The Price of Ransom by Kate Elliott

Author:Kate Elliott [Elliott, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4804-3529-2
Publisher: Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Published: 2013-07-02T01:58:00+00:00

13 The Good Doctor

ZEYA DEPOT’S COORDINATOR WAS adamant. “No doubt whatsoever. A rogue je’jiri male. There was some trouble. A fight. A man thought he was trying to pick up on his woman friend, putting a hand on her, or something. The testimony is still being sorted out. In any case, the rogue was arrested—had to be restrained.” The coordinator paused, sharing a look of distaste with her assistant. “Next thing I knew the Concord representative showed up and took him off my hands.”

“Under what authority?” Deucalion asked.

The coordinator skipped her attention across Lily and centered it on Deucalion. “You’re with the bureau. You know how it is. Once they decide to cite ‘security reasons,’ you’re free to get records if you have time to wade through the bureaucracy. I did find out that it was an order standing from Rehabilitation, if that helps. In fairness to min Giorgas—our rep—I don’t think he knew anymore than he told me, but the identifiers came back flagged as ‘violent offender,’ so he took him into custody and sent him off on a secure yacht.”

“Sent him where?” Lily asked.

“Concord,” said the coordinator and Deucalion at the same time. After a brief pause, Deucalion went on. “Rehabilitation is based at Concord. It’s the only place they would send him.”

“I don’t suppose you could enlighten me.” The coordinator looked from Lily to Deucalion. “I interviewed the rogue briefly, because of the incident, and while I thought him disturbed I didn’t feel he was dangerous. I studied xeno in college,” she added, as if this were explanation enough, “although I never went on to get an advanced degree.”

Deucalion shrugged, glancing at Lily as if to say that it was her choice what to divulge. And because the coordinator had been both efficient and helpful, Lily felt she deserved something.

“He’s a half-breed.”

“Ah,” replied the coordinator, trying not to look gratified. “That explains it. That must be an interesting story, Captain, how you got a half-breed on as a member of your crew.”

Lily could not help but smile at the careful politeness with which the coordinator framed her curiosity. “It is. But unfortunately, if they’re three and an half days ahead of us, I don’t have time to relate it to you now.”

“Ah, well.” The coordinator rose, undaunted by this evasion, and offered both Lily and Deucalion her hand to shake. “I had to try. Best luck to you.”

“How long will it take us to get to Concord?” Lily asked Deucalion as they returned to the ship. Her usual escort—Jenny, Rainbow, and two je’jiri—followed them.

“We’ll lose time to a yacht. Especially since you still don’t have a full-shifted bridge complement. On a straight route we can get there in about three weeks. Let’s see. If they left three and one half days ago, we can expect to get in a little under a week after they do. And once we get there we’ll have the charges against you to deal with. Concord’s system is such that even with my presence it could take weeks to find out where they’ve put him.

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