The Sea Without a Shore by David Drake Read Free Book Online Page B

bilked, but she’s gone to her friends looking for investors.”
    He turned to meet Daniel’s gaze and said, “She didn’t ask me, didn’t even mention it to me. But I heard.”
    “What is the treasure?” Daniel asked, thinking over what he had learned recently about the Corcyra situation. Whether or not he served under Admiral Bocale, it seemed likely that the RCN would shortly be involved in the region. “It seems to me that you’d have to pay extremely well to get anyone with good sense to go to the middle of a war zone to look for treasure.”
    Sand nodded. “Bernis believes in the treasure,” he said. “I don’t, but that isn’t the main problem. I figure the only crew which’ll sign up for the job is one that’ll knock Cleveland on the head for his stake. The only question is whether they’ll do it as soon as they lift to Cinnabar orbit or hold off till they learn how bad things on Corcyra really are.”
    He stared at his balled fists as he ground the knuckles together. “Look, Leary,” he said, raising his eyes again. “Here’s the rub. I don’t think the universe’d be a worse place without Cleveland in it, but his mother loves him and I love Bernis. It’ll break her heart if he’s scragged, especially if she found the money to let him go off and do such a bloody fool thing.”
    Sand took a deep breath. “Leary,” he said, “I want you to carry Cleveland on your yacht. I know it won’t be cheap, but I’ve got a good business and I’ll mortgage the last paperclip if that’s what it takes.”
    “I think something can be worked out,” Daniel said—because his guest needed an answer immediately. There was an almost infinite number of matters to be determined before he lifted from harbor with Rikard Cleveland; to begin with, it probably wouldn’t be in the Princess Cecile , his yacht.
    The details could wait, however. Tom Sand had to know that Daniel was considering the proposition before he would be able to relax.
    Daniel stood. “Why don’t you stay the night, Sand?” he said. “In the morning I’ll ride back to Xenos with you and talk to some people. Ah, and Miranda will come back with us, too, if you’ve got room in your car.”
    The limousine would seat at least six passengers, along with Hogg sitting up front with the driver.
    Sand rose also, expelling a deep breath. “By God , Leary!” he said. “By God ! You don’t know what that means to me!”
    “Let’s go in and have some dinner,” Daniel said, starting toward the manor house. The episode with the wolf eel had almost slipped from his memory, displaced by the excitement of planning a new project. “I don’t know about you, but I worked up an appetite today fishing.”
    As soon as I get back to Xenos, I’ll talk to Adele. But I want to do that in person .

    Xenos on Cinnabar
    Adele was in her library on the top floor of Chatsworth Minor when she heard Tovera say from the hallway, “I’m sure the mistress will be glad to see you, Captain Leary.”
    Adele couldn’t have heard the words if the door hadn’t been open, which meant that before speaking, Tovera had opened it without Adele’s notice. Sometimes Adele was bothered by the degree to which she was oblivious of her surroundings when she was working, but she wouldn’t accomplish nearly as much if she didn’t concentrate. And it wasn’t as though she had a choice: she was who she was.
    Adele didn’t shut down her data unit, but she shrank its display so that when Daniel came to the doorway he wasn’t looking at her through a mist of coherent light. It was mid-morning: not early, but much earlier than Adele had expected to see her housemate.
    He was on the west coast so far as she knew. He hadn’t returned to the townhouse last night.
    “I have some business I’d like to discuss with you,” Daniel said. “But if this isn’t a good time, we can … ?”
    Adele set down her control wands. She hadn’t missed Daniel during the three weeks he had been