Dana was as stunned as she had been when Jason spoke the formula of dismissal. "Chief—"
He raised a hand to silence her. "What to do about your situation cannot be decided by a single clan-chief, even the chief of the First Clan. But I doubt that you—or I—will be left in suspense long, once the Miklos sees that tape and has called the conference I requested. It should be an hour, perhaps a little less, and in the meantime I will have you made as comfortable as your status permits." He nodded to the senior of her guards. "See to it, Bowie, and bring her to the com room as soon as the conference convenes."
Dana spent most of the next hour wondering what in Chaos was going on, even as she appreciated Killian's actions on her behalf and the way her guards managed to observe the letter of treating her as an oathbreaker while at the same time wordlessly letting her know they didn't think she could be, after Killian's endorsement.
Eventually they got word the conference was convening, and took her to Alanna's com room, where she recognized Miklos' arms on the screen. As far as she knew, the last time that communications-specialist clan had agreed to call an all-planet conference was just before Sandeman was brought into the Empire; it was difficult to believe she was the reason for calling another. But it was impossible to disbelieve, especially when the Miklos arms on the comscreen were replaced by Clan-chief Hurley's face.
"Thank you all for your time," the Miklos clan-chief said. "This conference was called at Alanna's request, concerning a situation for which no custom exists, and for which Miklos agrees that one must be established quickly."
He paused, then gave the background: Jason and Dana's vacation and the Torrance interrogation reports, then he said, "The next part consists of monitor tapes from the Shangri-La Continental Medcenter. At this point, it still seemed that Jason's actions, peculiar as they were, might have had some justification."
With that, the picture changed to show a hospital room, its only patient a red-haired Terran woman. Dana recognized herself, wincing at what the Sandemans must think, but she remained silent.
The hospital room was replaced by Hurley's face again. "That took place this morning, medcenter time. Dana's situation has no precedent; only clan-chiefs can decide the proper way to deal with it, with her, and with Jason. Chiefs, Miklos awaits your responses."
As chief of the First Clan, Killian was entitled to speak this morning, medcenter time. "Dana's situation has no precedent; only clan-chiefs can decide the proper way to deal with it, with her, and with Jason. Chiefs, Miklos awaits your responses."