Poison

Five hours later, after many tedious but informal questions by Officer Lahane, Tobias returned home to watch his mother fly down the stairs and throw herself on his shoulder, sobbing theatrically. He put an arm around her, though he couldn't remember the last time they'd hugged and he felt too weary for this kind of display.
"I thought you were going to be imprisoned, or worse." She pulled back to look at him, as if he'd just come home from a three-month vacation and she was proud of his adventures. She lifted a hand towards his face. "Your cheek is healing nicely."
"I guess." It still hurt to talk and he'd been forced to talk all day.
"Did they treat you well?"
"It was fine."
"Fine? When I've been frantic, not knowing what they'd do to you." A long shaky sigh was wrung from her. Then she brightened a little. "Fortunately, I've had Geln to keep me company. He's been a wonderful distraction."
Tobias stiffened. "Geln Marac is here?"
"Yes." His mother turned her head and looked up. Tobias followed her gaze and saw the green-eyed boy leaning on the balustrade observing this tender family scene. He was too young for her, and a worker. She'd hate that. "I needed the emotional support."
Support? Tobias frowned while Geln grinned as if sincerely glad to see him. He raised one hand and, in a parody of a wave, waggled his fingers.
"I'm pleased to meet you standing, Tobias." The voice was rich, though not deep, and full of humor.
Geln's attempt to charm annoyed Tobias. One enthralled Smator was surely more than enough. He didn't respond to Geln's greeting, though he kept his gaze on that pretty face as he spoke. "Geln's a worker, Mother."
"Worker?" she repeated, tone implying Tobias had made a bad joke.
Geln went very still. With that one word, worker, his friendly smile vanished, his expression dimmed, and Tobias felt regretful, like he'd just lost something.
"The police are very interested in him," Tobias continued, ostensibly talking to his mother. But he didn't wish the police on anyone, especially a worker, and Geln deserved the warning. Tobias disliked his mother's sycophants, but had some loyalty for the man who had helped him vomit up poison. It was why he'd said as little as possible about Geln to the police.
"Geln?" His mother spun around to look up at the young beauty. She spoke too quickly. "What's Tobias talking about? You can't be a worker." Her polished smile was slipping.
"No, I can't," he drawled. "But life can get complicated. Excuse me a moment." He disappeared from view.
She turned back to Tobias. "Worker? Are you sure?"
Tobias felt bad. "That's what the police said. Look, Mother, I'm exhausted." Tobias reached for the bell-pull and rang for his man.
They waited in awkward silence, his mother looking away from him, lost in thought.
"The police say he's a worker?" she asked yet again, this time in a quiet, small voice, right before Sandorl entered the foyer.
"Yes," Tobias sighed. Perhaps he had just ended a promising relationship, but he hadn't wanted that man with his mother anyway.
Tobias handed Sandorl his overcoat and trudged up to his room.


Geln slammed his fist against the brick wall, abrading the skin. "Major screw up. Major, major screw up. Damn, damn, damn."
Kleemach didn't respond right away. Then it sounded amused. "Sound-damping comes in handy at times, doesn't it?"
"I am screwed, so screwed. I am--"
"Stop that." Kleemach's voice changed, likely a subroutine kicking in. "Breathe slowly and get yourself under control. Now."
"Major is such a stupid word." Geln whimpered.
"Calm down, Geln. We'll handle this."
"Right. Yeah."
"You're not alone."
In theory, no. Geln had Kleemach's extensive support. But physically and emotionally Geln was alone, marooned on a feudal planet with an AI floating far above him. It took all of Geln's will not to scream bull. He wrapped his arms around himself and dug fingers into his skin--the dank washroom was cold.
"Okay," said Kleemach, all business. "Let's go over this. How much do they know?"
"They believe I'm a worker. They're going to bloody well interrogate me. Not only do their drugs and violence scare the crap out of me, but I'll reveal what I know about the cadre. The cadre can be pathetic and violent, but I don't want to betray them."
"You have more potent secrets."
Kleemach didn't give a crap about the homegrown cadre, a rather motley group of men with unrealistic aspirations that involved overthrowing the government. What the AI didn't want Rimanians to discover was Alliance espionage. Well, neither did Geln, given that he was a spy. "Yes, Kleemach. Hell knows what the Rimanians will do once they realize I'm an Alliance operative. Hell knows what the Alliance will do."
"The Alliance is on your side. Don't be needlessly paranoid, Geln."
Geln snorted. "From now on I'll save my paranoia for situations that warrant it."