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He was carrying a tray with a squat brown flask and four rather small glasses on it. He gave Trigger a grin. She gave him a tentative smile in return. The Commissioner had introduced him: Heslet Quillan Major Heslet Quillan, of the Subspace Engineers. For a Subspace Engineer, Trigger had thought skeptically, he was a pretty good grabber. But there was a qualified truce in the room.
When the ComWeb reported the fourth caller, it sounded awed. "The name given is the Lady Lyad Ermetyne!" it said. Quillan beamed. "Lyad? Bless her heart! A pleasure. Put her through." A screen shaped itself on the wall mirror to the right. Lyad Ermetyne's face appeared in it. "Heslet Quillan!" She smiled. "So you aren't permanently lost to your friends, after all!" It was a light, liquid voice.
She studied Brule's features soberly. "Major Heslet Quillan," she announced suddenly in cold, even tones, "is a completely impossible character!" It was no more than the truth. She didn't mind so much that Quillan wouldn't tell her what he thought of Lyad Ermetyne's standing on the suspect list now there hadn't really been much opportunity for open conversation so far.
A little later again, Trigger suddenly shifted her shoulder uneasily, frowned and made a little half-angry, half-whimpering cry. Then her face smoothed out. Her breathing grew quiet and slow. Major Heslet Quillan of the Subspace Engineers came breezing into Manon Planet's spaceport very early in the morning.
"Then by all means," Lyad said, "let's stay together a little while longer." "She," said Trigger, "is a remarkable woman." "Yeah," said Quillan. "Remarkable." "May I ask you, finally, a few pertinent questions?" Trigger inquired humbly. "Not here, sweet stuff," said Quillan. "You're a bossy sort of slob, Heslet Quillan," she said equably. Quillan didn't answer.
Professor Mantelish hadn't yet got back from his latest field trip, and Major Heslet Quillan just wasn't there. It looked, Trigger decided, not at all reluctantly, like a good day to lean into her Precol job a bit. She told the staff to pitch everything not utterly routine her way, and leaned.
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