Dinah patted Marc's tie in place and stepped back to survey her handiwork.  "Perfect," she said.  "You look fabulous in a tux."

"Well, I don't feel fabulous in one. I like your next to nothing gown though, I must say," he said, admiring the slinky outfit obviously with the idea of taking said slinkly outfit right off of her.

"It's a sort of incentive package," she said, smoothing the sheening black satin molded to her figure.  Or at least a small portion of her figure, beginning at about an inch above her nipples in a rounded neckline and ending about four inches above her knees.  There were no sleeves and birthing twins had not made a bra mandatory.  "Think of it as your reward for this evening."

"Oh? I suppose that means I have to behave."

"Only for a while, short in comparison to the many hours afterwards that will devoted to you by me in gratitude for your many sacrifices this night."

"I think I should sneak off to see the uninvited folks and go on a bender. Something tells me you are up to something I'm not going to approve of."

She looked hurt.  "I swear I have nothing planned you don't know about.  I just know you hate this sort of thing, even in a good cause."

"Uh huh," he replied, totally unconvinced.

She shrugged, which made it seem like her neckline was in imminent danger of retreating to a lower level on her breasts.  "It's true."

"Don't do that in public. I have no desire to have to fight for your honor."

"Trust me, sweetie pie.  It ain't going anywhere I don't want it to go.  It's just part of the charm of the dress."

"Right.  I hope Baz and Tsura forgive us for this.  And I hope their townhouse is still standing at the end of it."

"They're having a wonderful time.  Baz sees it as all in the cause of integration and as an opportunity to show Tsura off to the universe."  She smiled and kissed him.  "Jeeves and Mabel have worked wonders and Johnston was even smiling earlier.  Now, are you ready?"

"Indeed I am." He offered her an arm and swept her down the wide staircase to the main floor where masses of humanity, and other species, were already gathering.

She shaped her mouth into a dazzling smile as they entered the throng, slipping into political hostess mode.  She'd planned a dinner party preceding what was essentially going to be a formal ball.  The guests for the dinner were those she and Marc had decided were either current allies or those they wanted as allies, and who would respond favorably to a little extra effort on their behalf.  There were also a few people who they felt might benefit from this show of allegiance both out in the unimensional worlds and back here on Earth.  All in all it was an impressive array of guests. 

Representatives of the major trading houses, some of the barons, the Guild and even representatives of the Margassans along with the major players from the unimensional political and economic circles all sitting cheek to jowl with people such as Stephen and Doni, Ian, Carmine or Julian.  Mikey and Az, keeping NC company were also there.  And, after long discussion of the risks versus the benefits, they'd also invited Rimes.  Bahnderad had been invited for later along with others.  The point for them was that they see and understand the depth and breath of the connections of Siol'Ster and behave accordingly.

"I suppose this is where we part and mingle," she murmured to Marc. 

He patted her ass and left her to go say hello to Paxx Palandjian who was standing chatting with Ian Blakesley and Stephen.

Julian was speaking to the Baron Meir and Carmine had struck up a conversation with Baron Tregarth and NC.  Their allies had all made quite certain the new folks had plenty of folks to chat with. Tsura, standing near the front door, ran her eyes across the crowd, checking on all the guests in her sights, and watching as drinks were being distributed.  Her eyes met Baz's across the room and a smile formed on her lips.

He smiled back, a smile he kept for her alone and a light in his eyes that she only saw when he looked at her.  Then he turned back to Lantana Mazroni and the introduction he was effecting between her and Rimes.  When he had them settled he moved on, pairing the McBain, head of Mero'Ster with Doni and Eli.  Then he disengaged Orsisius and moved him over to where the president of the Unimensional University was talking with Ian and Betty Jo.  And so it went as he made the rounds of the room, mixing the guests with the same delicate hand of a master tea blender, mindful of both their enjoyment and the purpose of the evening. 

As he neared the doors he caught Johnston's eye and nodded.  Jeeves had the extra help under his eye in the dining room and Mabel, in some magical way, had taken Georges in hand and spared them all any worries about the mad genius in the kitchen.  Then, assured all was well, he began another circuit of the room and another blending of the guests.

Marc, a drink firmly in hand, wandered over to stand beside Dia, who looked a bit as if she felt she was out of place. "You should think about coming out to the Rim, Dia. It's kind of wild and woolly, but at least it's always interesting.  Ingev over there manages to find bar fights wherever he goes. Paxx, that handsome scruffy looking fellow is into more illegal stuff than even I want to know about. And the man and woman over there are believed by most everyone on the Rim to be blood-thirsty beserkers, ready to kill all of us and eat our livers for a snack."

She smiled.  "I'd enjoy seeing it sometime.  But surely I'd only be in the way.  I mean from what Betty has said you don't carry passengers, as it were."

Marc grinned. "You need to come to see Aaru. She's immense. Granted we don't have any passengers at the moment, it's not really by choice. It's just that there's enough to do for everyone to keep busy, right, Laz?" Marc added, catching Laz as he was making the rounds, his eyes as usual checking out all the security arrangements. Marc, too, tended to do that and saw that Anja, although not standing directly beside Dinah, was watching her back.

"I hadn't realized," she said, speculation in her eyes.  "I've been a bit restless lately anyway.  It's good of you to offer."

Marc eyed her, some speculation in his eye. "Oh? Anything I can help with?"

She hesitated a moment then shook her head.  "Thank you but no, I don't think so.  It's not that sort of thing.   I suspect it's just me and I need to get back to work."

"Ah," Marc said as Dinah sauntered over to join them. "Am I allowed to talk to you, darling?  Baz will have a fit if we screw up his carefully orchestrated mingling."

"Stop being so snide," she said.  "He's working his butt off on our behalf."  She smiled at Dia.  "How are you?"

"Well," Dia said.  "It's been an eventful summer but I think I'm surviving it all.  From all I've heard, things have been eventful for you as well.  Blowing up pleasure resorts.  Plotting more mayhem to succor the downtrodden.  I'm impressed."

"Give her the whole story," Marc directed, "but I've got to mingle or our host is going to come over and kick my ass. I suppose I should go flirt with Betty and piss Ian off."

"Who shall I flirt with to piss you off?" she asked, plainly curious.

"Carmine. He's a much better dancer than me," Marc replied as he strolled away.

Dinah laughed and turned back to Dia.  "Truly, how are you?"

Dia blushed faintly.  "I'm fine," she said.  "Honestly."

Dinah nodded and steered the subject around to family gossip.  She was about to ask about Jonah when Johnston announced dinner.  She relegated her concern to the side and moved through dinner while it simmered on the back burner.  As dessert was served, the simmer completed and she caught Betty's eye and conveyed a request that Betty answered with a slight, almost imperceptible nod.  Then she turned her attention back to the Margassan at her right and steered the conversation onto the subject of trading and the safety of the shipping lanes. 

When the ladies left the men to their port and cigars, an old custom Baz still honored on occasions like these since it gave the ladies a chance to primp before the ball and the men a chance to recruit their strength for the ordeal ahead she caught up with Betty as they exited the room, asking a low voiced question and got the response she expected.  She and Betty, like the other women repaired their toilette's and found their way to the drawing room where Tsura was serving tea and coffee.  When the men rejoined them they removed to the ballroom, decorated to look like fairyland in gossamer pastel fabrics dusted in sparkles and set off by an enormous array of flowers, rare, delicate and sending faint fragrance into the air.  The terrace doors were open to the garden, lit with Chinese lanterns from a different era.

Carmine abducted the hostess and opened the dancing with her, Baz escorting Dinah to the dance floor. The additional guests had arrived and Marc was over not sticking a knife in Baron Bahnderad's back, thankfully. In fact he was being gracious, which was perhaps more worrisome.

Julian captured Dia and swung her out onto the dance floor before she could protest. "You don't smile enough, young lady."

She tried and failed to look severe.  "From what I've heard you more than make up for any lack on my part."

"Hah!  You see, I used to be a morose kind of fellow and only went around killing folks. Hard to believe, I know. But it's true. So you see, people can, and do, change."  Julian laughed as he whirled her around.

"Are you suggesting I need to change?" she asked wickedly.  "And I thought you were a gentleman."

"Have you ever been fed a line. I'm no gentleman!  Now Baz there is a gentleman. As is Ian. But as Ian will tell you, I've always been a rake."

She laughed aloud.  "But I prefer rakes, you know.  They're always so much more fun.  And always better flirts."

Julian laughed as he whirled her away.

"So who's that then?" Paxx asked Laz. "She's cute." He was eying Dia having already discovered Betty Jo was taken.

Laz looked.  "Dia.  Badi'a Batal, to be exact."

"Ah. Earth girl I guess. Not likely to wander over the Rim. She looks civilized. Sadly," Paxx added, "most of them here do.  You sure you ain't tired of Anja?"

"I'm very sure," Laz said.  "So you want an uncivilized girl?  Have you met Tobie?"

"No, who's that?" Paxx asked, perking up and looking around.

Laz grinned and led him over to a couple against the far wall.

Ian broke protocol and captured Betty Jo when Baz wasn't looking. "Hey there. You are looking scrumptious."

"Still hungry after that dinner, darling?" she teased.

"For you, always. Besides there are single men circling. I just want to make sure they understand you are otherwise occupied," Ian added with a grin. "And I understand bad boys who tote guns and look scruffy are so much more intriguing than us quiet bookish types."

"Well it's not like you're a good boy," she pointed out.  "You just hide it well."

"Ah, well, I appear civilized at any rate. Hullo Marc," Ian said as Marc and Dinah joined them. "Not planning on dancing?"

"Not if I can help it," Marc retorted making a face.

"Carmine and I have a date for later, after things loosen up a bit," Dinah said.  "So you've nothing to worry about on my account."

"I was wondering if you've managed to get anywhere tracking down Collins?" Marc asked. "Betty, I hope bringing him up doesn't ruin your evening, but I wanted to see if I could help in some way."

"Well, you're right in that I've been trying to find a trace of him but so far I've got nothing.  Nothing on St Michael's either, but I'd bet he's not on Earth or we'd have heard something. Carmine's been helping with his underworld contacts here on Earth," Ian replied. "Trust me, if I find him you'll know it."

"He strikes me more as a Rim sort of guy," Dinah said.  "In general, anyway.  Roz is more the St. Michael's type."

"And you think they're tied together," Betty Jo said, "because of Vegas?  That it was Collins she there because of?"

"It makes sense. They seem like the right sort to become allies. So does he," Marc added with a nod toward the Baron Bahnderad who was standing talking to someone across the room.  "Wouldn't put much past that fellow."

"Now there's a happy thought," Dinah said.  "Wonder if they knew Angus."

Marc laid a hand on her shoulder. "Well, he at least is no longer a problem. Ian, Betty, I will do everything I can to help you find Collins. And be delighted if you let me help you deal with him. I'm afraid I'm unwilling to share Roz. If I ever get my hands on her..."

Betty Jo managed a smile.  "I suspect Ian feels that way about Collins.  And Daddy's in line behind him."

"Ah, well, I won't be selfish then. You get Collins, I get Roz."

"That's between you two," Betty Jo said, reaching for Ian's hand.  "I don't ever want to get that close to him again."

"No, I'll keep you well out of it," Ian replied, kissing the back of her hand.

"Keep her well out of what?" Dia asked, coming up to join them.

"Collins," Dinah said.  "But never mind him.  Marc says he invited you to come play with us out on the Rim.  I hope you do.  Both because he's right, we could use your help, but also because I'd love the company."

"Yes, really," Marc added. "We found this fabulous cavern, which is a sort of library. It's pointed us at the symbology of the Houses, among other things, and there is a tie in with the dragons. The dragons were incredible when we went there. They seem to think it has the secrets they need to evolve."

"The symbology of the Houses?  What they need to evolve?" Dia repeated.  "You're talking like I should know what this is about."

"Here I can show you the symbols," Marc replied and held out his palm. A series of symbols rose from it. "The symbols for each of the trading houses.  "There are indications that there are basic symbols that mean something in an ancient language and they were altered, or added to and used as the symbols of the Houses. We want to understand all of them, complete the translations and then decipher what the devil it all means."

Dia shook her head, studying the symbols.  "You don't want much, do you?"

Marc grinned. "I have always believed a man's dreams should be well beyond his reach. So, interested?"

"Don't know yet.  What resource material do you have?  Or is this it?"

"Come aboard Aaru tomorrow. Colin and Melly can explain it all in excruciating detail. I'm not a detail man. I'm the broad brush of planetary and universe defying plans."

"So this isn't all you have?" Dia pressed.  She squinted at one of the symbols.  "Make that bigger," she said, pointing to it.

Marc obliged her. "No, it isn't all we have. Is it Dinah?"

"No, we copied over half of a library.  That's what Melly and Colin are working with."

Dia nodded, not really listening any more.  "Can you turn that?  Ninety degrees, slowly?"

Marc made it rotate to the angle she wanted. "You have an idea?" he asked.

"There's..." she leaned her head sideways, oblivious to the attention they were gathering.  "Yeah," she said finally.  "What time tomorrow?  And how long should I pack for?"

"I'll have someone come for you at noon. Where are you staying? Do you need to go home, wherever that is to get your stuff?"

"I'm at Ian's," she said.

"Yeah, she's with us," Betty said, considering Marc for a moment.  "She lives in Tel Aviv."

"I've got enough stuff with me for the most part I'm sure," Dia said.  "I assume there's shops where ever it is we're going.  You don't mind do you Betty?"

Betty Jo, her eyes alight, shook her head.  "Not at all.  Just invite me for lunch now and then."

"Sure. Drag Ian out of England now and again," Marc agreed. "We can get you whatever you need, Dia, so just worry about your personal stuff, the stuff you really want to take."

"Of course," she said.  "God, I wish I could remember where..." she trailed off, looking up.  "I usually travel light, except for books."

"We've got plenty of room. Bring whatever you like. Right Dinah?"

Dinah, sharing a long look with Betty Jo shifted her glance to Ian.  "Absolutely.  But I think you'll find that we can supply all the important things and a few of the luxuries as well.  In fact one or two might surprise you."

"Yeah, we are not hurting for the nicer things in life."

"Nope, we certainly aren't," Dinah said.

"Will my cat be a problem?" Dia asked.  "He goes where I go.  Well sort of, anyway.  He's not really your usual sort of cat."

"Only for Laz. He can cope. And your cat will have a playmate," Marc added grinning.

"A couple," Dinah said.

"Well, like I said, Salem's not a regular cat.  He's...well the cant term is my familiar.  He's magical," Dia explained.  "Is Laz allergic to cats?"

Dinah nodded.  "A bit."

"Oh," Dia said.  Maybe this isn't a good idea?"

"No, it's fine. He thought he was allergic to Emir. It's psychological," Marc explained.

Ian opened his mouth to say something when Betty Jo tromped on his foot.

"Emir?" Dia said, missing the assault on Ian.

"He's like a familiar too. Snow leopard. Belongs to Stella. You'll like her. Woman of few words," Marc explained.

"Oh, okay," Dia said.  "So you're sure about Salem?  He won't be a problem?"

"We're sure," Dinah said.  "And we can always buy him drugs if we need to."

"Salem?" Marc asked, frowning at Dinah.

"That's his name," Dia said.  "Salem."

"What's wrong with that?" Dinah asked.

"No, why do we need to give Salem drugs," Marc replied patiently.

"I meant Laz," Dinah said.  "Weren't you listening?"

"Apparently not. Listen, I'll leave you ladies to sort out the boring details. Come on Ian, let me introduce you to the Baron Bahnderad."

Betty Jo gave Ian a look.  "Behave," she said.

"I always behave. I'm English," Ian replied as he followed Marc off.