“That’s very generous of him—” Honor began, only to have Yu interrupt, politely but firmly, before she could complete the sentence.

“He told me that was exactly what you’d say, My Lady. Not that I really needed telling. And he also told me to tell you that you are a vassal of Protector Benjamin, and that as a loyal and obedient vassal you’ll take the forces that the Protector chooses to send you, and you’ll use them to accomplish the mission which you and the Protector discussed before your departure from Grayson. That was just before he added the bit about ‘suffering your liege’s displeasure’ if you were foolish enough to turn down the reinforcements which both of you know you need.”

“He’s right, you know, Your Grace,” Brigham said quietly. Honor looked at her, and the chief of staff shrugged. “I know you haven’t specifically discussed this aspect of our assignment with any of us, but I think I’ve spent enough time in Grayson service to know what the Protector is thinking. As a Manticoran, I find it humiliating that we need someone else’s support. As a Grayson, I can see exactly why the Protector is willing to provide that support. The last thing any of us need is for the situation in Silesia to blow up in all of our faces.”

“Whether the Government recognizes that or not,” Cardones agreed in an uncharacteristically grim tone.

“Well,” Honor said mildly after a moment, a bit taken back, despite her ability to taste their emotions, by her subordinates’ emphatic, unanimous agreement with one another, “I don’t plan on sending Alfredo home tomorrow morning. For that matter, I don’t really plan on sending him home at all until I’m certain the situation out here is under control. And to be completely honest, I expect that situation to work itself out, one way or another, within no more than another three or four T-months. Either the Andies will discover Alfredo’s presence here and take it as conclusive proof that the Alliance means business and shelve any plans which might lead to a shooting incident, or else they’ll go ahead and shoot anyway.”

“And which way to you expect them to jump, My Lady, if I may ask?” Yu asked quietly.

“I wish I could tell you that,” Honor replied.

· · • · ·

“Now what do we do?”

Arnold Giancola looked up from the display of his memo pad as his brother asked the plaintive question. He hadn’t heard Jason come in, and he grimaced as he realized his brother had just stepped in from the outer office… and that the door was standing wide open behind him.

“I think it might be a good idea if you came in and closed the door, first,” he suggested testily. “I realize it’s after hours, but I, for one, would just as soon not share our discussions with whoever happens along down the hallway.”

Jason flushed at the acid tone, but it was one with which he had an unfortunate degree of familiarity. Arnold had never been a particularly patient individual, and he’d become progressively less patient over the past two T-years or so. In this instance, however, Jason had to admit he had a point, and he hastily stepped forward to clear the powered door’s sensors and allow it to close.