Shadowkill

5

Final Pass round.

Before the dealing began, the door opened and a cloud of Dasuttras came in with kaff and tea and small cloths dampened with scented water. Their palms were dyed pink; more dye was burnished into their nails. Dye-flowers were stamped on their bodies, a graceful spray spread across the swell of their breasts, single blooms in the center of the brow and on each cheek. They fluttered about the players, their filmy draperies whisper whispering, caressing whatever they touched. Three Dasuttras filled delicate porcelain cups with steaming local teas and set them on the ledge beside the players. Rose leaned back and let one of them have her hand while the other massaged her neck and shoulders. She closed her eyes, sighed with pleasure, the tension going out of her, drawn away by the warm wet cloths, the skillful fingers of the masseuse.

She cracked an eye and sneaked a look at Uj, suppressed a grin. Lord of all he sees, she thought. Shayss damn, that’s a pretty child playing with his neck. She opened her eyes wider.

Hadluk was standing in the doorway looking amused. He met her eyes, tapped his temple in a two finger salute, and stepped out of sight.

He was a snake, but an honest snake, give him that. The way Uj was snorting at his attendants, he was going to have little interest in fooling about after her. Probably. Well, well…

She slid unnoticed from the room as Uj preened himself before the Dasuttras, enjoying the minor triumph of sweeping Last Chapter. Nikeldy was chewing his large bottom lip as he tapped notes into a cardfile. Barangkaly, gone morose, stared at a wall, now and then stroking his thumbnail down one or the other of his rattail mustaches. Kahtik stood withdrawn, concentrating on his coins, wiping them carefully with the white cloth before restowing them about his person. Tayteknas tossed down a cup of lukewarm kaff, wiped at his mouth, and checked his clothing to make sure he left with what he had when he came in. None of them noticed her departure.

The taproom was noisy now, filled with men and Dasuttras, three servers behind the bar, none of them Hadluk.

“This way.” Pulleet cupped his hand around her elbow, turned her back into the hall and nudged her along it to a door in the end wall. He knocked once, said, “Payday.”

The door swung open.

Hadluk was sitting behind a table that doubled duty as a desk, loading penciled notes into an interface. He looked up, the distorted side of his face emphasized by his smile and his tiredness. “Sorry about that,” he said. He was speaking to Autumn Rose. “I didn’t know Uj was coming till he showed. Thought you’d pick up on him, but if you didn’t…” He shrugged. “Just in case,” he nodded at Pulleet, “I called in a favor.”

She dropped onto a backless chair. “Lice?”

“Big lice. Collector.”

“Taking a double skim.”

“Way it goes.”

“He’s busy now.”

“Not for all that long. He’s short-time in the sack, a wham-bam and good-bye.” He turned to Pulleet. “How is she? Still got it?”

“Yup.”

He pulled his hand across his mouth, frowned down at it. “Been thinking,” he said. “You cleaned?”

“Pretty much. Not flat, but limping. I have passage off-world, if that’s what you’re on at.”

“Nope. Wanta meet. Neutral ground. Angatine chapel?”

“No.” She didn’t explain. “You get watersick?”

“No.” He looked down at his hands, ran the edge of a thumbnail down the paper he’d been reading. “Not a bad idea, that.”

“Right. We can have ourselves a picnic on one of those rocks out in the bay. When?”

“Tomorrow. I’ll do the food, you just be there. Gaunga wharf.”

“I’ll be there-out on the water, watching. You pick your island and I’ll join you.”

“Better that way, yes. You really haven’t lost it, have you?”

“So we all should hope.” She dropped the sac on his desk, waited while he counted out his cut. “Anything I should bring?”

“Got a mute cone?”

“I do indeed, battery operated.” She reclaimed the sac. “See you when.”

When she turned to pull the door closed behind her, she looked back. The two men were nose to nose, Pulleet talking rapidly, his hands fluttering, Hadluk listening so intently he wasn’t aware of anything but the voice murmuring into his face.