Eros at Zenith: Book 2 of Tales of the Velvet Comet (25 page)

“He'll be all right anyway,” broke in the Dragon Lady.

“I hope you're right,” said Crane.

“I know I am,” she replied. “Do you think this is the first scandal the
Comet
has ever had to hush up? We've had more crimes and criminals up here than you can imagine, Mr. Crane. We've caught heads of state cheating in the casino, we've had high governmental officials go a little haywire while practicing some of the more exotic sexual disciplines, we've even had a madam murdered. All Vainmill has ever asked is that we contain the damage and hush up the scandal—and when they finally figure out that we had Quintus Bello aboard the
Comet
, they'll know that you took the proper course of action.” She paused. “When someone actually gets around to opening that Priority File during one of Cupid's regular audits—and sooner or later someone will—you just may come out of this in even better shape than you thought.”

He finished his coffee and got to his feet. “Well, I guess I'd better be going,” he announced.

“We'll miss you, Mr. Crane,” said the Dragon Lady, rising and shaking his hand.

“Some of you less than others,” he replied with a glance at the Black Pearl.

“Perhaps,” acknowledged the Dragon Lady. “Just the same, I'd take an early retirement if there were any way I could induce you to become the
Comet
's Security Chief.”

He uttered an amused chuckle. “I'm supposed to be going
up
Vainmill's ladder, not
down
it.”

“Stated with your customary sensitivity,” commented the Black Pearl.

He walked to the door, then turned to the madam.

“Can I ask you a question?” he said.

“Go ahead.”

“I've got two corpses aboard my ship, you've just turned a mass murderer loose, and somewhere in the guts of that computer is a file that could conceivably send us all to the gallows.”

“What is your question, Mr. Crane?”

“Do you think it was worth it?”

She smiled. “Pagliacci is dead, Bello is in hiding, Morales will never tell what little he knows, and you're leaving for Deluros VIII. The only thing that remains intact is the
Velvet Comet
.” She paused. “What do
you
think?”

“I think it's a pretty high price to pay for a little sex,” he remarked dryly.

“You're entitled to your opinion,” she replied.

He waited to see if she had any further comment, then shrugged and left the office.

“A most unusual man,” said the Dragon Lady, when the door had slid shut again.

“I didn't like him,” replied the Black Pearl.

“I know. He was an unusual man anyway. I'll miss him.”

“You'll have a dessert or two, and get back to work, and miss him a lot less,” said the Black Pearl. “Men came and go. Only the
Comet
remains.”

“I suppose so,” said the Dragon Lady. She kept her gaze on the doorway through which Crane had departed. “I wonder if he'll make it?”

“To Deluros?” asked the madam, puzzled.

“To the chairmanship.”

“I doubt it. Too impulsive.”

“Still, in the end he did the right thing.”

“Only because he had no choice,” noted the Black Pearl. “He was a very dangerous man.”

“He was a very brilliant man.”

“I know. That's what made him so dangerous.”

She sighed. “Well I suppose if the
Velvet Comet
can survive a friend like him, it can survive anything.”

She stood up. “I'm going to feed my Night Crystals now. Would you care to come along and watch?”

“No,” said the Dragon Lady. “I've got to get back to work.”

“I'll see you later.”

The Dragon Lady nodded and walked out the door, and was back in her own office ten minutes later. She went directly to the built-in refrigerator, took out an incredibly rich chocolate pastry, and sat down at her desk.

“Cupid?”

YES?

“Bring up the outside viewscreen, please. I'd like to see Mr. Crane's ship.”

A holograph of the ship appeared instantly.

The funny part, she reflected as she nibbled daintily at the pastry and watched the ship speed away, was that the Black Pearl was right: already the feeling of regret caused by his departure was lessening. She smiled as she tried to imagine his reaction had he known of her attraction to him, then shrugged. When all was said and done he was just a man, as flawed and ephemeral as any other man or woman. There would come a day, and not too far off at that, when she wouldn't even be able to remember what he looked like. The only thing of substance, the only thing that lasted, was the
Comet
.

And, since one of the things it represented was indulgence in one's personal passions, she finished her pastry with only a minimal sense of guilt. Then, sated spiritually as well as physically, she summoned her staff and began going over the day's duty roster.

Copyright © 1984 by Mike Resnick

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