“Appreciate that, Allison.” Kalico called. Then she glanced over at Soukup. “You had anything to eat, Inspector? I’m headed to Inga’s for the special. I’ll stand you and your Four to a meal and a drink.”

“That would be considered a compromise of ethics.” The IG fixed his black eyes on her.

Kalico stepped over to him, ensuring the First had a good view. “IG Soukup, here’s how it lines out: I am not buying you anything, let alone hoping to compromise your ethics. Your meal, drink, and lodging here are being paid for by Corporate Mine. Fact: You’re in Port Authority. Everything here functions on a cash economy. If you don’t pay for it, you don’t eat. If you don’t eat, you die of starvation, which will reflect very poorly on my reputation when the word gets back to the Board.”

Kalico wasn’t sure. She thought Soukup’s lips might have twitched in amusement.

Step and Allison—who’d watched the interchange—left with silly grins on their faces.

“Very well,” Soukup extended an arm. “After you.”

But as they were leaving the dome, Soukup matched his stride with Talina Perez’s, asking, “Security Officer Perez, would you mind if I asked you some questions?”

Kalico saw Tal shoot a wary look over her shoulder at the Four where they followed in matched step not more than a meter behind. “What do you need, Inspector General?”

“According to the records, you shot Supervisor Clemenceau?”

Tal gave the man a squinty sidelong appraisal. “No secret there. You read the transcripts? The good Supervisor here held an inquest.”

“I did.” Kalico interjected. “Inspector General, if you’re fishing for the villain of the piece, it was Clemenceau. He toppled the first of the dominoes, and as the months stretched into years without a ship from Earth, the man turned into a paranoid monster. When the nightmare dragged him up into that mundo tree, Officer Perez did him a favor.”

“Favor? A curious word for a bullet in the head,” Soukup said tonelessly.

“Don’t make the same mistake I did,” Kalico told him as they walked up to the tavern doors. “The most humiliating moment in my life was when I discovered what a nightmare on Donovan was.” She pointed a finger his way. “Since then, I’ve had a real education in humility, compassion, and the way reality on Donovan can slap you right in the face.”

“And where does Corporate law rank in that education, Supervisor?” The words were spoken mildly.

Kalico gave the man a knowing grin. “It’s easy to ask that question when tentacles aren’t weaving their way through your guts and digesting them.”

She was fully aware of the attention the Four were focusing on her.