He nodded and followed as she turned and led the way. Witness Kovaar followed behind, not having said a word.
Karin led them into one of the inner rooms, a large dining room set with a long table and several high-backed chairs. Family portraits hung on the walls. The bracketed lamps were already lit, and the room was bathed in a welcoming warm glow. She gestured to the chairs and crossed behind the table to seat herself, folding her hands on her lap before her.
Men Darnak sat, looking across at his daughter, slightly put out by the reception. Not a word of how he was. Just an impassive gaze, as if waiting for something. He returned her gaze and waited.
Finally, she spoke. "Well, Father, what is it? What can I do for you? We're awfully busy."
He narrowed his eyes. "I understand you're busy. We're all busy."
"Yes, but what with the transition, and the preparations, and everything else..."
He glanced up at Kovaar, who cleared his throat and looked away.
"Well, you can take a little while to talk to me, can't you?" He glanced at Kovaar again. "Dammit, man. Sit, will you? You make me nervous hovering there just out of my sight. At least stand where I can see you."
The priest looked sheepish, then pulled out a chair and sat, looking down into his lap, his eyes averted.
Men Darnak turned back to face Karin. "So, how are the preparations proceeding?"
Karin nodded slightly. "Well enough, I suppose. You know yourself that the quakes are strangely sporadic this season. Their lack of predictability is making it hard."
He nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose so. But things are in hand."
"Of course they are," she said a little peevishly.
"And what of your brother?"
"Oh, Roge is fine. He'll take appropriate advice when I think he needs it. He has his own things to worry about in Technologists at the moment. Trying to explain why they're having so much trouble predicting the quake activity is hard enough, let alone the storms. He has people looking after the trivial things."
"I wasn't talking about Roge."
"Tarlain?" She paused for a moment as this sank in. "Why, we haven't heard from him. After what happened, I wouldn't think -- "
"Wouldn't think what?" he snapped. "Wouldn't think that I'd be worried about him? That I didn't care? Of course, I'm worried about him, Karin. What I did may have been for the best interest of the Principate, but I still care about Tarlain. Why wouldn't I?"
He paused, trying to read her expression, but her lips were pressed tightly together, her face a mask.
"All right," he said, lifting a hand, then lowering it to the arm of his chair. "I'm worried for other reasons too. The balance within the Guilds. The structure. Cutting Tarlain out of the equation has more impact than I first realized. You should realize it to. Roge has the Principate; he has Technologists. But you have what? The connection to Primary Production is only through Yosset.... Where is he by the way?"
"Oh, he's off attending to something?"
"Yes ... to what?"
She shrugged. "He's worried about his precious groundcars or something. Wants to supervise the final storage himself. I don't know."
"All right. But we know how much real influence Yosset has in the Guilds. Then there's Welfare. We have to be assured of their support."
Karin rolled her eyes. "Roge and I have already discussed all that. Tell me something important."
Men Darnak leaned forward. "It doesn't pay to become overconfident. So, you've already talked about it. Very good. And now what?"
Karin crossed her arms. "I don't think that's any real concern of yours now, Father, is it?
"What?"
"I said, I don't think it's any real concern of yours any more. I know what I'm doing. Yosset knows what's good for him, and Roge will see the logic of what I intend. What more do you need to know?"
He stared at her incredulously.
Witness Kovaar lifted his gaze and cleared is throat once more. "Principal, if I may suggest -- "
"Shut up, Kovaar! Just, shut up!" He braced himself, ready to stand. "Karin, I cannot believe you're saying this."
