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."All right," Hale said, and Jessad came out, and two others of Hale's men after him."About time," Jessad said."This was growing tedious.""It's going to stay that way," Jon said peevishly."Everyone has to stay here tonight: Hale, Daniels, Clay.I'm not having my apartment door pour a horde of visitors out under the troops' noses.They'll be gone come morning.""The Fleet?" Hale asked."The troops in the halls." Jon went to the kitchen bar, examined a bottle which had been full when he left it and which now had two fingers remaining.He poured himself a drink and sipped it with a sigh, his eyes stinging with exhaustion.He walked over to the chair he favored and sank down as Jessad took his place opposite, across the low table, and Hale and his men rummaged at the bar for another bottle."I'm glad you were prudent," he said to Jessad."I was worried."281Downbelow StationJessad smiled, cat-eyed."I surmise you were.That for a moment or two you thought of solutions.Maybe you're still thinking in that line.Shall we discuss it?"Jon frowned, slid a glance at Hale and his men."I trust them more than you, and that's a fact.""It's likely you thought of being rid of me," Jessad said."And I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't right now more concerned about where rather than if.You might get away with it entirely.Probably you would."The directness disturbed him."Since you bring it up yourself, I suppose you've got a counter proposal."The smile persisted."One: I'm no present hazard; you may want to think matters over.Two: I am undismayed by Mazian's arrival.""Why?""Because that contingency is covered."Jon lifted the glass to his lips and took a stinging swallow."By what?""When you jump to land in the Deep, Mr.Lukas, you can do it three safe ways: not throw much into the jump in the first place.if you're in regions you know very, very well; or use a star's G to pull you up; or— if you're good— the mass in some null point.A lot of junk in Pell's vicinity, you know that? Nothing very big, but big enough.""What are you talking about?""The Union Fleet, Mr.Lukas.Do you think there's no reason Mazian has his ships grouped for the first time in decades? Pell's all they have left; and the Union Fleet is out there, just as they sent me ahead, knowing where they'd come."282Downbelow StationHale and his men had gathered, settled on the couch and along the back of it.Jon shaped the situation in his mind, Pell a battle zone, the worst of all scenarios."And what happens to us when it's discovered there's no way to dislodge Mazian?""Mazian can be driven off.And when that's done he has no bases at all.He's done; and we have peace, Mr.Lukas, with all the rewards of it.That's why I'm here.""I'm listening.""Officials have to be taken out.The Konstantins have to be taken out.You have to be set in their place.Have you the nerve for that, Mr.Lukas, despite relationships? I understand there's a— kinship involved here; yourself, Konstantin's wife—"He clamped his lips together, flinching as he always did, from the thought of Alicia as she was now.Could not face that.Had never been able to stomach it.It was not life, linked to those machines.Not life.He wiped at his face."My sister and I don't speak.Haven't, for years.She's an invalid; Dayin would have told you that.""I'm aware of it.I'm talking about her husband, her sons.Have you the nerve, Mr.Lukas?""Nerve, yes, if the planning makes sense.""There's a man on this station named Kressich."He sucked in a slow breath, the drink resting in his hand against the chair arm."Vassily Kressich, elected councillor of Q.How do you know him?""Dayin Jacoby gave us the name.as the councillor from that zone; and we have files.This man Kressich.comes from Q when the council meets.He then has a pass which will let him do so, or is it visual inspection?"283Downbelow Station"Both.There are guards.""Can those who do the inspecting be bribed?""For some things, yes.But stationers, Mr.Whoever-you-are, have a natural reluctance to doing anything to damage the station they're living in.You can get drugs and liquor into Q; but a man.a guard's conscience about a case of liquor and his instinct for self-preservation are two different things.""Then we'll have to keep any conference with him brief, won't we?""Not here.""That's up to you
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