Free Ambassador 4: Coming Home by Patty Jansen

the things that worried me could probably not be found in a search. But Coldi, practical as they were, always dismissed the idea of mental powers: that a person could spin a web of small anpar threads like the Exchange. I’d even seen this done by that Aghyrian medico who had once visited me in my apartment. Little sparks flying from her fingertips.
    We didn’t know if the captain could do anything of the sort, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he could.
    All factors considered, looking at Asto from orbit was something we could organise quickly without much obfuscation from any authorities. It would just require the regular departure permits from the Exchange. I decided to go to the Exchange to get those permits in person, so at least I knew everything was approved.
    While I was at it, I wanted to do a few other things in town.
    We agreed that Thayu would come with me, but Nicha elected to stay at home. Was something finally happening? Hell, I hoped so, for all of us.
    Nicha’s second, Reida, was in town for the task I’d given him, and Deyu was there, too, running some errands for him, so Sheydu said she’d come while her son and zhayma Veyada sorted out some legal thing at home.
    We were a strange and somewhat lopsided group going to the station, not balanced at all. Thayu picked up that I noticed that. She mentioned it to me when we sat in the train.
    “Don’t you mind that we’re a strange group?” I asked.
    “For routine jobs of lesser importance, no, it doesn’t make a great deal of difference. We’re all part of the same association.”
    With me on top, kind of bumbling through situations where, had I been Coldi, instinct would guide me.
    Silver water flashed past outside the window. The train moved fast over the uninterrupted stretch of rails that ran low over the water between the artificial gamra island and the old city.
    “You’d better hope that nothing of importance happens, then.”
    “You’re nervous.”
    “That man makes me nervous. He talks but he doesn’t answer any questions. He just states his points over and over again. He doesn’t listen. He has absolute control over his companions. What they do, what they say, even what they think. There is no world for them outside the ship community. He says he wants to see these historical sites, and I understand why, but he’s made me so suspicious that I’m thinking there may be something more behind it all. He doesn’t seem to have any soft spots.”
    “He acts like the man who let thousands of spaces in his ship go unoccupied while the Aghyrian civilisation died.”
    “Yeah.” I nodded. Just he had been portrayed in Asto’s historical texts. An arsehole.

Chapter 6
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    A T THE E XCHANGE, getting a permit to leave and come back ended up being really easy. In fact, the employee obviously wondered why we didn’t do it through the auxiliary network. He didn’t even want our names.
    “I just wanted to come in to make sure that the permit was actually granted,” I said. A small bit of certainty in this world which had become very uncertain.
    “I will need a ship registration when you have it,” the employee mentioned before we left.
    Yeah, of course we needed someone to take us there. I had a feeling that someone would offer their services. I had a feeling that Asha Domiri was not far away. I supposed we could hire a craft if no one offered by the time we were ready to go.
    On the way back out of the building, in the magnificent staircase, Thayu shook her head. “Sometimes I don’t know why anyone believes any of the stuff you say. ‘Make sure that the permit was actually granted.’ That was the sole reason we went into town?”
    Sheydu said, “Nup. The fun starts now. I’m guessing we’re looking for Federza. Where are we going? Talk to the council or visit the Aghyrian compound?”
    “Neither. We’re going to Federza’s office.”
    “I should have guessed that,” Thayu said, her expression dark. She didn’t like it when I