The Forgotten Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 6)

Chapter 4.2

The space station commander took a few minutes to formally greet them, but other than that they were left to settle in and relax until the welcome reception. Sabrina was pleased to see that she had been assigned a suite with enough room for Ranja and Thad to stay with her, as they preferred. Ford had another suite, with Stecklan in residence, to Ford's disgust. "Now that really is going to put a crimp in my social life!" he complained to Sabrina as she unpacked.

"He has his own room, Ford. And he's trained to be discreet. You can hold orgies in there for all he cares, as long as you don't keep him awake," Sabrina said, trying not to laugh.

"I thought we were keeping up the fiction that you're the main target."

"But my staff are here, and they're trained and armed with stunners," Sabrina said. "Having Stecklan too would be an embarrassment of riches, and besides, I am not the main target, as we've established."

Ford glanced around to make sure Ranja wasn't listening to them as she unpacked one of Sabrina's trunks nearby. "We can't be absolutely certain of that."

Sabrina shook out a casual dress and frowned at it, then consigned it to the pile of clothes that needed pressed. "I really ought to stop packing things myself. Ranja never wrinkles anything. I think she has some kind of magical incantation. Look, Ford, what's the problem here? I told you that we were going to adhere to security protocols on this trip. You're not going to talk me out of it."

"I just didn't realize I was going to end up with a roommate."

"For my sanity," Sabrina replied. "Otherwise how do I know you wouldn't be out hijacking something while I'm safely asleep?"

"I promised you: no running off. I plan to prove I can play by the rules on this trip. Maybe Mother will loosen the apron strings then."

"I know you promised, Ford. And I believe you. But this conference may well drive me screaming into vacuum. It's bound to bore you even worse."

Ford looked offended. "I can think of no circumstances," he said stiffly, "under which I would break my word to you! And you have no cause to think it!"

Sabrina blinked, unprepared for the serious turn in the conversation. She sighed and glanced around, then took Ford by the arm and steered him into the suite's main room. "I don't think it," she said. "But I am not going to take chances with your life. Period. Try, just for a second, to see this from my perspective."

"I suppose bringing me home in a box would be bad for your career."

Sabrina pursed her lips at him. "Try this: you just came back into my life. I want to keep you in it."

Ford stared at her for a moment. "That...may be the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

"I doubt that. You got me through one of the worst periods of my life when Scotty was being reconstructed and Tassan died. I hate that you feel even a little bit guilty over the, er, the last time we encountered Malvarak, because I regard that merely as returning the favor."

"But what you did for me...can't be equaled by holding your hand and giving you a shoulder to cry on," Ford said, perplexed. "I don't understand how you can possibly think the two even out."

"I always try to give better than I get," Sabrina smiled. "Now, if you really want to help me, go unpack and get ready to be charming at the reception. You're my secret intelligence asset, remember?"

Ford shook his head with a rueful smile. Then he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. Sabrina was still smiling when she rejoined Ranja.

"What?" she asked her aide, who was grinning.

"I was getting worried," Ranja said, "that we'd met the one person in the universe who could—what's the Earth phrase?—twist you around his finger. I'm relieved to know it can work both ways."