Elora opened the door and stuck her head in. “Name’s Laiken, Rookie.”
Glen’s face lit up in a way that left no mistake he was glad to see her. He jumped up and came around the desk. “Sorry. I just had to lower the boom on two trainees who are two years younger than I am. Everything about it was…”
“Weird.”
He nodded. “To say the least.”
“You’re doing great, kiddo. It takes some enormous… um, confidence to sit in the chair.”
He grinned. “Some enormous confidence?”
“Um-hmm. So there’s a reason why I’m honoring you with a visit.”
“Hey. That was my line. You stole my line.”
“Okay. I take it back.”
“To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
“You remember that thing you were doing for me. What I asked before we left Ireland?”
“You thought I forgot.”
“Well…”
“Of course you would think that. I should have let you know I’m on it. It’s a worthy mystery, tough enough to be fun, cool enough to be interesting. I was at the latest in a series of dead ends, but I’ve got a new lead. So the trail is heating up again. As soon as Sol gets back I’ll request some time off and a pass ride.”
“Good news.”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Well, I’m hoping. I wish I could tell you why I need the intel so badly, but just to reiterate, it’s important to some people I know. Really, really, really important.”
Glen cocked his head. “Abandon-my-post important? Or work-on-it-when-I-can important?”
“Scale of one to ten. One means if we never find out it’s no big deal. Ten is the end of days. I’m putting this between seven and eight.”
“Okay. You know I don’t have any free time while Sol’s gone and not much when he’s here. And the lead I need to follow requires travel with flex time and a long leash.”
“When Sol gets back, let me know what you need and I’ll make it happen.”
“Done, my Lady.” He gave her a little chivalrous bow.
“You know I never thought I’d live to see the acting Jefferson Unit Sovereign bow to me – and in his own office at that. Sol would have a coronary. Got to go.”
“Where you off to?”
“Trainee Mid, hand-to-hand.” She specified “Mid” because the twenty four trainees were divided into two classes of twelve each. The younger boys were beginning. The older boys were midlevel. The active duty knights were advanced.
Glen looked at his watch absently. “Would you drop this in Monq’s box on your way by?” He handed her a file.
“Sure. Later.”
Elora exited Elevator 3 a couple of steps behind Kristoph Falcon and Rolfe Wakenmann, who had been on Elevator 2. Some of the boys were gathered in the hall outside the sparring room. When Kris and Wakey walked up, one of the loiterers said, “Yo, Wakey. Let me see your eyes.” Wakey gave him a funny look. “Yep. Bottomless pools, clear and deep as a cloudless night.”
Amid a round of youthful laughter, Wakey responded with, “Fuck you!” Then he noticed that everyone stood straight as all eyes shifted to something behind him. He turned to come face to face with his instructor, the famous and formidable Lady Laiken. Taking a step back, he dropped his eyes.
She looked over the group. “Go on in and warm up. I want a private word with Mr. Wakenmann.” Once the boys had filed inside and closed the door, leaving the two of them alone in the hallway, she turned to Wakey. “You know, Sovereign Nemamiah has strong feelings about minors – that would be you, and expletives – that would be the last two words that came out of your mouth.”