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.Whether I havea bad case of hero worship, which is what Lieutenant Ferradi's told me, or a friendship, or orsomething else, doesn't really matter.What does, is whether the stories Ferradi's spreading abouther are true.""If they were true, what would you think?"Barin felt a pain in his chest squeezing out hope."Then, sir I would have to change my opinion.""Barin, I'm going to tell you something, in confidence, because right now you need to know it.Casea Ferradi has been trouble for every commander she's had it's why she's at the back of herclass's promotion list but she's never quite managed to get herself thrown out.If LieutenantSuiza hadn't had that quarrel with Sera Meager, if Lord Thornbuckle hadn't fastened on her as thescapegoat in this mess, no one would be paying the slightest attention to Ferradi's accusations.file:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Eliz.egacy%2005%20-%20Rules%20Of%20Engagement.txt (150 of 230) [5/20/03 11:37:29 PM]file:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Elizabeth%20-%20The%20Serrano%20Legacy%2005%20-%20Rules%20Of%20Engagement.txtNow they are and if she's so far overreached herself as to break regulations concerning legalpaperwork, we've got her at last.Tell me, do you know if Koutsoudas is still running scan on yourcousin's ship?""I think so, sir." Where was this leading?"Good.We're going to need really good scan to catch her in the act, because she's no dummy.Andby the way, good job on finding Pell.We've found two others here.though we haven't figuredout what the problem is yet."A half hour later, Barin was on his way to the berth of the Navarino, his cousin Heris's ship.Heris was at home to family members he had the distinct feeling that if he'd been an ensign named,perhaps, Livadhi or Hornan, he might have cooled his heels for an hour before getting in to seeher."You want my scan techs sucking for you? What's wrong with yours? Escovar's always been able topick good people."Dockery had left it to him how much to tell, but this was family.Barin made it as short as hecould, emphasizing that he had thought at first it was Heris's record Ferradi was after, in orderto help Hornan wrest command of the task force from Admiral Serrano."Are you involved?" The emphasis clearly meant culpable as well."No, and yes," Barin said."Lieutenant Ferradi also happens to see me as her ticket to the Serranodynasty.""Does she now?" Heris looked suddenly very dangerous indeed, as if a sleeping falcon had waked,and aimed its deadly gaze at a target."And what do you think she's done, that you need Koutsoudasto discover?""Gone hunting in supposedly secure legal files, and possibly altered data, sir." That last was hisown guess; Dockery hadn't been impressed by it, but he was sure that if Ferradi would lieverbally, she would not be above fudging the records.Why else risk tinkering with those files atall?"Ah.Well.tell you what.You can have a couple of hours of Koutsoudas' time but I get thewhole story afterwards.""Yes, sir.""And your captain owes me dinner."Now how was he going to explain that one? He returned thoughtfully to Gyrfalcon's berth, andreported his success to Dockery."Koutsoudas will be along after lunch, sir," he said at last."Good.In the meantime, I want you to go destroy property and get yourself chewed out.""Sir?""Go find Lieutenant Ferradi which shouldn't be hard, as you say she's been adherent and figure outsome way to damage her datawand.I want her to have to initialize another.I don't care how you doit, as long as you don't damage the lieutenant but I will mention that just dropping one in analcoholic beverage is not sufficient.On the other hand, the application of sufficient pointpressure is."Barin set out on this mission with the uneasy feeling that Dockery's past might be moreinteresting than he had thought.When and why had Dockery discovered that dropping a datawand inalcohol wouldn't damage it?Ferradi found him just as he was turning into the junior officers' mess and recreation area."Lunch, Ensign?" she asked brightly."Oh yes.Excuse me, Lieutenant " He made a show of patting his pockets."Drat!"file:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Eliz.egacy%2005%20-%20Rules%20Of%20Engagement.txt (151 of 230) [5/20/03 11:37:29 PM]file:///F|/rah/Elizabeth%20Moon/Moon,%20Elizabeth%20-%20The%20Serrano%20Legacy%2005%20-%20Rules%20Of%20Engagement.txt"What?""I was supposed to check on something for Commander Dockery, and then Major Carmody asked mesomething else, and I forgot my datawand.It's back aboard.I'll have to go back unless I couldborrow yours, sir?""You should carry it with you all the time," Ferradi said, pulling out hers."What did Dockerywant?""Spares delivery schedule," Barin said promptly."He says they've shorted on pre-dets the lastfour times.You probably know all about it.""Oh yeah.Everyone's complaining." She handed over the wand, and Barin looked around.The nearesthigh-speed dataport was out in the corridor."I'll just be moment," he said."I heard they have Lassaferan snailfish chowder today " Sureenough, she went on to the serving tables.Snailfish chowder was a rare treat.Barin found the high-speed port and jammed the datawand in.Nothing happened; it lit up normally [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]