Crystal Heat

11

“My fee is five hundred minims an hour. All time spent dealing with Admin will be charged to you at actual rate which includes one full hour of waiting time. I eat anything over that.”

“Acceptable.”

At a short distance Ruxalin looked like a thin and rather beautiful woman, but up close the resemblance was gone. She was an ice goddess, eerie because she so closely resembled what she so clearly was not. Her skin was white and translucent as milkglass and delicately scaled, her hair spun glass, her nose a knife blade slightly turned up at the nostrils, her small mouth a pale bluish pink. And she was neuter. Completely and utterly neuter.

Shadith leaned forward and put the holder with Adelaar’s credit chip on the desk. “I want to redeem a woman under Contract at Kapal Barush. I’ve been informed that the liability in question is approximately two thousand gelders. Anything greatly more than that will be Kapal trying it on. They’ll be reluctant to part with her, but vulnerable because the woman is registered as Unskilled and they’re paying her as such, but she’s programming for them and supervising security. Urn, once she’s redeemed, I’ll be responsible for any debts between the time of redemption and our departure.”

“You seem to have, covered the matter rather thoroughly. Do you have a phot of the woman?”

“Yes.” Shadith set the flake viewer beside the credit chip. “Her name is Mirik ac Vissyn. As I said, Kapal Banish holds her Contract.”

“The name of the individual or company providing the credit?”

“Adelaar aici Arash of Adelaris Security Systems. She requests confidentiality. It’s none of Kapal’s business who pays as long as they are paid.”

“That’s quite in order. Is there any prospective prosecution involved?”

“No.”

“Have you examined the Contract and informed Admin of your intent?”

“No. Because of my connection with Digby of Excavations Ltd., OverSec was informed of my reason for being here at the Market. Otherwise, I’ve had no contact with them.”

– “Ah. Digby’s interested in the woman?”

“No. Adelaar is the mother of a friend of mine. I’m doing a favor on the side. Digby, of course, knows about this, but I’m on my own time at the moment?’”I see. Any other complications?”

“Beyond Kapal knowing they’ve got a good thing and wanting to keep it, I don’t think so.”

“I’ve dealt with Kapal before this. They know me and will give in with a minimum of foot dragging. May I check this?” She reached for the credit flake, but didn’t touch it.

“Yes. As to dealing with Kapal, that’s why I came to you.”

Ruxalin dropped the flake into a verifier, made a soft popping sound as she scanned the readout. “Aici Arash seems to trust you quite a lot.”

“We are well acquainted.”

“I’ll require a five hour nonrefundable retainer.”

“Agreed. If you give me the flake and your cordak, I’ll transfer the funds.”

It took Ruxalin three hours to pry Mirik loose, another hour to clear with Admin while Shadith took a side jaunt to OverSec to inform them she was leaving, her favor completed.

Once the Contract was voiced, she took Mirik to the Tangul Cafe to introduce her to the jaje waitress, then to the Tav to meet Bisa, Chali and the others.

An hour later, Shadith eased away from the tie-up and headed for the Limit.

After she set the delouser to checking the ship, she swung around. “Quite a change, I imagine.”

“Yes.” Mirik’s eyes went dark. “How I’m ever going to repay you… or the Patron…”

Shadith glanced at the readouts, then smiled at Mirik. “Me, it’s easy. Just tell me everything you can scrape up about the brain-wiped man. Rumors, gossip. Everything. Plus anything about the Kliu Berej, even the smallest most insignificant details.”

8. Lessons in Why I Left Home the First Time

A short scowling boy crouched before a screen and an extrawide sensor board, the exo straps gleaming dully in the greenish light. His hands were like his father’s, broad in the palm with long fingers, but they were paler and softer, the nails ragged, bruise blotches stippling them, red and yellow or black and purple depending on the degree of healing. He was watching inventory flow, marking the items he meant to reroute without otherwise disturbing the file.

Lylunda pulled up a chair and watched quietly. At dinner last night Herred had had his company mask firmly in place, though he was still child enough to keep glancing at his father to make sure the game was going the right way. She didn’t want that kind of cooperation; if he continued hostile, there were too many ways he could sabotage her. Which was why she’d told Grinder to keep out of this and let her deal with the boy in her own way.

As she watched the list scroll past, she was at first surprised by the amount and variety of goods that passed through the Star Street warehouses; it didn’t take long, though, before she understood what was happening. And was angry with herself for not realizing long ago that the Behilarr had made Hutsartл a port of convenience for any shippers who had reasons to conceal the origins of their cargos. Ba da, when I took up smuggling, looks like I was just going into the family business as it were. On the retail side. Puny operation compared to what Daddy Dear and his cohorts are running. She took a wry satisfaction in knowing she was going to be used to siphon off some highborn Jaz’s profit.

The boy was trying to ignore her. He liked this work. That was obvious. Hm. Maybe that’s his problem. He thinks I’m going to take it away from him. Grinder said he’s fourteen. A hard age to be. He looks older. Grinder’s Second. Herred. Bug. The Crip. The Gimp. The weird one who likes book stuff She could hear the taunts, like the ones thrown at her. Bastard. Mongrel. Whore’s Git. High Nose. Because she was smart. Because she wouldn’t put out like other girls her age. Except for Grinder, but then, he didn’t bother asking. Because she was determined to get away from this swamp.

Zaintze said Bug’s mum died before he was a year old, so he wouldn’t remember her. This would probably be the first time he was valued for anything but being Grinder’s son and that only because Grinder never let loose of anything he thought belonged to him. Except me and that was because he didn’t have the power he does now Warning, Luna. You don’t watch it, he’s going to start thinking you’re his property again.

She waited until the final entries trailed off the screen. “Herred, did Grinder tell you why I’m here. Not here in this room, but here on Hutsarte?”

“No. Look, I got to pull and wipe before keph gets nervous.” His high tenor was deliberately roughened; he was trying for strength and maleness-or what he thought they were.

“No, you don’t. What you did was passive and local. Keph won’t feel it till you begin the pulls. Couple of things you need to know before we get started on this business. First, I’m not going to put up with any kakazhar from you. Either you listen and learn, or I get Grinder to pull your access because you just might be crazy enough to rojo the tap and kick the whole mess down round our ears. Shut your mouth. I don’t want to hear from you yet. Second, if you’ve got the brains Jaink gave a cockroach, you’d see I’m back here because I need a place to cool off and once the flying weather’s right again, I’ll be gone so fast I’ll leave scorch marks in the air. Unless you plan to be real stupid, your job is safe. Now you can talk.”

“Why should I believe you? And don’t call me Herred. My name’s Bug.”

“All right, Bug. I’m a smuggler and a jojing good one with a nice rep. Good enough to buy a ship and fly it on my own. Why in Jaink’s Seven Hells would I want to hang round here? Think I’m after your father? Not hardly. I’m not going to say more about that because it’s none of your business.”

“Bo da, so what’d you do you had to run back to tit?” His voice was easier now; he’d let it go high, light, and what his peers would no doubt consider girlish. She didn’t smile. Very carefully she didn’t smile. This was his way of showing capitulation without actually admitting he’d accepted what she’d said.

“Some people want to know where my last cargo went and they’re the types to ask the hard way. I’d rather not, thank you very much.”

He brushed his hand across the board, tapped a sensor, and the chair hummed around. “Would you tell me about some of the things you’ve seen?”

“I don’t think Grinder would like that.” She grinned at him. “Sure, Bug.”

“I can’t leave here, can’t take the pressure shifts. He doesn’t want me to even think about it.”

“Bo da, I know. And you’d better shut down the shield. It’ll make him real nervous if he doesn’t know what’s happening.”

“You didn’t see me. You couldn’t ’ve.”

“You were really smooth, Bug, but we both know he’s watching. And we both know you wouldn’t talk like this if he could hear it. So put us back on show and let’s get started going over Lerdo’s lines.”