He raised his eyes and swept the table. His jaw twitched as his gaze passed over Daniel, but he didn't linger to glare.

"-you wouldn't believe the demands some of them make. Demands!"

"Ah, but Commander Leary isn't simply another young officer, is he, Captain?" said Cummins. "Why-"

He was speaking to the whole table, but he shifted his eyes from Sterret to Daniel, who'd been looking toward the ormolu-and-crystal light fixture on the opposite wall. It was a remarkably ornate thing which nonetheless seemed to work as well as a simpler unit at providing diffuse illumination.

There was nothing wrong with looking pretty, of course, so long as it didn't affect function. He'd had the name of his yacht, thePrincess Cecile, inlaid in gold on her bow. Anybody who thought theSissie couldn't see off an opponent of anything close to her tonnage hadn't read the log of her service under Daniel Leary.

"-even as we speak there's a documentary showing at all the best playhouses in Xenos: The Conquest of Dunbar's World. That, Commander, that isn't the sort of thing that happens after an ordinary advisory mission."

The spoon in Daniel's hand jumped. Hogg'd burn him a new one if he slopped soup on his Dress Whites.

"What?" he said. "You're joking!"

"Oh, come, Commander!" said Sarah Sterret. "Do you expect us to believe that you weren't aware of the play? It's been quite the sensation all over Cinnabar. All over the dependent worlds, I shouldn't wonder."

Daniel set down his spoon. "I hope you'll believe me, Madame," he said. "Because it's the truth."

He paused. "On my honor as a Leary of Bantry."

"I think it's just terrible the way the playwrights make things up," said Miranda brightly. "And they put real people's names on what's all lies. Andrew, couldn't there be a law to keep them from doing that?"