Snippet #2815978

Andrijana decided in that moment that she was going to avoid mentioning anything at all about this incident with Keiko Takayama to anyone in the central office, lest they decide that any diplomatic fallout was somehow her fault in particular, or worse, that she was to blame for facilitating an inmate's escape. Even though she knew damn well she had nothing to do with whatever the old woman had orchestrated. Besides, Andrijana had absolutely no idea whatsoever what kind of consequences there were - career, personal, or even planetary - for risking the ire of an entire interstellar empire by not functionally permitting an escape. She closed her eyes, massaging her temples for a moment, before looking out at the room again. Never had she ever envisioned her job responsibilities including welcoming a veritable phalanx of Taiyou dignitaries to her conference room.

"I'd wondered before about his interest," Drulović remarked. "I suppose now I know." The old woman tilted her head a bit to the side. To Kano and Shuichi, she said, "I no longer speak for this government, you understand. Ms. Khayyam demanded my resignation, after all." Nonetheless, there was some undercurrent in her voice - one that seemed almost dangerous - that suggested otherwise. In Taiyou, for Keiko's benefit, she added, "I'm glad to know you've returned safely home, though of course it's been far too long coming for you. I hope the journey was an easy one."