Chapter 25

Sophia thought wistfully of the Warlock, gleaming under the white lights several decks beneath her feet. If things had gone differently, she could be cracking open the chemical stick on a box of pilot's rations right now, comfortably ensconced in the forward chair. Instead, she was trapped once again in a formal dinner and while the food was a culinary triumph, she would have given anything to be eating pilot's rations washed down with a bottle of beer.

Perhaps Bren would let her down to the flight deck after dinner. He hadn't even had to enforce his edict to keep her away from the Warlock until she could walk. All her energy had been consumed with the task of healing. She had trusted him to keep his word, and to keep the Warlock safe.

But with Philip on board, she wanted to see her ship with her own eyes, to touch the smooth metal of the hull and reassure herself that she still had wings. Especially when he started talking about her ship.

"I don't believe I've ever seen that vanship looking so pristine." He was saying.

"You haven't." Bren murmured, soft but clear. He wasn't being deliberately provoking, but he was no happier to be at the table than Sophia was.

She smiled, outwardly serene. "You saw the result of weeks of work, including assistance and invaluable advice from Captain Bren."

Philip displayed poorly concealed surprise, "He must be the ultimate authority on vanships. I recall that you declined all offers of help when you first started to rebuild it."

Bren concentrated on his next bite of fish and let her answer. He was willing to follow her lead, which was some comfort.

She decided to entertain Philip's choice of conversational topic, to see where he intended to go. "If not all vanships, then at least mine. As you know, he owned the Warlock before I did. No one could have come better recommended to me than the man who had designed some of the very systems I was restoring."

"It certainly came as a surprise to your many admirers when you suddenly up and took off in the ship to find this guru of yours, your grace. Did you intend to seek him out all along? The initial proposal submitted to the Projects Office shows that the ship was slated to be restored as a memorial to Princess Carolina, not an unregistered airship for your personal convenience."

Philip's expression had become stern but it was only a pretense, so Sophia knew they hadn't gotten to the meat of the discussion yet. The sudden interrogation was little more than pandering to the black market listeners who wanted to hear her squirm.

She gave him equally false concern, "It would be debasing my sister's memory to restore the ship she is famous for piloting, only to keep it on the ground. As for your insinuation that I would hold myself above the laws that apply to all Anatorayens, I am dismayed that you would assume such a thing without supporting evidence. If you had taken the time to investigate, you would have found that the ship is clearly registered in my name. I have always permitted scrutiny of my life, and I have no reason to discourage it now or ever."

She put extra stress on the word 'scrutiny' to remind Bren that Philip was recording every word that was spoken. That way Bren would know why she seemed to have suddenly taken affront to Philip's questions, and would remember not to say anything incriminating in front of the man.

She concentrated on another few bites of dinner while Philip gabbled apologies at her, each more insincere than the last, but it was standard diplomatic procedure so she let him run on. She gave the appropriate responses when required but otherwise ignored what was actually said until he began digging for information again.

"And of course no one could fault you for your dedication to the restoration of Princess Carolina's ship, your grace. It looks magnificent. How much of the work were you able to accomplish on your own, and how much of Captain Bren's assistance were you compelled to accept?"

He was definitely interested in the ship. Sophia throttled back her first response, which was to defend the Warlock, to shut down the entire line of questioning and insist that the ship was off-limits. Instead, she let him talk. Eventually she'd know exactly what his plans were.

She tilted a smile toward Bren, who was watching in sharp-eyed silence, turning his wine glass around in the cradle of one hand. "The work done on the ship cannot be so easily attributed to any one person. Not only did the Captain help me with design, restoration and repairs, several of the Silvana mechanics also offered their services. The Warlock wouldn't be in the shape he is today without each and every one of them."

Though Bren's expression didn't change, his green eyes darkened with amusement. He knew just how accurate her claim was.

"Sounds like you'd end up with something neither fish nor fowl with that many different views on how the ship should be restored." Philip mused.