She stared at him. “Five days? I assume you have some clever—”

“The formal application was emplaced two seconds ago,” the avatar told her. “Suitably, if illegally, back-dated.” Berdle bowed. “Please follow me,” he said, turning on his heel.

“Ms Cossont,” the Executive Recoupments Officer said, coming to stand before them. He nodded at her companions, bowed to her. The waiting area was extensive, pale, lush with potted plants, filled with the sound of water trilling in fountains and pools and dotted with very comfortable seating. Cossont lounged in what she trusted was a suitably proprietorial fashion, upper arms spread, her lower set concealed by her formal jacket, legs crossed, a small shoulder bag lying on her lap. Berdle and the android had chosen to remain standing, looking slowly about all the time. “May we offer you a beverage?”

“No, thank you.”

“I wasn’t even aware there were any arrivals today,” the Incast officer said, glancing at a projected screen hanging in mid-air down and to one side of his straight-ahead sight-line.

“Ms Cossont arrived by private craft,” Berdle said smoothly.

“Ah, I see,” the officer said. “And you’ve come in from …?” he continued, looking at Cossont, who was listening on her earbud as Berdle said,“Please, let me,” to her at the same time as he said, to the officer, “Ms Cossont’s application to retrieve her property is in order, I take it?”

The officer was dressed in vaguely ecclesiastic-looking pale robes. He looked from Cossont’s stony expression to Berdle’s agreeably open one. He checked his screen, one hand moving and his eyes flicking. “… Yes, yes, it’s all in order.” He smiled emptily at Berdle. “The object has been located and is being retrieved as we speak.”

“Splendid,” Berdle said quietly.

The officer looked back to Cossont. “We usually ask our clients if there is a particular reason for them wishing to recoup an object.”

“Again, allow me,” Berdle said to Cossont as he said, “How commendable,” to the Incast officer. “What is the most common reason given?”

“Ah,” the officer said, distracted again. “Sadly, due to client confidentiality strictures, we are unable to share that information.”

“What a terrible pity,” Berdle said, looking sympathetic. He put one hand gently on the officer’s forearm and said, “I am sure then that you will fully understand that Ms Cossont has equally valid reasons for being unable to share with you her reasons for being unable to share with you the information that you seek and request. I trust I am not mistaken in proceeding on the assumption that this request is of a non-compulsory, voluntary opt-in nature?”

The Executive Recoupments Officer looked like he was processing this. After a moment he said, “Well, indeed.” He glanced at his screen. “Excuse me; the requested object is in transit.” He smiled at the unresponsive Cossont. “I’ll fetch it. One moment.” He turned and walked back to the curved sweep of desks where they’d found him earlier, sitting with his feet up, listening to music.