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five whole missing ships seemed extreme.
    There was a moment of silence, and then Roland turned to Severin.
    “I’d appreciate your discretion,” he said.
    “Certainly,” Severin said.
    “There may not be anything in this,” Roland said.
    “Of course,” Severin said.
    He found himself fascinated by the interactions in this household, the delicate play between the decorated Fleet officer and his politician brother. Since his promotion he’d had the opportunity to observe several Peer families, and none had been quite like this one.
    “I wish I knew who hired Allodorm,” Martinez said pensively.
    “Lord Pa, presumably,” Roland said. “The question is whether Lord Pa know about the Fleet ships, or cared if he did.” He pulled another of the metal chairs toward Severin and sat. “Would you tell us about this Allodorm?”
    Severin shrugged. “He’s a Daimong. Youngish, I think, though with Daimong it’s hard to tell. When Surveyor first docked at Chee Station, he was on hand to make sure we got everything we needed. I thought that was very good of him.”
    “Were you treated well?” Roland asked.
    “Yes. Since I’m the exec, the lord captain assigned me to work with Allodorm, and it was first-class all the way. Supplies came aboard within hours of submitting our requests. The victuals were fresh. Allodorm put one of the worker hostels at Port Vipsania at the disposal of our liberty crew, and he hosted a dinner for the officers.”
    “Nothing odd?” Martinez asked. “Nothing a little off-center in the way the station’s run?”
    “Other than it being first-class, no,” Severin said. “In the Exploration Service we’re used to things being more worn and shabby— it’s not like we’ve got the Fleet’s prestige or budget— but everything on Chee Station was new and shiny and efficient. The facilities were bigger than they needed, but then there are plans to expand.”
    The brothers contemplated this. “I don’t suppose we should tell our father.”
    “What would we tell him? We’ve got dozens of inspectors on Chee anyway— what can he do that they can’t?”
    Martinez gave a little shrug. “Not get bribed?” he said.
    “Father’s supposed to open the meeting of the Petitioners’ Council in something like fifteen days.” Roland gave a tight little smile. “If he abandons his task and goes charging off to Chee on the Ensenada to expose the wicked , that’s all the warning Allodorm or anyone else is going to need. Everything would be tidied up by the time he gets there.”
    “And you?”
    “I’m not going anywhere until Cassilda has our baby, after which the whole family will leave for Zanshaa so that I can sit in Convocation.”
    Martinez sighed. “I’m the Lord Inspector, aren’t I? I suppose it’s up to me to inspect.”
    Severin thought again about the two brothers. They knew each other well, they worked together deftly, they had a shared history and vocabulary. It occurred to Severin, however, that perhaps they didn’t like each other.
    “Lady Liao,” Roland said suddenly.
    Martinez looked at him. “Beg pardon?”
    Roland turned to Severin. “Lady Liao, wife of Lord Judge Omohundro. She’s perfect for you. Her husband’s on the ring tied up in a long series of hearings, and I’m sure she’s looking for amusement.”
    Severin could do nothing but stare. Can you do that? he wanted to ask.
    Roland looked at him. “Shall I invite her to tea?” he said.
    *
    “We are holding at five minutes,” said Lord Go Shikimori, captain of the Surveyor .
    “Holding at five minutes, my lord,” said Severin.
    Surveyor awaited final permission from Ring Control to launch on its mission through Chee and Parkhurst to the possible wormholes beyond. Encircled by the round metal hoops of his acceleration cage, Severin glanced down at the pilot’s board before him— it was he who would steer Surveyor from the ring and into the great emptiness beyond. Not that the job was particularly