm looking now to see if there are more intruders.  Haven't spotted any so far.  I'm fairly sure there's no one left in the exchanger building—can't speak to under it."

"Keep this channel open."

"Right, sir."

Miles wheeled to find everyone staring at Fuwa, who stared back in horror.

"It wasn't me!" the contractor practically wailed.  "Not this time!  Why would it be me, now?  I'm about to get rid of this mess!"

"My exchanger towers!" cried Tenbury, starting for the door again.  "If they go down, everyone'll start to thaw!"  Suze grabbed his sleeve.

"My exchanger towers!" cried Fuwa.  "My facility!"

"Tenbury."  Madame Suze shook the custodian's arm, for emphasis.  "Tell everyone you see, get out of the buildings and assemble on that patch of open ground in front of the intake building.  I'll wake up and warn everyone on this floor."