She was halfway through them when, of all people, Danach came into the cubicle. “Hello, Ingray,” he said. Perfectly polite and pleasant. And then, “Mama came by to see you before but you were asleep. She’s stuck with the news services right now.”
Mama came by to see you before. For a moment Ingray wasn’t quite able to comprehend what Danach had said. “Oh,” she managed after a moment. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite place what it was, until she realized that something about the way he was standing, or talking, struck her as unfamiliar, but having seen that, she still couldn’t say quite why or how. She continued. “I’m surprised you’re on the station. Last I heard you were at home.”
“How could I stay home when Mama was being held hostage?” Indignant. His manner instantly more familiar to her. No doubt he felt she’d all but accused him of not caring about Netano. Or, worse, of not mattering. He would certainly make some sort of jab in retaliation. But instead he turned inexplicably more subdued. “Look, Nuncle Lak is right. We’re better off if we treat each other as allies, not adversaries.”
That wasn’t quite what Nuncle Lak had said. If I’ve thought of you as an adversary, she thought, it was because you made yourself one from the moment you met me. But then, it had come as a shock to Ingray that Nuncle Lak had ever even said such a thing to Danach to begin with, and a shock, now, that Danach would refer to it, even in a form that minimized his own responsibility.
And it didn’t matter. For years it had seemed to Ingray as though she had no future without Netano’s approval, that if she didn’t manage the impossible task of unseating Danach, she would be a failure. Now, whether it was exhaustion and relief after the past few days, or whether it was something else, she found she didn’t feel that way anymore. Didn’t care if Danach thought he’d triumphed over her, didn’t care who Netano named her heir. Whatever happened next, it couldn’t possibly be more difficult than what she’d just been through, and she’d come through that more or less all right. Now she just wanted to go home, and have some peace and quiet.
Still, she couldn’t quite bring herself to reply to him. “Mmm,” she said, and took another mouthful of noodles.
“You were always Nuncle Lak’s favorite.” Resentful. “It’s always been obvious.”
Why would that matter? Why would Danach resent it, if it were true?
And then Ingray realized. Netano would almost certainly name her heir very soon. All Danach’s anxieties about his future would be shortly relieved. He would be Netano, as he had always wanted.
And Nuncle Lak would be his chief of staff. Nuncle Lak worked very, very closely with Netano. And even if Danach wanted to remove em from eir position at some point, there would still be the problem of who to put in eir place who might be even half as good at the job, even half as trustworthy.
You were always Nuncle Lak’s favorite. Did Danach think Nuncle Lak wanted to make Ingray eir successor?
Ingray almost laughed at the thought. Nuncle Lak had never even given the slightest hint that e might give eir name to Ingray. Besides, she couldn’t do Nuncle Lak’s job. She didn’t want to even try. But it would explain why Danach might feel he had to make some attempt to get along with her, even if it was difficult for him.
Or did he think Netano might actually choose Ingray now? That he was about to lose the one thing that had always mattered most to him?
But that was ridiculous. Netano had always favored Danach. And even if the news services’ reports about this incident made Ingray look good, well, that would be valuable to Netano whether or not Ingray was her heir. The only thing that had really changed was that Netano had every reason now to end the supposed competition between her children and name Danach heir quite soon.
It didn’t matter to Ingray, not anymore. After the last few days she was certain her mother would never send her away. She would always be Netano’s daughter. And sister, soon enough. As long as Nuncle Lak let her keep her job, she would have her own income, and if she lost that job, she could go somewhere else. Or she could even go somewhere else right now. For a dizzying moment she imagined asking the Geck ambassador if she could go along to the Conclave. They’d have to come back through Tyr on their way home, so she’d have a way back. What would that be like?
Or maybe she could work for Planetary Safety, like Taucris. Thinking of Taucris, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to leave Hwae just now. At any rate, there were quite a lot of things to choose from.
“I don’t think it matters,” she said to Danach. “The important thing is, Mama is safe, and so is the station, and whether or not there’s fighting first, the Federacy is going to have to turn around and go home.”
“You’re right,” agreed Danach, managing not to sound grudging. “That’s what matters.”
“Look,” Ingray said, “I want to go home.” Or even a lodging room on the station would be better than this. Over Captain Utury could find her there, if she wanted. “I’d just get up, but …” With her good arm she gestured to her knee, then realized that the corrective was under her skirts and Danach couldn’t see it. “There’s a corrective on my knee and I can’t bend my leg and I don’t know what would happen if I tried to walk without a crutch or something. But now you’re here, you can help me. Does Mama have rooms somewhere?” Ingray was certain she did. She must.
All of Danach’s accustomed smugness returned in full force. “Sorry, sis. I would, but I can’t. There’s a System Defense guard standing just outside to make sure you don’t leave, and, as it happens, to keep any unauthorized visitors out.”
As he spoke, he moved over to make room for Over Captain Utury, who had appeared in the doorway. “You are not on the list of authorized visitors, Mr Aughskold,” she said. And before Danach could answer, “I’d have been here before, but urgent matters have required my attention. They still do, in fact, but I have a bit of time right now, while I’m waiting for something else.”
“Have the Omkem not come into the system?” Ingray asked.
“Oh, they have,” replied Over Captain Utury. “But I’m only responsible for what happens here on this station. Actually I’m waiting for orders regarding the disposition of the troops we captured, along with Commander Hatqueban. Those orders, I’m sure you realize, depend heavily on what’s happening out by the Enthen gate just now. Not my responsibility, as I said. Mr Aughskold, I don’t mean to keep you from your business.”
“Of course, Over Captain,” said Danach pleasantly, with a little bow of his head. “I’ll see you later, Ingray.”
“So, Miss Aughskold,” said Over Captain Utury, when he was gone, “I already have Prolocutor Dicat’s account of what happened. Miss Tai is still unconscious. She’s out of surgery, by the way, and she’ll be fine.”