Power Play Read Online Free PDF Page B

athletic for a girl in her social position.” Marmion sighed and, having delivered her message, turned to watch the docking. Now, smoothly aiming at the second horizontal circle, the far-from-insignificantly sized spacelaunch became a mote as it was received into the small docking area that catered to the vessels of people of her rank. Yana began to agree with Sally that proper clothes would lend confidence: not much else would.
    A melodious chime rang through the launch, followed by the verbal announcement that all docking procedures had been completed and the passengers might now disembark.
    A cluster of people stood politely awaiting their arrival. ‘Bots, attached to gray floats, scurried on board to collect luggage—Bunny followed their progress with round eyes. Yana noticed the girl’s hands twitching at her sides as if she wanted to take one of the ‘bots apart and see what its innards were like.
    Bailey and Charmion were easy to pick out of the group: they were the youngest, the boy with long, black hair in a clever clip, and the girl with a head of very blond curls that framed a face as charming as her name. They were a very good-looking pair, fashionably clad in some of the very colors that Bunny had protested about. They also looked intelligent and welcoming, with no trace of the stylish boredom so many young aristocrats affected. Charmion was obviously fond of her aunt and called out a stream of greetings as Marmion disembarked her launch. Beyond Charmion and tall Bailey, Yana saw the imposing figure of Millard Ephasios one of the aides Marmion had had with her on Petaybee; she decided that the tall, attractive, gray-haired gentleman with the patient expression on his face was one of Marmion’s suitors, and the older woman her social secretary. The woman was impeccably dressed and had an organizational air about her, like an officer in a rear-echelon office. Rentnor Bavistock was her secretary,
and Cynthia Grace was Marmion’s financial adviser. Marmion murmured that Cynthia would be a good person to talk to on how to start up small businesses on Petaybee so that people like Clodagh, who’d be gathering and processing Petaybee’s pharmaceutical wealth, could set themselves up properly. Yana sighed, not really wanting to impose anything “modern” on her friends.
    Very shortly Yana discovered that things weren’t what they appeared to be on Gal Three. Residence permits, in the form of metal bracelets “to be worn at all times,” said Rentnor firmly, were immediately clamped around each wrist.
    “Don’t even take them off when you shower,” Marmion added, taking hers from Rentnor and noting that Sally was already wearing one. “Loss can cause the most remarkable problems in getting about the facility.”
    “You wouldn’t believe!” Bailey said, rolling his eyes and grinning at Bunny and Diego.
    The last member of the welcoming committee wore an official-looking outfit, tailored to his spare figure, with collar tabs Yana didn’t recognize but which were sufficiently intricate enough to denote high rank. He was swarthy, with a close-shaven pate of black hair and an oddly asymmetrical countenance which made his large nose seem to divide the disparate sides. His black eyes were patient, and he had a slight lift to one corner of a wide mouth. Like a well-trained, or very polite, official, he waited until the initial exchange of introductions, news, and urgent messages had been accomplished before he stepped forward to take and kiss the hand Marmion held out to him.
    “Oh, Commander, how good of you to take the time,” Marmion said, and then introduced Commander Nal an Hon. “I’ve told my friends to be very careful of their ID bracelets.”
    “Indeed, a caution worth repeating frequently,” he said. Then he turned to the newcomers. “While the bracelets will admit you to every level but Nadir and Zenith, you would be wise not to explore, or you might find yourself missing a hand.”
    Bunny