The Diamond Deep (40 page)

“So many people.” She checked the mirror. She looked like she felt. “Can I have some stim?”

“I'll get it.” Ani headed out the door, leaving Jali and Ruby alone.

“Can you do this?” Jali asked.

“The concerts, or the parties?”

“This party.” Jali glanced toward the door Naveen had just knocked on—again. “The one that's he's so impatient for.”

Ruby laughed. “I don't think I have a choice.”

Jali's tight-lipped return smile felt like confirmation.

Ruby blinked and looked around. “Where's Min?”

“KJ took her off somewhere. He's probably giving her the third degree.”

Ruby winced. They had traveled a day, slept a night, and rose to prepare; Ruby had worked with light and instrument programs all day.

They'd have a few down days now. There were two to three days between each of the events Naveen had set up. They were going from where they had docked the
Fire
, out along the long line of the
Deep
and back. Weeks.

Jali spent another ten minutes teasing Ruby's hair into loose curls. As a last flourish, Jali slid Ruby's feet into small white sandals.

Ruby took a last long look in the mirror. “I'd rather wear one of our uniforms. Did you bring any?”

“No. And you can't wear a made-over military-style uniform to a party anyway.”

“We all did. On docking day.”

“And we looked naïve for it.”

Ruby frowned at the mirror and the dress. In truth, she loved being coddled, but it was at odds with what she felt. Kind of like the way this beautiful, vibrant society that had people like Lake and places like the Brawl in its underbelly. Like a surface smile from a thug with a fist below the table.

Ani returned with three small cups of stim. “Naveen only let me bring a little. He said we have to hurry.”

“Of course he did.” Ruby drank all three cups, one after another. “What about a work jumpsuit? This is beautiful, but I feel like a present in it.”

Jali unclipped and reclipped Ruby's hair, whatever she changed so small Ruby didn't see why she bothered. “Look, you are a present to these people. Look how many came. They adore you.”

The people in the Brawl needed her more than these people. She had taken on a whole society once, but that whole society would have fit inside this concert hall. “Can you make an outfit that looks like our old work jumpsuits? Like the last concert on the
Fire
?”

“I can do anything if I have enough time.”

“Bless you.” The stim was helping. She felt like she could stay awake for another few hours. “Let's go.”

They opened the door. Naveen's face went from worried to pleased. “That's beautiful.”

Naveen held Ruby's arm as they neared the party. The corridor of the
Star Bear
was bathed in the murmur of conversation. Instead of letting her through the door, he held her still for a second and spoke to someone she couldn't see. As Naveen urged Ruby forward she tried to gauge the number of guests at the party, but the inside of the room looked like a vast seething mass of color touched by a very soft, warm light.

A wash of bright white light landed on her face, forcing her to blink. Naveen's voice came from speakers overhead. “Ruby Martin.”

An announcement of her presence.

The closest people turned, greeting her, adding congratulations. Their dress and eyes and hair and makeup and jewelry demanded attention. Many were tall and thin-limbed, obviously changed. The hands she shook had long painted fingernails, or long fingers, or seemed so strong they couldn't just be normal hands.

The spotlight stuck with her for a minute, and then swung the other way as another name was mentioned. After that another, then another. Ruby leaned close to Naveen and whispered, “Who are those people?”

“One is another singer, one a writer, and two are part of the ruling Council. There's a rumor that Stevenson himself might show up.”

Naveen had told her a little about the way the station was governed. Councilors dealt with the economy. Internal struggles were handled by a peacekeeper force like the reds from the
Fire
, but which wore no obvious uniforms. There was a defense force and a court system. Headman Stevenson oversaw the whole thing.

“Will you introduce me to Headman Stevenson if he comes?”

“If he comes it will be to meet you. But first, I want you to meet Satyana.”

“The owner of the
Star Bear
?” She reached across Naveen to take another hand, this one tinged a slight orange, the fingers all sporting silver and blue rings.

“And a patron of yours. You made her a lot of credit tonight.”

The orange hand withdrew and they went on. The faces of people who came up to meet her began to blur by the time Naveen led her to a small table, and she was sure she'd lost all track of names. A large woman who sat opposite a small one got up to give Ruby her seat, going to stand behind the small one. A bodyguard, then.

The compact woman had brown skin, deep blue eyes of a color Ruby had never seen, brighter by far than her own pale blue ones, and thick black hair that flowed down her back in soft waves. She was absolutely beautiful, but none of that beauty came from her simple yellow outfit or from makeup or baubles. Rather, there was a strength in her that Ruby recognized instinctively. She had power. Feminine power. The hand that Satyana held out was unadorned, and when Ruby shook it, she felt calluses along the ridge of the woman's palm. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Of course. Thank you for the lovely concert.”

“Thank you for sponsoring me, and for holding this party.”

Satyana's gaze was friendly, but assessing.

Ruby's friends, including Naveen, had been seated at a nearby table and were already ordering drinks from a human waitress. “May we get you anything?”

“Tea, please. Something that will help give me energy. And water.”

Satyana smiled. “Excellent.” She turned to the woman behind her. “Britta, will you also see that someone brings us a snack?”

Britta looked taken aback by the chore, but she faded into the crowd anyway. Satyana leaned close. “I would like to tour you around the outside of the station tomorrow. Just us. It was part of what I made Naveen agree to in order to book you.”

Ruby had promised Joel she wouldn't go anywhere alone. “I'd like that.” After all, Joel was far away. The little defiance felt good.

“I'll pick you up after lunch tomorrow. Wear something comfortable.”

Ruby liked her already. Britta appeared with blue liquid in small glasses and a plate of small candies, fruits, and round chips decorated with colorful spreads. Ruby took one of the chips. “How long have you been here?”

She laughed softly. “Longer than you've been alive.” She gestured around the room. “Most of the people who could afford to attend this are older than me, and more powerful. Although entertaining well does give one some sort of power, don't you think?”

“I suppose.” She had not seen anyone like these people in the Exchange, not really. The guests at this party were physically soft, with calculating eyes. “Tell me stories. What do these people do?”

Satyana sipped from her blue drink. “They run things. They manage credit, or ships, or people. A few have simply been given riches by their families. Ask me about a specific person and I'll try and tell you.”

Ruby pointed to a tall man with long white hair decorated in feathers. “What about that one?”

“He created a series of healthcare bots when he was young. Made it rich early. Now he mostly looks pretty, but once in a while he starts a new company, makes a bunch of credits, sells it, relaxes for a while. At the moment, he's in a rest period.”

“Okay.” She pointed at a tall woman—almost everyone in here was tall—a woman who was taller than most of the rest of them, her skin and face all reddish-blue.

“That's Ferrell Yi. She runs Exchange Five.”

“She owns it?”

Satyana laughed. “No. Each Exchange has a manager. But assume she is powerful, and that she is paid well. The Exchanges are all owned by the people, by all of us.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow.

“Well, and run by the Council. The profit they don't take gets used to pay for central services.”

“Which are?”

“Transportation. Air. Water. Basic education.”

The blue drink tasted sweeter than Ruby liked, and she had to work to drink it. Curiously, her thoughts almost immediately seemed clearer. “What's in this?”

Satyana had her own cup. “Plants. They are chosen to add energy to your system.”

“It's good. Does the Council pay for the Brawl?”

“Of course. Although in a way, we all do. The credit comes from the tax.” Satyana leaned over. “Turn around. It's Stevenson.”

The Headman appeared from behind Ruby, offering her a hand. “That was beautifully done. You grace our station.”

He was both tall and broad, with swirling brown tattoos on his forearms and neck, a simple black shirt that flowed over black pants and black boots, and strings of colored beads that might have come from the
Fire
. It rocked her to see her symbol on him, silencing her voice for a moment. She swallowed her reaction—part anger and part confusion—and managed to say, “It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming to hear me.”

His smile disconcerted her almost as much as the beads around his neck. “How could I miss the newest sensation here?”

She blushed in spite of herself. “Thank you for the greenery. It made Ash much prettier.”

He smiled. “You're welcome.”

She searched for words. “The
Diamond Deep
is quite fascinating.”

“There is much I could show you. Will you join me for dinner next week?”

Instinct told her no. But surely this was a man with power she needed to understand. “Naveen keeps my schedule. He'll know if there is time.” He had eyes the color of the tattoos on his arms, a brown similar to some of the colors Naveen favored, but the irises were a very dark black. He frightened her in a way no known enemy ever had. “If it can be arranged, my assistant and my bodyguard will join us, of course.”

His eyes actually seemed to darken. But his smile widened and he gave a half-bow toward her. “I will have my people schedule time with you through the inimitable Naveen.” He turned to Satyana. “Excellent use of your venue. You've done well tonight.”

Satyana inclined her head a very tiny amount, as if acknowledging his power. “Thank you for gracing my party.”

He turned away then, and Ruby glanced over at Naveen. He was deep in conversation with KJ, and she wasn't even sure he had seen the Headman. But Min was staring hard at her.

She turned back to find Satyana looking contemplative. “He likes beautiful women.” She eyed Ruby. “He does not like to be told no.”

“I have a partner.”

“That will not matter very much to him.” Then Satyana laughed. “You are a spitfire, aren't you?”

“What is that?”

“Brave. I like brave women.” Satyana stood. She barely came to Ruby's shoulder. “I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Naveen has the details.”

On the short train ride from the
Star Bear
back to their rooms, Ruby sat beside Min, her eyes so heavy she had to force them open. Her words sounded slurred even though she'd had no alcohol all night. “I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk to you yet. Thank you for coming.”

Min gave her an odd look. “Thank you for allowing us to continue to watch you.”

That wasn't quite what Ruby had expected to hear. “As you've watched me, what have you seen?”

Min went quiet. Ruby was almost asleep in spite of her best intentions when Min said, “I don't know yet. You like attention, and you draw it. Men and women flock to you, and power comes to you.”

“We need attention, and I'm working as hard as I can to see we get it.”

A flashing light from outside of the train briefly illuminated Min's face, emphasizing the scar. “Did you bring us here so you could have attention?”

“To the
Deep
?”

Min nodded.

“We had to go somewhere.” It wasn't a good answer, but she didn't have a better one.

Min went quiet again.

This was not the vibrant woman she'd met in common long before they landed. “Look,” Ruby said, “You'll get to see a lot here. There are more important things for you to watch than me.”

Min regarded her solemnly.

Maybe this had been a mistake. “It would help me if you could watch everything. Not just me. Watch it all. And tell me—and whoever else you want—everything you see. I'm not hiding anything here. I'm doing the best I can. Think of it as witnessing about me and for me at the same time. As witnessing for the colony.”

Min didn't respond one way or the other. But just as the train was stopping, she whispered, “Your concert was good.”

Ruby whispered back, “Thank you.”