Let's Make a Deal (Bob and Nikki Book 11), стр. 83
“Morning, Commodore. You ready for this?”
“Nope, but let’s do it anyway.”
“That’s the spirit.” As I was getting in, I noticed the ‘Pierre the Painter’ graphics. Black, with gold pinstripes. Very classy. I said, “Topper did a number on the paint job. I like it.”
“He downloaded me the design, and I put it on. I wish I could come up with stuff like that.”
“Why do you think you can’t? Have you ever tried?”
“I’m a Marine, Boss. We’re not set up for things like that.”
“As far as I know, Topper is a cargo bot. I’m sure he has lots of programming for aesthetics.”
“Really? Maybe I should try something.”
“What do you have to lose? Try it, if you don’t like it, I’m sure Scotti can recycle it.”
“Good point, Boss. I have a question, before the Emperor gets here. What do you want me to show him, when we take him for a tour?”
“Not the mains, not the engine room, and not Launch Bay Four. Other than that, I can’t think of much.”
“That sounds easy enough. Topper already asked Haffi, Lakki, and Tikki to make themselves scarce until after he left. He was worried that the Squirrels might try to make it rough on their families back home.”
“Sounds like a reasonable precaution.”
“I was supposed to let you know that Jackie and Tikki built a present for you to give the Emperor, to celebrate the signing, and the new peace.”
“Do I get to look at it, before I give it to him?”
“Sorry, Boss. They already wrapped it. Tikki is sure he will like it, though.”
“Jackie was in on it, so it’s a weapon of some kind?”
“I saw the size of the package, I would guess a sidearm.”
“Did Topper have any input on that one?”
“I don’t know, Boss. What do you think it is?”
“Fancy presentation pistol. Used to be a traditional gift on these kinds of occasions, on my planet.”
“You could be right, Boss. Like I said, I didn’t see it before they wrapped it.”
“You know, Bone, sometimes you make me wish cold reading worked on bots.”
“You know, Boss, sometimes you make me glad it doesn’t.” We got to the bay where the Emperor would be arriving. Nikki had gotten the bots to decorate it. I really didn’t know she had those skills until then. I got out of the cart, and stood where I thought I should be to receive His Majesty. My comm rang. “Commodore Wilson, make it quick.”
“Commodore, this is Ambassador Dressi. I just wanted to let you know, you shouldn’t ask about the Empress. The Emperor is traveling with his, ah, secretary, and it wouldn’t do to upset her.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Natti. Anything else I need to step lightly around?”
“Not that I know of, Bob.”
“You are coming over with the Emperor, aren’t you?”
“Yes. We’ll be there shortly. Are you ready to receive us?”
“As ready as we are likely to get.”
“See you soon.”
“Bye.” Nikki walked up as I was putting away my comm. Maybe I should say slithered. She was almost wearing the nicest evening gown I had ever seen her in. She said, “Enjoy it now, Caveman. I won’t be able to get into it again for a year or so.”
I replied, “I think it’s already burned into my memory hard enough that I’ll never forget it.”
“You say the nicest things, Caveman. You really think I look nice?”
“I think we have more important things to be doing than some silly old treaty.”
“Treaty first, then maybe the other. You have to earn your treats.”
“Mean old Space Cadet!”
“You have to at least act like a grown-up, today. After that, you can go back to being yourself.”
“Okay, I guess. Thanks for doing the decorating and stuff. I wouldn’t have had a clue.”
“How disappointed were you that you couldn’t wear your other uniform?”
“Once Jeeves told me you were serious enough to have Jackie lock it up, I figured it was a big deal to you, and I wouldn’t mess around.”
“You don’t have a lot of faith in this treaty, do you?”
“You’ve seen how much control the Emperor has over his fleet. How much confidence do you have?”
“Not much, either. Maybe we get lucky, and it’s all some kind of game to get a better deal out of you.”
“I don’t quite see how that would work, but I do hope he has more control than it looks like he does.” Gene came over the speaker. “His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Oak, arriving.”
We stood to, and watched them land. His pilot was pretty good, but not on Nikki’s level, to say nothing of what Ruth or Ace could do. A guard came out, surveyed the room, and said, “His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Oak.” He then stood aside, as the Emperor came off the ship. He helped his, ah, secretary down from the ship, and then the Ambassador exited. Nikki whispered, “Is that the Empress?”
I whispered back. “Most definitely not. That’s his secretary.”
They came toward us, and the Emperor said, “Good to see you again, Commodore, Mrs. Wilson.”
“And you, Your Majesty. Would you care for a tour of the ship, before we get down to business?”
“That sounds wonderful. I suppose we won’t get to see this Launch Bay Number Four that I’ve heard so much about.”
“Sorry, Majesty. My Chief Engineer doesn’t even let me in there.”
We loaded onto the hall cart. Natti wound up riding up front with Bone. We wandered around, showing off this and that. The Emperor’s secretary said, “You don’t have many crew, do you, Commodore?”
I replied, “We have plenty of crew. It just happens that most of them are mechanical, rather than organic.”
“You trust the bots that much?”