No wonder the attack on Spaeton House had been so direct and efficient. In hindsight it was remarkable any of us had got out alive. I was glad I hadn't known who they were at the time. If I'd been told I was facing Vessorine janissaries, I might have frozen up… instead of charging them head on to rescue Medea.
I took off the cloak Aemos had lent me, and also my leather coat, and rolled up the sleeves of my shirt. The sun was warming the drawing room. I had just taken the pistol out of my belt to check it when Crezia came into the room. She was peeling off surgical gloves and when she saw the gun in my hands, her already sour look became fiercer. She pointed sharply at me and then gestured outside.
'Now/ she said, curtly.
I pushed the weapon into the folds of the cloak on the table and followed her out, across the hall into a sitting room hung with oil paintings and hololithic prints. The shutters in here were still shut and she made no attempt to open them. She turned up the lamp instead.
'Shut the door/ she instructed.
I pushed the door shut. 'Crezia-' I began.
She held up a strong, warning finger. 'Don't start, Eisenhorn. Just don't. I'm this damn close to throwing you out! How dare you c-'
'Medea/ I interrupted firmly. 'How is she?'
'Stable. Just about. She was shot in the back with a laser weapon and the wound was left untreated for several hours. How do you think she is?'
'She'll survive?'
'Unless there are complications. She's on life support in the basement suite/
Thank you, Crezia. I'm in your debt/
'Yes, you damn well are. You're unbelievable, Eisenhorn. Twenty-five years. Twenty-five years! I don't see you, I don't hear from you and then you turn up, unannounced, uninvited, armed and on the ran, so it would appear, with one of your party shot. And you expect me just to take this in my stride?'
'Not really, I know it's a terrible imposition. But the Crezia Berschilde I knew could cope with an emergency now and then. And she always had time for a friend in need/
'A friend?'
Yes. You're the only person I can turn to, Crezia/
She snorted scornfully and tugged off her apron. All those years, I was happy to be the one you could turn to, Gregor. And you never did. You kept me at arm's length. You never wanted me involved in your business. And now…' She let the words trail off and shrugged unhappily.
'I'm sorry/
You bring guns into my house-' she hissed.
'I probably shouldn't tell you about the mercenary tied up in my speeder then/ I said.
She snapped round to look at me, incredulous, and then shook her head with a grim smile. 'Unbelievable. Twenty-five years and you roll up at dawn, bringing trouble with you/