Stars Rise

LXXX. The Boss Traps Varian

Ilan Potestas tapped a black brogued foot to the music with his guests on all sides — far, far outnumbering his body guards. He felt impatient. Ignatius Varian had slipped through Ilan's fingers all night, and he was fighting the temptation to command one of his security to bring Varian by force.

Leander was at his back, in a much smarter three-piece suit than the one Louis had given him, which looked about a century out of style, and the tower's uniformed guards were never far, wearing matte midnight blue to avoid drawing the eye.

He was detained again by toasts to his long life and survival until he remembered he didn't care about successfully completing the social valediction drinking ritual, and he broke straight through his company at the merest hint of Varian's purple coat tails disappearing between black suit backs.

He and Leander were closing in, cornering Varian in the corner opposite the elevators when Cristo popped up. "Boss—" he started.

"Cristo, good, you can help," said Ilan. "Between the three of us we should be able to trap him."

"Trap him?"

"Yes. You flank on the right, Leander on the left. I'll catch him in the middle."

"We're hunting Ignatius Varian?"

"He's running," said the boss. "I don't see how else to catch him."

"Okay," said Cristo, and he stalked off to the right, a mild smile betraying his incredulity.

Leander went left, but Varian had plenty of obstacles to sneak around, meandering guests, some of them ballroom dancing, and waiters avoiding stepping on toes in a desperate effort to be of service.

The boss passed between them all, as if they parted out of his way, and Varian's eyes darted left to right for an escape. Ilan wondered if he was about to break every social rule into a run to get away.

That would be hilarious.

Varian noticed Leander coming for him and went the other way straight into Cristo, but when "Julian Somnare" approached with loud, polite pleasantries, Varian didn't run away — he slowed to talk, social constraints appropriately in place, even if it meant the boss caught him.

By the time Ilan got there, Cristo was corralling his prey with conversation. "If only our perception of the passing of time was altered, it really must have been President Solin's doing," Cristo was saying. Then he turned to Ilan to invite him into their exchange, but Ilan was done playing games and making conversation.

"Let's have a drink in my office," said the boss. Leander appeared on Varian's other side.

Varian rubbed his hands together and said, "I think I've had enough drinks, boss. It's early—"

"A coffee," said Ilan. Behind Varian's back, Ilan opened a link through which was a closed office door, and when he nodded to it Varian spun on the spot, hesitated but didn't look back, and entered in front of Leander.

On the other side, the office door swung open as if inviting them in, and the boss and Leander came through, leaving Cristo to scamper off happily back into the crowd. Two uniformed security guards had been posted outside the office door. It closed.

The office, located in the hovering penthouse, was enormous, with an enormous wood conference table, and three guest armchairs. Behind the desk was a view of the snowy night from the penthouse, visible through a permanent link, as if it were a window.

The boss withdrew a box of cigars from a drawer in the desk and offered one to Varian. He selected one for himself and it was lit the instant it reached his mouth.