'Like a cygnid/ she repeated. 'I won't have it. Not in my house/
Then what do you suggest? Have you a secure room, one that can be locked from outside?'
'Provide you with a cell for him? Pah!' she scoffed.
'It's that or the flier/
She thought about it. 'I'll have Phabes clear out a box room upstairs/
'No windows/
They all have damn windows! But the room I'm thinking of has just a small vane-light. Not big enough for anyone to get through/
Thank you/
'I want to check him over/
It was no good arguing. She inspected the man carefully.
'Don't be alarmed. I'm Doctor Cr-'
'He really doesn't need to know your name. Or mine. Think about it/
She drew a deep breath. 'I am a doctor. I'm only going to check on your health. Do you have a name?'
He shook his head.
'He's using the name Eino Goran.'
'I see. Eino, this situation is unpleasant, but if you co-operate with me, and with Gr… with my associate here, it will work out for the best. Soon.'
Associate. I could feel the spiteful relish she put into that word.
Crezia looked at me disapprovingly. 'He needs to drink and eat. Drink particularly, in this heat.'
Tell him, not me.'
You need to drink, Eino. If you don't drink, I'll have to put you on a fluid drip/
He allowed her to feed him the dish, and sipped slowly.
Very good/ she said. Then to me, 'His bonds are far too tight/
'That's not going to change/
'Then get him up and walk him round a little. Tie his hands the other way/
'Later perhaps. If you knew what he was, what he has done, you wouldn't be so humane/
'I'm a officer of the Medicae Imperialis. It never matters what they've done/
We went back into the drawing room.
'His identity is emplated. I need to get past the barriers/
'To find out who he really is?'
To find out who he's working for/
'I see/ She sat down and bit at a fingernail. She always did that when she was troubled.
'You have medical stocks here. Zendocaine? Vulgate oxybarbital?'
'You're joking?'
I shook my head and sat down opposite her. 'Deadly serious. I need a psychoactive or at least an opiate or barbiturate to loosen his will power/
'No. Absolutely no way/
'Crezia…'
'I will not be party to torture!'
'It is not torture. I'm not going to hurt him. I just need to open his mind/
'No/
'Crezia, I am going to do it. I have the mandate of the Holy Inquisition to perform interrogation, and these circumstances permit me an even greater latitude of emergency powers. Wouldn't you rather it be done under your expert supervision?'
In the latter part of the afternoon, we brought the Vessorine inside, and put him in the box-room Phabes had cleared. There was nothing in the room but a bedframe and mattress. I removed his blindfold and then covered him with the autopistol as Aemos removed his bindings.