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situation would be turned around: There would be no case for Lornod to have to
answer to; Jenyn would have nothing left to try and cover up, because it would
be in the open; and he would have nothing to gain if anything were to
'happen.' But he would have a lot to lose."
There was nothing more to be added. Silence fell while Tyarla shifted her eyes
from one to another of them. "Look, if it helps, none of us feels anything
against you personally," Elundi said, more to relieve the strain.
"Why do you care?" Tyarla asked finally. She was still stalling.
Elundi pondered, then threw up his hand and made a face. "I guess I'm not like
Jenyn. I believe truth and principle do matter. If you have to sacrifice them
to get the results you want, then the results aren't worth it." Perhaps
feeling that he was being a bit pompous, he added in an easier tone, "I
suppose I'd never have made a Terran."
They waited. "I'm not admitting to anything, but I'll think about it," Tyarla
said. "Give me until tomorrow. I'll talk to you again then." Her tone was
final.
Elundi, Lorili, and Iwon looked at each other. They all read from the others'
faces an agreement that there was nothing further to be done for now. Elundi
rose, and the other two followed.
"Thanks for hearing us out," he said to Tyarla. "We'll leave it with you,
then." For a moment Lorili feared he was going to spoil things with a final
sermon, but he played it right, left it at that, and moved toward the door.
Tyarla went ahead and held it open for them.
"Thanks for caring," she said almost in a whisper as Lorili, who was last in
line, was about to step through. Lorili looked at her, hesitated, and grasped
her hand briefly before Tyarla closed the door.
Outside, they stood looking at each other, each waiting for the others to find
something appropriate.
Finally Elundi hazarded, "Drink somewhere?"
"Good idea," Iwon agreed.
"Magic Carpet?" Lorili suggested.
Iwon looked dubious. "Too crowded. I'm not in the mood."
"I agree," Elundi said."How about the Caspian? It should be quiet there at
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this time."
The nods said the verdict was unanimous. They turned to head back the way they
had come, toward the Central District. As they moved away, a figure that had
been approaching from the opposite direction and stopped when they came out of
Tyarla's door, emerged from the shadows of a stand of rhododendrons.
Derlen had told Tyarla that she would stop by later in the evening, but then
found herself at a loose end and decided to make it earlier. Also, she was
itching to learn the latest on this business that Tyarla had gotten herself
involved in. But it seemed there were things going on that Derlen wasn't a
part of.
Maybe Tyarla would tell her about it now. But when Derlen went up to the door
and rang after waiting a few minutes for the visitors' to be well gone, Tyarla
seemed distracted and not all that pleased to see her.
"Yes, I know I said we'd go out somewhere," she told Derlen, "but something
unexpected has come up. Can we make it another time?"
"Well, I guess so," Derlen said. She felt put out and didn't try to disguise
it. If something like this were likely to happen, Tyarla could have called her
and said so. She waited, but Tyarla didn't invite her in.
"What kind of thing has come up?" she inquired.
"Oh, I can't go into it now. Could we just leave things for tonight? I need to
be on my own to figure some things out. I'll give you a call, okay?"
No apology. No mention of whatever it was Elundi apparently already important
enough in Tyarla's life to be involved in. Derlen hadn't been aware of any
further dealings between Elundi and Tyarla since the night he had been with
Jenyn in the Magic Carpet. As Derlen walked away, she remembered that
Elundi had asked her not long ago for Tyarla's call code. He'd said it was
because a friend had asked him if he knew any accountants who might be able to
help with something or other. She was feeling angry and jealous. Something
significant was going on, and Derlen was being left out.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Filaeyus Sherven, Honored Doctor of Science & Philosophy, sat at the desk in
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