Chapter 11

The community hall was packed with male attendants. As this was also the dining hall, (and the school during the day) some females were tidying up in the kitchen and attending to the tea samovars and sweetmeats for the audience. Barati had addressed his menfolk informing them of the Queen's offer of enlistment in "The Queen's Own" for approximately fifty as pilots of an experimental spacecraft whose role was to be a part of a fleet antimissile defence. The risks were not inconsiderable and being wounded was not likely, it was life or death and nothing between. Groups of twenty volunteers, starting in the morning, would travel to the Naval Aviation Wing at RMN Academy for tests lasting the day; these would include a simulator exercise. He then asked Commodore McCock to further explain and answer questions.

McCock briefly described the spacecraft and supplied more detail of the proposed tasks. He explained and described the living areas on "Infamous" and briefly described the ship board day. There were few questions.

Barati told the assembly how the young Sahibs had obtained a list of call-signs from the playroom simulators with the highest scores first. If that man wanted to volunteer, please answer to his call sign. There was no answer to the first name and Barati's disappointment showed as he went on. There were answers to the next four callsigns and then another silence. The silences became more frequent as the list progressed. At twenty volunteers, McCock excused himself and headed back to the apartment block. He noticed movement at the female quarters and saw a group of females hurrying across to the community hall. He had barely further progressed when loud voices increasingly raised behind him told of a family disagreement. Having an interest in the matter, McCock was retracing his steps and saw the cottages apparently empty of the older females to descend upon the hall. The increased volume of sound and fury turned McCock back to his bed; his curiosity was rapidly lost at the thought of finding himself in the middle on an intertribal conflict divided along gender lines.

In his suite preparing for bed, he realised that he had conflicting emotions about an awakened relationship with Erin. He appreciated the significance of Nan's message and then wondered why she had thought to give him such a message. When he examined the recent 'Nancarrow' events, he wondered what nefarious scheme was being hatched, how it involved him, should he stop going with the tide and would he be dropped into a bucket of it.

McCock decamped early, more hurriedly when he noted the breakfast was not as tasteful as usual and that only male attendants were on view. As he entered his shuttle to take him to the Royal Observatory, he saw a cheerful group of Ghorkhali men clambering into a shuttle bus.

The absence of the female attendants had not gone unnoticed. An embarrassed and evasive reply to Trudie's rather offhand query as to the location of the female attendants concentrated her attention more closely. To be told that Barati was involved on family business and was not available was not the most diplomatic response to a further question

The image of the Memsahib, with steam rising from her upper body, fire issuing from her nostrils and eyes blazing, quickly convinced the junior male staff that this was a problem for the Majordomo.

That worthy was torn; on the one hand he had tribal problems and on the other a very annoyed Memsahib whose anger, slow to rise, was explosive. He had female problems no matter where he turned. The Memsahib was unfortunately here and now.

Barati entered the Memsahib's office, stood courteously in front of her,

"Memsahib?" with the look on her face making him think perhaps this was the wrong choice.

"Where are the women?"

"They are returning to the home village, Memsahib." He noted the slow resolution of the Memsahib's features to completely neutral with an increasing trepidation.

"It is up to you to settle your dispute, but if they are not back here by tomorrow sunset, you will face the Queen Empress for your explanation. You may go."

Barati knew that the Memsahib did not make idle threats and facing his Sovereign's wrath, however she was involved in this, was the lowest on his list of possible pleasures. He arranged for a fast shuttle, instructed his Sebadar to undertake the Majordomo duties while he retrieved the women. They both expressed amazement that the Sovereign was taking an interest in such a trivial matter.

They were not aware that the Queen through Trudie had an interest different to that which had precipitated the females' departure; that the Memsahib was not aware of the reason for the departure was fortunate for the Sebadar Major.

"Don't bother to knock" was the advice given to McCock by the Porter at the Royal Observatory, "he never answers. Just open the door and go in."

When he came to the door bearing the name plate baldly informing the reader that a "Bollinger" might be behind it, McCock did just that. He entered an office not much bigger than a clothes closet which was almost totally occupied by a normal sized desk and a gnome sitting behind it. The gnome continued to write using a stylus dipped from time to time in a tar coloured fluid. After some moments, McCock noticed a rather out of place balloon backed carver under a pile of documents; he removed the documents to the end of the desk, placed the carver opposite the gnome and sat in it.