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frustrated with a day of watching people go about what seemed to be very
ordinary lives how could, after the last few days, everyone behave so
normally?
Kuusinen finally gave up his watch and went to his hotel for the evening. At
least it would give him a chance to bathe and change clothes. His room seemed
faintly sur-
prised to see him he hadn't been home for almost two days.
On rising, he ordered first breakfast and scanned the room's computers for any
recent developments. The police remained baffled, Maijstral remained in
Nichole's suite, and Kuusinen's ears pricked forward Nichole had an-
nounced Maijstral as her escort for this evening's farewell ball in honor of
the Diadem's departure.
He paged through his messages, found his invitation waiting in computer
storage, and ordered it (and the mag-
netic code strip that would get him past Diadem security)
printed out.
At least tonight he'd be able to get a took at everybody.
Maybe their behavior would tell him something.
"You'll excuse us. Lieutenant, I hope."
"Certainly, madam."
Lieutenant Navarre bowed, sniffed Nichole's ears and
216 / WALTER JON WILLIAMS
Maijstral's, and stepped from Nichoie's parlor into her withdrawing room. The
door slid shut behind him. Nichole looked at Maijstral with bright eyes. He
smiled.
"A new passion, my lady?"
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Nichole made a face. "I said, did I not, that you knew me too well?"
"He has been here two nights. There was no need for him to stay he could have
left wearing his own face- And now I find the two of you finishing breakfast."
She took his arm and sighed. "He is a startling man. He has a trick
memory can't forget anything. It's astonish-
ing, the clarity of his recollections. And he's done things,
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Drake. Saved lives, risked his own. He's been doing all this while I've been
taking tours in front of the cameras.
With him, it's all been real."
"I wish you joy, Nichole."
She laughed. "Thank you, Drake. You know, I'm very glad to see you in one
piece."
He smiled and kissed her. "Happy to be in one piece, my lady."
"Shall I order second breakfast?"
"Thank you, no. I've already eaten."
"Here. Sit beside me."
Maijstral removed some fax from his place and idly scanned the lines as he
handed them to a robot. "A play, Nichole?"
She gave him a coven smile. "Indeed. Lieutenant Navarre suggested I would be
good in it."
He looked at her. "Is he correct?"
"It's a marvelous part. The character is a manipulator and she plays half a
dozen strong roles just in maneuvering the other characters into behaving as
she wishes."
"Will you do it?"
THE CROWN JEWELS I 217
"The character isn't exactly young. Once one starts doing mature parts, one
can't exactly go back to playing ingenues."
"But you will do it, yes?"
'*! think so." She bit her lower Hp. "I wonder if I'm up to it. It calls for
such range."
Maijstra! took her hand and squeezed it. "Courage."
She smiled wanly. "Yes. I'll do it. I know I'll do it. But
I'd just as soon agonize a little more over the decision if it's all the same
to you. I'd hate to think I was taking it lightly."
"While you are agonizing, my lady, allow me to show you something." Maijstral
pulled the lace back from his wrist, reached into a pocket, and raised his
hand to show two small cryogenic vials in his palm. He rotated his wrist,
showed Nichole the back of his hand, then rotated his wrist again. There was
only one vial in his hand. Nichole nodded approvingly.
"Very good," she said. Maijstral made the motions again, and both vials
appeared in his palm.
"Do you think, my lady," he asked, "that you can possibly leam to do this by
tonight?"
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Nichole looked stem. "1 am not participating in any conspiracy, Maijstral, not
without knowing what it's all about. Not even for you, Drake."
He bowed to her while the vials appeared and vanished between his fingers.
"Naturally you must know, my lady,"
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he said. "But I must caution you not to repeat anything I
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