Dan nodded slowly. "I've heard the same sort of thing about Albion grads and their damned 'Mech charms."

Morgan chuckled evilly. "Yeah, at Nagelring, we always thought the idea of keeping a piece of your first 'Mech with you was kind of silly. Why would anyone willingly carry around evidence that they'd been shot out of a 'Mech?"

His expression brightening briefly, Dan smiled. "Well, it proves you survived."

Morgan shrugged. "As they say at Nagelring, that's why the body forms scars . . ." Morgan handed the meter-long strip of cloth back to Dan. "Slangmore grads usually wear these things as headbands in combat. They only give them up when dead, or when they want to ensure someone else's survival. Pretty powerful stuff."

That's not the half of it, Morgan . . .Dan looked back up at his commander. His gaze swept over Morgan's strong features, but failed to pierce the man's emotional mask. "I suppose part of my distraction comes from seeing the Archon-Designate head back to the Commonwealth with her mother." Dan shrugged. "I mean, well, one night isn't much of a honeymoon, is it?"

Morgan shook his head. "I'd hope for more, I think. But you have to remember that no matter what Hanse and Melissa feel for one another, their marriage was political. Declaring war on Liao, Marik, and Kurita on the day of the wedding points that up in no uncertain terms. As a political marriage, it had to be consummated, but staying together any longer than they did was impossible for them at this time."

Dan nodded slowly. "The war's not likely to be popular in the Commonwealth, is it?"

Morgan smiled coldly. "All wars are popular as long as your side is winning, but your point is well taken. Aldo Lestrade will have to do something to counteract whatever popularity the Archon will pick up in this exchange. Because of the advantage of surprise, the LCAF will have several early victories. After that, things will bog down, or Kurita will counterstrike hard and things may go badly."

Do you know the truth, Morgan?Dan nodded. "The Archon couldn't afford to have her daughter stay with Hanse Davion because that could be made to look as though she'd sold out the entire Commonwealth." As Morgan nodded slowly in reply, Dan sprang his trap. "Still, it must have been hard for the Archon to keep her daughter away from the man she loves."

Morgan stiffened almost imperceptibly, then studied Dan with a harsh gaze. The Colonel unfolded his arms and slowly closed the cabin's hatch. From a pocket in his jacket, he took a small cylindrical device no larger than his thumb, held it up, then nodded in satisfaction. In a cold, dangerous voice, he asked, "How did you know?"

Not what, buthow do I know . . .Dan suddenly felt sweat beading on his brow. He swallowed hard because his mouth had gone dry, then nodded. "That thing ... it tells you the room is secure?"

Morgan nodded. "How do you know, Captain?"

The fearful menace in Morgan's voice obliterated the joy Dan had felt in drawing his conclusion. He's afraid Melissa might be in some jeopardy.Dan held up his hands. "No, Colonel, don't worry. It's no leak. A lucky break . . . only one in a zillion people might have noticed, but I've told no one." Dan looked down at the green sash. "Until your question confirmed it, I could barely believe it myself."

Morgan's dark visage eased a bit. "Tell me, Dan. I'll not have Melissa endangered."

Dan nodded. "You will recall that when we saw the Archon and Melissa off, you hugged both of them? I bid them farewell in a bit more restrained manner. I shook hands with the Archon, then I kissed Melissa's hand."

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Melissa was wearing a perfume called Nocturne.She'd dabbed some of it on her wrist." Dan smiled as he remembered the day on the beach. "Jeana told me it was a fragrance created especially for Melissa, but that the Archon-Designate hated it and never wore it. In fact, Jeana said, Melissa had given the entire supply to her because she liked it."

Dan met Morgan's dark gaze. "Now I know why Jeana was so secretive about herself. And that's why she made a play for me. Melissa is traveling back to New Avalon as Jeana, pretending to get to know my family." Dan's mouth dropped open as he numbly swung his head side to side. "What could be more perfectly secure and natural?"

As his hand crushed the silk, Dan turned from Morgan to stare at the bulkhead. "Now I know how Justin felt when he found himself on trial." Dan slammed his fist on the desk. "How could my father do that to me?"

Morgan settled both of his strong hands on Dan's shoulders. Dan wanted to fight him, to pull away and let his anger flash out like a PPC blast, but Morgan held him firmly. "You've hit on pieces of the plan, my friend, but you've not got it straight."

Morgan released Dan, then moved back to his place by the door. "No one had expected me to bring you to the wedding as my aide. Katrina believed I'd bring Salome, but as you'll recall, Salome insisted on remaining to complete training with the First 'Mech Battalion. I chose you to accompany me because I knew your parents would be there."

Morgan looked down at the JumpShip deck. "Jeana was supposed to strike up a friendship with your sister. She already had papers showing her to be a transfer student to the New Avalon Institute of Science. Because your sister attends classes and teaches there, the friendship would have seemed natural." Morgan grinned. "Your friendship with her seemed yet more natural."

Dan turned slowly. "Why didn't my father tell me?"

Morgan shrugged. "I don't know. I only found this out when Katrina and I spoke the night of the wedding. She explained it to me so I'd not betray anything when we saw them off. I suspect your father would have told you on Friday night but. . ."

Dan nodded. "He never got the chance."

Dan opened his mouth to ask a question, but Morgan waved it away. "Don't ask. If it were all a lie, she'd never have given you that sash." Morgan pointed at the shiny green ribbon threaded through Dan's knotted fists. "There's your proof."

Dan grinned sheepishly. "Point taken." He looked up. "Thanks. This has been eating me alive. I didn't know if Jeana was part of some plot by Lestrade, or something even more strange."

Morgan smiled openly. "I need you sane and clear, Dan, so I thought I'd try to reassure you. I didn't expect the conversation to take this turn, but I'm glad it did. In this war, I can't afford to have a company commander preoccupied with anything but his people."

"Roger that, Colonel." Dan smiled as he recalled the pandemonium following the Prince's announcement concerning the Capellan Confederation. "I'll be more concerned about my people than old Max Liao was about grabbing dessert dishes."

Morgan threw back his head and laughed heartily. "It must have been a full five seconds of dead and utter shocked silence after Prince Hanse made the announcement. Takashi Kurita looked as if he'd been slapped with a cold squid."

"And I thought old Janos Marik was going to have a stroke," Dan said. "His face turned red, and then purple when he saw his consort looking at the Prince with her lusty eyes. Still, Maximilian Liao's reaction had to be the best..."

The Kell Hound Colonel nodded in agreement. "When he shot from his seat, I thought he was going to launch straight away for his JumpShip. He croaked a couple of times, then clutched his dessert plate to his chest as though it were solid gold! Then he starts shouting at his wife and daughters to gather up the plates because they're military intelligence! 'They show the worlds he means to conquer!' Max bellowed. I hope the Liao defenses are more organized than their leader."