Chapter 11

She followed Paron out of the elevator car and down a richly paneled hallway to where it ended in a set of massive doors. Paron opened one side and strode through, nodding, but not speaking, to a young woman behind a desk just inside. The room was simple, but elegant, furnished in uncomfortable looking furniture and modern art, obviously the outer waiting room for this firm where lesser people would be forced to cool their heels.

Through a second set of slightly smaller, but no less elegant, doors she found a slightly less formal waiting room, this time staffed by a middle-aged woman sitting at one of a pair of desks. There were four comfortable-looking chairs and a small couch, all circling a low, glass topped table. Paron, stopped just inside the double doors and caught her eye, pointing at the waiting area, then turning to the woman at her desk.

"I will tell him that she is here." he said, sounding very formal, and headed for a third set of double doors situated behind the pair of desks.

"Tav, he is busy at the moment and does not want to be disturbed. Why not have a seat and I will let you know when he can be interrupted." the older woman said, without looking up from her terminal.

Kat saw Paron's step falter and his shoulders hunch, twitching. He straightened himself, and then spun on his heel and went to the empty desk. Before sitting down, he spoke without looking at either woman. "That will be fine." He appeared to think about that statement for a minute, and then nodded to himself and sat down behind the desk.

Kat, despite her misgivings, was fascinated by the subtle power play she had just witnessed. Sneaking a look at the older woman, she was surprised to see her roll her eyes and then stand, making her way over to the sitting area.

Her voice, so no-nonsense and businesslike just a moment ago, was warm and welcoming when she spoke to Kat. "He will be free in a few minutes. Can I get you something while you wait? Kafe? A soft drink perhaps?"

"Thank you, no, though I could use directions to the fresher. We rushed out of the spaceport so fast that I simply didn't have time." Kat replied, smiling at the woman.

"Yes, of course! I always feel like I need to wash up after traveling." she said, with an envious poker face that belied the faint smile on her face as she rolled her eyes again in Paron's direction. "Let me show you."

Waving her hand in front of what Kat had assumed was just a decoration, the woman led her through a panel that opened almost seamlessly in the wall. The hallway behind the panel was more corporate, as though it was hidden not for security, but because it was strictly a staff area.

"My name is Margherite Mason, but most folks around here just call me Margo. I am Poseidon's executive secretary and, incidentally, his number two here at Beta station." she explained as they walked. "That pompous ass in there is Poseidon's nephew. Nepotism is still alive and well in our little corner of paradise."

Margo showed her a well-appointed and comfortable looking office where she said she would wait and then pointed out the womens' fresher just a couple of doors down.

Returning to the office, Kat was surprised to see Margo sitting on the visitors' side of the desk and was even more surprised to see a small nameplate on top of the desk that simply read 'Themis'. Margo waved Kat to the desk.

"This is your office and the place you will spend an inordinate amount of time while with us. After your welcome speech from the boss, I will take you down and introduce you to our, well, I guess you would call him our Senior Agent, now that we have two."

"Actually, unless the Agent has changed in the last year, I believe I have made his acquaintance already. The last meeting was not, hmm, the most convivial, but he didn't seem a bad sort." Kat said, remembering Helios, and his Bowtie cover, from the ship that had brought her to the Citadel.

"Good, then you will be ahead of the game. Let's get back in there, Poseidon should be free soon.

When they returned to the office area, they were just in time to hear shouting from the now open office door.

"If she told I was busy, then what the hell are you doing bothering me? I have told you again and again that Margo runs this damn office. I don't care if you are my nephew, you keep it up and you will be counting paperclips in supply until you are ready to retire, you got me?"

Red-faced, Paron closed the door and turned. Seeing the women standing there in the open panel, his face blanched, and he hurried to his desk.

Margo walked to her desk and, seeing something made her nod, motioned for Kat to follow her. She opened the door to Poseidon's office and stood, blocking the entrance for a moment before asking the person inside "Are you ready?"

Kat didn't hear a reply, but Margo stood aside and waved her in, closing the door behind her.

The office could have come from a movie's prop department and labeled "Corporate Office, Head Honcho, Upscale". The desk was lustrous onyx color and reflected the sky from the windows that took up an entire wall behind the occupant. The walls were lined with matching bookcases whose shelves were stocked with the typical, leather-bound books and folios.

Poseidon was a tall, distinguished looking man with a toned, tanned complexion and salt & pepper hair. He wore a gargantuan gold watch and a pinkie ring that screamed 'Look at me!' to the world. His tie was loose and the top button of his shirt was unbuttoned, but he looked like he had planned his immaculate wardrobe around that unbuttoned collar. He gave the impression that he had been having a bad day so far, and that this was just another thing that was taking him away from more important issues.

Kat stood in front of his desk, waiting for him to make the first move. He simply stared at her for a moment, no real expression on his face. "Please have a seat, Themis." he said, his voice a pleasant baritone, though the tone was wary.

"I am Poseiden, Sector Commanding Officer for the Beta Sector. Let's start by giving you a little background on this office and our front operation. Our situation is a little different here in Beta. This is an old system, and this particular front was created before any of us were born. The original Agency contact was a businessman, recruited after he had already made his fortune. A friend and confidant of the first of the Director, he was already in a position of some influence and had access to governmental sources that would have taken many years to create from scratch.

When he retired, he agreed to leave the infrastructure in place and lease the entire setup to the Agency for a single credit a year, with the understanding that the whoever was assigned here would also be a businessman and run the business in addition to conducting Agency business. This has led to certain concessions over the years.

In addition to your responsibilities as an Agent in training, you will need to learn about the business so that you can use the cover appropriately." His voice took on a stricter tone at this point, his gaze fixed on Kat's face.

"I know you have already been on an assignment and that you got good reviews on your performance. I want you to know that I was against sending you out and I don't want you to get the idea that you are going to play holo-drama spy in this assignment. You will not be shooting anyone, blowing anything up or creating your own army. You will be under the guidance and control of Helios. You will follow his instructions, even if you do not agree with them. If you have an issue with an order he gives, you do it first, then you can see Margo for an appointment if you feel that is warranted. Do I make myself perfectly clear, Themis? I want to make sure you and I are seeing eye to eye at the very beginning."