" The dinner went well," William said. " Eyre knows we're up to something, but she doesn't have any official cause to block it since we're framing it with a charitable effort."

He set down and went to rapidly flicking through his personal computer, holoscreens floating around and papers scattered.

" Right back to work, hm," Nova said, stretching out.

" We have a week to get it sorted out," William said, typing rapidly as he read. " Most of our licenses have already been cleared, and I'm having a crew from Redlin's office in to start work on converting one of the lounges into a lab room. It should be complete enough to work in by the time the niece arrives."

" You've staked quite a lot on a little girl you've never met," Nova commented.

" I have all her educational transcripts and work history and so on," William said. " Came with the citizenship paperwork."

He seemed quite distracted.

The work had possessed him in a way that it hadn't before; and when Nova looked at him, he could understand how this frenzy led to the victories he had enjoyed during the war.

Still, he seemed distant in an odd way.

Nova watched him work, thinking.

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