Chapter 26

Time to go. The lot. Everybody. Stat.

McCock used his PDA to make the broadcast message. Everyone back to Geneva. Acknowledge recall.

R1 down into n space and dispatch the assault shuttles to the Geneva Mansion. Lock the Mansion down and pack up the belongings

McCock and his expanded party returned to the Royal Scotchman where an international shuttle organised by Sally awaited. A quick scatter to collect belongings and then to the roof pad and shuttle. McCock noted that his ladies assisted by Rosemary carried their own baggage. Sir Joshua was still giving instructions to one of his executives as he prepared to board.

McCock connected to Sir Henry whilst en route to discuss the attack and was informed that the Chencon gardner had lost his way and had some how sought refuge in the Mansion's cellars; the poor fellow was bruised and battered having tripped on the steps going down. Sir Henry claimed that a carpet he was at this moment purchasing in the village was to cover the deck of his 'puter compartment and he was not going to leave it behind. And by the way, McCock's was the last in, the shuttles were in n space and expected just before McCock. Geneva Control was being 'sticky' about landing assault shuttles on a private property. Well it hadn't been mentioned that these were assault shuttles and Geneva Control was concerned about migration and customs' clearances. Sir Henry had used his initiative and ordered them into stealth hoping that Harbourian EW would be enough. It was. McCock found Evan acting as local controller for the shuttles. The Edinberg party moved from their shuttle directly to the ramp of the assault shuttle and quickly seated and strapped themselves in. Evan came up the ramp making the 'raise it' signal to the crew chief and the shuttle went to full power and lifted off. Evan commed McCock to tell him everybody was accounted for with the additional two taken on McCock's trust. The crew chief threw a cargo net over the assorted baggage piled in the middle of the compartment — to the restrained horror of the females of the group.

By the time the shuttle was nearing R1, Eurocon Control was demanding the unidentified vessel over Suiss speak with them. McCock ordered the shuttle into its berth in the hold and R1 to immediately translate into hyper. Timothy Avers reported no potential problems as he was receiving the signal from U94 which had its SC deployed below the layer.

The Crew Chief passed around the bags and the passengers awaited the layer transition. R1 moved into cosmic space without incident except for strange noises emanating from a rolled up carpet. Once into cosmic space McCock had everyone move to the accommodation on R1. Sir Henry moved among the group debriefing their after action reports. R1 moved down the layers to enter Gorgipest Harbour, joined to "Trader's" No 5 hatch, disgorged McCock and his staff and then stood off to the Ferguson Yards.

This time, however, the bodyguards were loaded down with what the females couldn't carry; and that was a lot. The Ghorkhali females had used their time off to go into the country side and the Staff females had moved into the up market end of fashion. All the females purchased baggage was placed in the dining hall and McCock was grandly informed that it had been a planned exercise with each group doing what it knew best and purchases had been made not only for the purchaser but for other females. Slow had knowledge of this grand scheme and had contributed funds. The next two days were a fashion show interrupted only by meals and by the need for some of the females to make their reports to the now all male board meeting. Rosemary was in an eighth heaven, you know the one above seventh, flitting from group to group admiring all the styles and offering helpful advice.

McCock attended the farewell party sporting a truly magnificent / horrendous left black eye depending from whose side of the opinion fence you sat.

The morning after their return, everybody was finishing up at breakfast and McCock was in conversation with the three Knights preparatory to continuing the Board's review. The Dowager Duchess walked purposely up to the group and asked Sir Lancelot

"He" nodding at McCock "is going to enjoy a long useful life?"

"Yes, while there are some physical side effects as his systems adjust, they are basically treated now."

"So, he can still suffer the slings and arrows as it were without side effects or any more harm than would be expected?"

A rather puzzled Sir Lancelot answered,

"Oh, yes he can still be injured but the effects will not be more than expected."

"Good, very good" nodded to Sir Lancelot, turned on her heel as if to go and used the momentum to punch McCock's lights out; well, one of them. McCock ended up on the deck with the Duchess standing over him and giving him the best of her furious glare,

"And that's for not telling me. As for the sixteen years we've missed, you are going to make up for them every day of your regenerated lives." And stalked off.

No one mentioned it but all of GmBH knew that the Nancarrow women had spent the night in the Captain's Cabin so the consensus was that things had been settled. Not quite. The 'boys'.