Page 5 of Skinwalker's Bane
Instead, he shifted topics. “I took a call from Mina Rask about an hour ago.”
Whatever Mina Rask had said had brought him here, so it had to be about her. Mina Rask was the president of the Dreamhawks. Bishan worked for the Dreamhawks as well as managing Devin’s affairs. She had hired him expressly because of his relationship to the Dreamhawks and, so far, it had been paying off. Although, naturally, Mina Rask’s slightest whim he treated as if it were a Bridge directive.
Devin stopped stroking the soft fabric of the coat she had thought so wonderful only a few hours ago and studied him. “What did she say?”
Bishan pulled at the short locks of his thinning hair with an irritated, I’m-holding-back expression. “You’re not seated at the Chairman’s table at the soiree.”
Devin straightened, shocked into stillness. “But…” She grimaced at the banal sound she had made, gathered her thoughts, then spoke consciously and clearly, as Bishan had constantly told her she should. “The Dreamhawks and Mina Rask herself assured you that I would be put forward along with the other two Hawks candidates, for a seat at the head table. What happened to change that?”
Bishan whirled in a tight circle, walking off energy. “You were seen at the Aventine food market, buying tomatoes from Royal Connor.”
“Who?” Devin asked blankly.
“You don’t knowwho he is?” Bishan cried, shock raising his voice.
Devin held her jaw shut, riding out her first instinctive response to yell right back that she didn’t have a clue and besides, she hadn’t done anything wrong, anyway. Bishan had often said first instinctive responses were always the worst ones. She had learned the hard way he was right.
She let out a slow breath. “I know very well who Royal Connor is. He sponsors the Buccaneers. I think he must nearly own them, for all the money he has invested.”
“Well, then.” Bishan threw out his hands.
“How could I possibly have bought tomatoes from him?”
“You buy food at the market, don’t you?” Bishan shot back.
“I buy lots of fresh produce from the market, from all the vendors.”
“Bought tomatoes, lately?”
“Of course. Three days ago.” She even remembered the gray-haired man she had bought them from. She often bought food from his stall simply because he was a happy stall owner, who liked to talk if he wasn’t busy. “Royal Connor is a businessman,” she pointed out. “That’s where he got all his money, from running dozens and dozens of little businesses.”
“Where did he start out?” Bishan asked, with strained patience.
“On the farm here in the Palatine, growing vege...” She closed her mouth, her heart stirring unhappily. “That’s Royal Connor? He runs his own stall? Still?”
“He says it keeps him humble.” Bishan did another tight circle. “This is bad.”
Devin sank down onto the sofa cushion. “Let me get this straight,” she said slowly. “Someone saw me buying produce from a man in a market and because that man has an affiliation with the team that bounced the Dreamhawks out of the finals last year, I’m being punished for buying tomatoes. My punishment is to be excluded from the Chairman’s table at the Tankball Association’s Annual Soiree. Is that right?”
Bishan squeezed his hands together. He did that whenever she strained his patience. “You’re not that obtuse,” he said shortly. “Royal Connor’s money pays for the Buccaneers and it also supports the Buccaneers’ candidate for Captain—which most people say is actually Connor’s choice for Captain. People see you talking to Royal Connors and they wonder about your allegiance and if you are selling out.”
“I’ve always supported the Hawks,” Devin said hotly. “I didn’t even know who the man was!”
“Ignorance is no excuse, not when it comes to appearances,” Bishan shot back. “It was enough to raise doubts about you among the Dreamhawks’ upper management. They think it might just have been you buying tomatoes, too, only they weren’t sure enough to put your name on the list for a seat at the Chairman’s table.” He shifted on his feet, as if he needed to do another circuit, yet remained where he was, his hands moving restlessly instead. “I can’t tell you how critical it is that you are seen at the Chairman’s table, Devin. If you want people to take you seriously, if you want them to start coupling the idea of you and the Captain’s chair together, then you have to not only be on that table, you also have to charm the Chairman out of his bowtie as well. There are more deals made and more money exchanged on that night than any other night of the year.”
She nodded, for Bishan constantly harped on the make-or-break importance of the soiree.
“Not only that,” Bishan said. “If you also show up well at the soiree, then you will go into the Hawks management meeting three days later with a genuine advantage over the two other possibilities. If you can’t evensitat the Chairman’s table, I can tell you now the Hawks will not select you as their candidate for the Captain’s election. Youhaveto turn Mina around on this.”
Devin swallowed. “What will make her sure of me?”
“At this time, I don’t know,” Bishan replied flatly. He held up a hand quickly, even though she did not try to speak. “I’ll find a way to walk this back, don’t worry. Well, yes, worry about it. Youshouldworry. How many times have I told you that perception iseverythingin politics?”
It was his obligatory I-told-you-so, as she had predicted. “Yes, Bishan, I know,” she replied as calmly as she could manage.
He nodded. “Good. I’ll fix this. Icanfix it, even if I don’t know how yet. In the meantime, you have to stay out of trouble. Even theappearanceof trouble. Stop buying tomatoes. Print them if you really want to cook. Or get someone to bring them to you. You know this stuff. It’s basic, Devin.”
She nodded. “I do know it. Now you’ve acquainted me with the degree to which it applies. I’ll watch myself.”
