At last, Minobu located Jaime Wolf near one of the huge silver punch bowls. The Colonel stood with a dark-haired woman whose pale blue gown fell in caressing folds over her shapely form. Even from a distance, Minobu could tell how relaxed the two were in one another's company. Seeing Minobu and Tomiko approach, Wolf broke into a pleased grin.
“Glad to see you could make it, Minobu-san.” Wolf turned to Tomiko and bowed in greeting. “A pleasure to see you again, Lady Tomiko. You look lovely tonight.”
“Your words are kind to an old woman, Lord Wolf.”
“Nonsense. They would only be kind if untrue. As it is, they understate the truth.”
“He is no flatterer, Lady Tetsuhara, as I well know.” The eyes of Wolf's companion twinkled with amusement. “Allow me to introduce myself, since Jaime is so overcome as to lose his manners. I am Marisha Dandridge, sometime helpmate to this vagabond Colonel.”
If Tomiko was offended by the forthright manner of the woman, she did not show it. She bowed.
“Our pleasure to meet you, lady,” Minobu said. “Jaime has kept you as one of his Dragoon mysteries. Are you a military secret?”
Wolf hung his head in mock acceptance of the rebuke. “Simply an oversight and lack of proper opportunity, my friend. Marisha is even busier than I. She works on the civilian side of the Training Command. A finer children's counselor you won't find. She's not too bad with us grown-ups, either.”
Dandridge nudged Wolf with her elbow before speaking to Tomiko. “Jaime tells me that your eldest son is to go to the Sun Zhang Academy.”
“Yes, it is an honor for our family.” Tomiko's reply was formal and brief. Even Dandridge's warm interest was not enough to thaw her reserve.
“Jaime said eldest son, Lady Tetsuhara. Do you have other children as well?” Dandridge seemed determined to draw Tomiko out from her redoubt of detachment.
“Yes, a daughter and another son. They are somewhat younger.” Again, she was brief and formal, but Minobu detected a crack in her reserve.
“Well, I know you would be interested in seeing the children's care and play facilities we have here.” Without waiting for Tomiko to respond one way or the other, Dandridge took her arm and began to lead her away. Though Tomiko seemed reluctant to go along, she was even more unwilling to create a scene. She submitted to Dandridge's enthusiasm.
“What was that about, friend Jaime? I would not have expected your lady to be so ... domestic.”
“She might surprise you. But you're right, she usually isn't,” Wolf said. “She's near as devious as I am, though. We thought this might be an opportunity to improve your lady's opinion of us, so Marisha's taking advantage of it. Besides, she knew I wanted to talk to you alone for awhile.”
Minobu tilted his head in question. In reply, Wolf led him around the table to the wall and pressed a panel in the decorative design. A doorway opened, and the two men walked into a small office. Wolf directed Minobu to take a seat, pulled up a chair next to him, and sat down. Both men faced the room's window, through which they could see two of An Ting's lesser moons moving in stately procession across the stars.
As usual, Wolf came directly to the business at hand. “What can you tell me about Warlord Samsonov?” he asked. In the early days of their relationship, this abruptness had disconcerted Minobu because it was at odds with the typical Combine practice of approaching a subject obliquely. Draconians went through a series of irrelevant preliminaries intended to measure the mood and temper of the participants. Only close acquaintances and old cronies could dispense with these introductory formalities. Over the months of working with the Dragoons, Minobu had learned that they were all precipitous in this fashion, but he had finally gotten used to it.
“Why the sudden interest?” Minobu asked. “That's one of the things I'd like to know,” Wolf said. “We've been in his District for more than a year, but only now has the Warlord decided that it's time we have a talk. He's coming to An Ting for a meeting, and I thought you might be able to give me an idea of what to expect.”
Wolf waited while Minobu marshaled his thoughts. Minobu had only met Warlord Samsonov twice, but he had no trouble conjuring an image of the tall, vigorous, gray-haired Warlord who was always so careful of his appearance. Wolf was not inquiring about appearances, of course, but wanted to know what manner of man was Samsonov.
“I have had a few dealings with him in regard to the operations of the Dragoons,” Minobu began. “General Samsonov is an interesting man. In honor of our friendship and knowing that you will keep what I say in confidence, I will speak frankly.
“His appearance is distinguished, in all ways that of a proper general. He always speaks with respect for the Coordinator and presents himself as a loyal son of the Dragon. He has an admirable military record and has been awarded the Order of the Dragon in recognition of the territorial gains he has made for the Combine.
“Yet something in his manner seems out of place. I fear he may harbor personal ambitions beyond those proper for a samurai of House Kurita.”
Wolf perked up at that. Minobu, noticing the interest, tried to explain.
“His treatment of his inferiors is less than respectful. One wonders if a man who does not treat his inferiors with respect can properly respect his superiors. A man who does not respect his superiors may seek to replace them.
“Of course, all men harbor ambition of some sort, and so it may be that the General is not so unusual after all. What is important is that a man does his duty, and in this, General Samsonov is hard to fault. He cares well for his office, and so Galedon District prospers. The units under his command are well-supplied and maintained, though I have heard it said that he uses unusual methods to achieve those ends. Such comments are surely only rumors, and who knows but that they may be due more to the envy of his rivals than to the facts.
“As you know, he holds the title of Warlord of Galedon. As a Warlord, he stands high in the power structure of the Draconis Combine, with almost total command over the District. Warlord Samsonov is also an honored councilor to the Coordinator. He is overlord, in Lord Kurita's name, of more than sixty star systems and guardian of almost half our border with the Federated Suns.
“He is a most powerful man. As a friend, helpful. But as an enemy, most dangerous,” Minobu concluded.
Wolf sat silently for a moment.
“I appreciate your honesty, Minobu. You've given me a bit to think about,” he said, then slipped again into silence.
Minobu let him think for a while, using the opportunity to ponder for himself the reason for Samsonov's visit. Something was up. But what? Minobu did not have enough information to reason out an answer.
He looked at Wolf out of the corner of his eye. In the past months, they had grown to trust one another, each respecting the other's strengths. Minobu had given little thought to Jaime's private life. Certainly, Wolf never mentioned it. Tonight, Minobu had met someone who was obviously important in Wolf's life. Once again, the secretiveness of the Dragoons ... Once again, Minobu was reminded of just how little he knew about this man he trusted so well.
“Marisha Dandridge seems a fine woman, friend Jaime,” he commented into the silence.
Wolf seemed a little startled by the change of subject. His recovery, as always, was quick. “A man could not ask for better.”
“Yet, in all these months you have spoken little of her. For that matter, you have not spoken of family at all.”
“No, I haven't. We Dragoons try to keep family separate from business. But sometimes the business won't let us,” Wolf said bitterly.
“Ah, the New Delos incident. That was an honorless deed. It was your brother that Anton Marik had killed, was it not?” Minobu knew his comment might open an old wound, but Wolf seemed to be signaling a willingness to talk.