Colemenoport
Offices of Tree-and-Dragon Trade Mission
Padi checked her mail queue one more time, finding no new messages.
Before returning to the office, she had spoken with Jes dea’Tolin, and been told that everything was well in hand. A glance at the calendar showed her next appointment as tomorrow mid-morning.
“I do believe you’re free to go, Padi yos’Galan,” she told herself, and sighed. She had become accustomed to spending her free hours with Tekelia—a pleasant habit, and one that she would not be able to indulge once she had departed on the route audit.
“Practice, then,” she told herself. She shut down the screen, and reached for her case, recalling that she had a project in hand for the evening. She thought that she might have worked out the route to Healspace. An unencumbered evening was just what she needed for experimentation. And, if she was right, then—
A tone sounded and the blue light over the door flashed, twice.
Padi gave a wry grin, and crossed the room to open the door.
“Thought I might’ve missed you,” Trader Isfelm said. She was carrying a bag over one shoulder, and to Padi’s eye seemed rather…less buoyant than usual.
“Had you been six minutes slower, you would have,” Padi told her, stepping back, and moving her hand to invite the trader in. “What may I be pleased to do for you?”
“Got a couple things—won’t take long,” Trader Isfelm said, walking to the table and putting her bag down. “Comes to me you’ll want to inspect Ember before you stand up as her trader. Talk on the port is that the survey your team’s been working on is finding its end. I’m thinking you won’t want to dawdle on Colemeno too long after the results are in.”
Padi stared at her in some dismay. Of course, she ought to do an inspection of the ship, introduce herself to crew, and familiarize herself with on-board routines. She should have thought of that. Only—
“First time for both of us,” Trader Isfelm said in her matter-of-fact way. “Bound to be mistakes and missteps on both sides.” She grinned. “We’ll learn, Trader. We’ll learn.”
Padi laughed.
“Yes, I suppose we must! But I wish that I at least had learned sooner, because now the case is that I will have to put this off for some number of days. The data-gathering is, as you say, nearing its end, and the master trader has let me know that I will be wanted aboard Dutiful Passage upon its completion, in order to be part of the planning, going forward.”
She went to her desk and tapped the screen on.
“He’ll be moving on pretty quick after that, won’t he?” Trader Isfelm asked, her voice betraying tension.
Padi looked up.
“There is still some work to do,” she said. “If the Whole Port Inventory shows that Colemeno may support a trade hub, the master trader will file an Intent to Open with the Guild. He must then present the trade mission’s findings to the port administrators and the planetary government, and formally seek their permission to establish a hub. Assuming those permissions are forthcoming, the master trader will forward them to the Guild, which may not unreasonably withhold its approval.”
Padi stopped and drew a breath.
“The master trader’s work here is done as soon as the proper permissions are secured. The ongoing preparations for opening the Hub will be handled by the administrative team on Colemeno.”
Trader Isfelm drew a breath.
“So it’s down to days, then,” she breathed, and shook herself with a laugh. “If you’re wanted on the ship as soon as that,” she said, “let’s look at your time when you come back. I’ll take you aboard, o’course, and introduce you around.”
“Yes,” Padi said. “And you know, we should have the qe’andra who will be accompanying me in hand by that point, so you may introduce both of us.”
“That’s the dandy,” Trader Isfelm said, though Padi thought it was with a little less than her usual enthusiasm.
“Will you be going with the Passage when the master trader leaves Colemeno?” she asked carefully.
Trader Isfelm sighed.
“Hasn’t been finalized yet—which is more to my side of the ledger than his. Guess I’d better make my mind up, eh? In the meantime, when do you suppose you’ll be back and able to inspect?”