And that image of himself was what had brought him here today, Honor told herself, for she’d hurt it. She’d caught him, or his employees, at least, dabbling in illegal trade, and to a man of his pride and self-aware importance that constituted a direct attack upon him, no mere business reverse or legal embarrassment. In his own eyes, Klaus Hauptman was the Hauptman Cartel, and that made her actions a personal insult he could not tolerate.

“Very well, Commander Harrington,” he said at last, “I’ll come straight to the point. For reasons of your own, you have seen fit to harass my interests in Basilisk. I want it stopped.”

“I’m sorry you see it as ‘harassment,’ Mr. Hauptman,” Honor said calmly. “Unfortunately, my oath to the Crown requires me to execute and enforce the regulations established by Parliament.”

“Your oath doesn’t require you to single out the Hauptman Cartel for your enforcement, Commander.” Hauptman didn’t raise his voice, but there was a vicious snap under its smooth surface.

“Mr. Hauptman,” Honor faced him levelly, folding her hands tightly under the edge of the table, “we have inspected all commerce with the surface of Medusa or the Basilisk orbital warehouses, not simply that consigned here by your firm.”

“Nonsense!” Hauptman snorted. “No other senior officer on this station has ever interfered so blatantly with Basilisk’s legitimate merchant traffic. More to the point, I have numerous reports from my factors here to the effect that your ‘customs’ parties spend far more time ‘examining’ my shipments than anyone else’s. If that’s not harassment, I would very much like to know what you feel does constitute harassment, Commander!”

“What may or may not have been done by previous senior officers has no bearing on my responsibilities or duties, Mr. Hauptman,” Honor said with cool precision. “And if, in fact, my inspection parties have spent more time on Hauptman Cartel shipments, that is entirely because our own experience has indicated that they are more likely than most to contain illegal items.”

Hauptman’s face darkened dangerously, but she made herself gaze back without any sign of her inner tension.

“Are you accusing me of smuggling, Commander Harrington?” The baritone was deeper and darker, almost silky.

“I am saying, Mr. Hauptman, that the record demonstrates that the incidence of contraband in shipments registered to your firm is thirty-five percent above that of any other firm trading with Medusa. Whether you are personally involved in those illegal activities or not, I cannot, of course say. For myself, I doubt it. Until such time, however, as we have satisfied ourselves that no contraband is passing under cover of a Hauptman Cartel manifest, my boarding officers will, at my orders, devote special attention to your shipments.” Hauptman’s face had grown steadily darker, and Honor paused, regarding him calmly. “If you desire an end to what you regard as ‘harassment,’ Sir, I would suggest that you insist that your own managers see to their internal housekeeping.”

“How dare you?!” Hauptman exploded, half-surging to his feet. Honor’s hands tightened further under the table, but she sat motionless. “I don’t know who you think you are, but I refuse to sit here and be insulted in this fashion! I’d advise you to watch your wild allegations, Commander!”