Captain Vorpatril's alliance

“Lady Vorpatril is safe? Thank God! But I swear, those clowns didn’t slip in through any shuttleport on the planet!”

“No, they probably drove downtown from the northern suburbs. What Shiv would call local rental meat. That Imola fellow has a shipping company out there.”

As Raudsepp continued to look unsettled, Ivan added charitably, “Both the District Guard and Imperial Customs are going to be very pleased with ImpSec in the person of you for nailing him. Smuggling, conspiracy to aid kidnapping‑seems he’s been up to his neck in sneaking people off‑planet in the form of cryocorpses, all very nasty. Imola’s affairs’ll keep folks busy digging for weeks, I expect. Commendations all round at the end.”

“But I wasn’t‑but I didn’t‑”

“He’s all yours now. Finders keepers, I say.”

Raudsepp perforce had to dash back to the security van, flashing its lights and ready to leave, but Ivan was satisfied he’d given the man lots to think about besides, or with luck instead of, Captain Vorpatril’s peculiar lapse in providing timely snitch reports on his in‑laws.

Byerly appeared at Ivan’s side, aiming for Tej. He had evidently been trying to herd Arquas into the waiting medical vans; Shiv and Udine had broken from the pack and followed close on his heels.

Tej stared across apprehensively. “Are they arresting us?”

Allegre looked as if he thought this would be a good idea, but Byerly reassured her, “No. Or anyway, not yet. They’re just taking everyone to ImpMil‑the Imperial Military Hospital‑for trauma examination. And there’re those unresolved biohazard issues.”

“Are you going along?” Ivan asked By. “For the love of God, get someone who speaks old‑high‑medical onto Lady ghem Estif as soon as you can. She’s a woman who knows where all the bodies are buried if anyone does.”

Byerly nodded understanding, and turned. “Tej, are you coming with your family?”

Udine cut in: “Your Dada and I think you should stay with your husband‑Lady Vorpatril.”

Tej, Ivan could see in her expressive face, took a moment to process the full implications of this. Her parents might only be thinking of distancing their daughter from whatever legal entanglements were about to engulf the rest of the clan. But he rather thought Tej meant something more when she lifted her chin, threaded her arm though Ivan’s, and said, “I think I should stay with my husband, too.”

Ivan slipped his other hand over hers, and pressed it warmly. Yes, stay right there. For the rest of my life. Which was looking hearteningly longer than it had mere hours ago, but he wasn’t about to suggest amending his last‑night’s proposition.

Shiv gave a short nod, and looked up to meet Simon’s searching gaze. He stuck out a big hand. “Well. It’s been an adventure dealing with you‑Captain Illyan. Excellently played.”

Illyan, as if compelled, took it and shook it. “Thank you. Though I fear you were mainly ambushed by mischance. And‑we may not be done dealing yet. Baron Cordonah.”

Shiv’s brow furrowed at this, but he allowed Byerly, now looking like a sheepdog on the verge of a nervous breakdown, to chivvy him and his spouse off to the waiting med‑vans. Udine glanced once back over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing in new curiosity. The vans pulled away in a convoy, without sirens, to Ivan’s relief. He wasn’t in the mood for sudden, loud noises just now.

At some high‑priority ping from his earbug, Allegre stepped aside. “What? Here? No, wave him off!” After another moment, his back straightened in an involuntary brace. “Yes? Yes, he’s right here. No…I must protest…Yes, sire.” That last was delivered with a somewhat defeated sigh, and he strode away to the covered command post.

Ivan was therefore less than surprised when, a few minutes later, Imperial armsmen outriders in their black‑and‑silver winter uniforms appeared around the corner, their float bikes bracketing a long silver groundcar. It sighed to the pavement. Armsmen and ImpSec guards exchanged codes with one another, and, gleaming even in the dawn murk, the rear canopy rose. Gregor, in a Vorbarra House uniform, rubbed his face and handed off the cloth to an urgent fellow whom Ivan recognized as his faithful valet‑this was one Commander‑in‑Chief who was not going to appear at the scene of any emergency unshaved, if his man had anything to say about it‑and exited the groundcar under the anxious supervision of his senior armsmen.

Everyone braced as he approached, except for Lady Alys who granted him a chin‑dip that evoked a curtsey; Allegre and Galeni saluted. Gregor returned a fitting Imperial nod.

“Ivan!” This was one Voice that seemed unapologetically glad to find him; Gregor’s embrace was sincere. “They told me you were drawn up from the tomb alive, but I had to see for myself. Lady Tej. I’m so glad.” He bowed over her hand; she managed a reasonably graceful obeisance.