(no subject)

The day after Helen walked out of the bar, the head Hand told her that full contingents would be visiting from two of the nearest and largest warlords, and that she was no longer allowed to walk the corridors alone. They had no one of the Hands to spare for her, either, except for one of the least senior whose research was least important: Pani.

The spend the whole of the first week in the library, as the polite nicities are gone through in the meeting rooms and runners are sent through the halls. They carry no obvious weapons, but that is saying nothing in her world.

Pani lets her read in silence for the most part, but he occasionally tries to engage her in polite conversation about the book she is reading or the interesting new piece of research he has turned up while studying the evolution of the Uquaran script.

Helen thinks that he is worse than useless.