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i don't get that really thick skin of theirs until adulthood。 Kids that age are still pretty soft in spots。 You just have to know where those spots are。〃
He nodded； eyes dropping momentarily to the ship patch with its stylized 〃SB〃 on the shoulder of my faded black…leather jacket。 〃You deal a lot with aliens？〃
〃A fair amount；〃 I said。 〃My partner's one； if that helps any。〃
〃What do you mean； if it helps any？〃
The center of the table opened up and my vodkaline appeared。 〃If it helps you make up your mind；〃 I amplified； taking the glass off the tray。 〃About offering me a cargo。〃
A flicker of surprise crossed his face； but then he smiled。 〃You're quick；〃 he said。 〃I like that。 I take it you're an independent shipper？〃
〃That's right。〃 I wasn't all that independent； actually； not anymore。 But this wasn't the right time to bring that up。 〃My name's Jordan McKell。 I'm captain of a Capricorn…class freighter called the Stormy Banks。〃
〃Specialty certificates？〃
〃Navigation and close…order piloting；〃 I said。 〃My partner Ixil is certified in both drive and mechanical systems。〃
〃Actually； I won't be needing your partner。〃 He cocked an eyebrow。 〃Or your ship； for that matter。〃
〃That makes sense；〃 I said； trying not to sound too sarcastic。 〃What exactly do you need…a fourth for bridge？〃
He leaned a little closer to me across the table。 〃I already have a ship；〃 he said； his voice dropping to a murmur。 〃It's sitting at the spaceport； fueled and cargoed and ready to go。 All I need is a crew to fly her。〃
〃Interesting trick；〃 I plimented him。 〃Getting a ship here without a crew； I mean。〃
His lips pressed。 〃I had a crew yesterday。 They jumped ship this morning after we landed for refueling。〃
〃Why？〃
He waved a hand。 〃Personality conflicts； factional disputes…that sort of thing。 Apparently； both factions decided to jump without realizing the other side was going to； too。 Anyway； that doesn't matter。 What matters is that I'm not going to make my schedule unless I get some help together； and quickly。〃
I leaned back in my chair and favored him with a sly smile。 〃So in other words； you're basically stuck here。 How very inconvenient for you。 What kind of ship are we talking about？〃
〃It's the equivalent of an Orion…class；〃 he said； looking like a man suddenly noticing a bad taste in his mouth。 Revising his earlier estimate of me downward； no doubt； as his estimate of how much money I was going to try to squeeze out of him went the opposite direction。 〃Not a standard Orion； you understand； but similar in size and…〃
〃You need a minimum of six crewers； then；〃 I said。 〃Three each certified petent in bridge and engine…room operations。 All eight specialty certificates represented： navigation； piloting； electronics； mechanics； puter； drive； hull/spacewalk； and medical。〃
〃I see you're well versed in the Mercantile Code。〃
〃Part of my job；〃 I said。 〃As I said； I can cover nav and piloting。 How many of the rest are you missing？〃
He smiled crookedly。 〃Why？ You have some friends who need work？〃
〃I might。 What do you need？〃
〃I appreciate the offer。〃 He was still smiling； but the laugh lines had hardened a bit。 〃But I'd prefer to choose my own crew。〃
I shrugged。 〃Fine by me。 I was just trying to save you a little running around。 What about me personally？ Am I in？〃
He eyed me another couple of heartbeats。 〃If you want the job；〃 he said at last； not sounding entirely happy with the decision。
Deliberately； I turned my head a few degrees to the left and looked at a trio of gray…robed Patthaaunutth sitting at the center of the bar； gazing haughtily out at the rest of the patrons like self…proclaimed lords surveying their private demesne。 〃Were you expecting me to turn you down？〃 I asked； hearing the edge of bitterness in my voice。
He followed my gaze； lifting his mug for a sip； and even out of the corner of my eye I could see him wince a little behind the rim of the cup。 〃No；〃 he said quietly。 〃I suppose not。〃
I nodded silently。 The Talariac Drive had hit the trade routes of the Spiral a little over fifteen years ago； and in that brief time the Patth had gone from being a third…rate race of Machiavellian little connivers to near domination of shipping here in our cozy corner of the galaxy。 Hardly a surprise； of course： with the Talariac four times faster and three times cheaper than anyone else's stardrive； it didn't take a corporate genius to figure out which ships were the ones to hire。
Which had left the rest of us between a very big rock and a very hard vacuum。 There were still a fair number of smaller routes and some overflow traffic that the Patth hadn't gotten around to yet； but there were too many non…Patth ships chasing too few jobs and the resulting economic chaos had been devastating。 A few of the big shipping corporations were still hanging on； but most of the independents had been either starved out of business or reduced to intrasystem shipping； where stardrives weren't necessary。
Or had turned their ships to other； less virtuous lines of work。
One of the Patth at the table turned his head slightly； and from beneath his hood I caught a glint of the electronic implants set into that gaunt； mahogany…red face。 The Patth had a good thing going； all right； and they had no intention of losing it。 Patth starships were individually keyed to their respective pilots； with small but crucial bits of the Talariac access circuitry and visual display feedback systems implanted into the pilot's body。 There'd been some misgivings about that when the system first hit the Spiral…shipping execs had worried that an injury to the Patth pilot en route could strand their valuable cargo out in the middle of nowhere； and there was a lot of nowhere out there to lose something as small as a starship in。 The Patth had countered by adding one or two backup pilots to each ship； which had lowered the risk of accident without promising the shroud of secrecy they were determined to keep around the Talariac。 Without the circuitry implanted in its pilot…and with a whole raft of other safeguards built into the hardware of the drive itself…borrowing or stealing a Patth ship would gain you exactly zero information。
Or so the reasoning went。 The fact that no bootleg copies of the Talariac had yet appeared anywhere on the market tended to support that theory。
The man across from me set his mug back down on the table with a slightly impatient…sounding clunk。 Turning my eyes and thoughts away from the hooded Patth； I got back to business。 〃What time do you want to leave？〃
〃As early as possible；〃 he said。 〃Say； six tomorrow morning。〃
I thought about that。 Meima was an Ihmis colony world； and one of the peculiarities of Ihmisit…run spaceports was that shippers weren't allowed inside the port between sundown and sunup； with the entire port sealed during those hours。 Alien…psychology experts usually attributed this to some quirk of Ihmis superstition； I personally put it down to the healthy hotel business the policy generated at the spaceport's periphery。 〃Sunrise tomorrow's not until five…thirty；〃 I pointed out。 〃Doesn't leave much time for preflight checks。〃
〃The ship's all ready to go；〃 he reminded me。