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〃Have you kompri； by any chance？〃 Chort asked。
〃No； nothing like that；〃 Nurptric said。 〃We have no Craean drinks。〃
〃We might have some back at Shick Place；〃 Jennifer volunteered。 〃We cater to all sorts of vices there；〃 she added； giving Chort a sly smile。 〃It's not far away if you want to go see。〃
Chort looked at me uncertainly。 〃If we have the time…？〃
〃No；〃 Nicabar said flatly； his tone leaving no room for argument。 〃As soon as the ship's fueled； we're out of here。〃
〃He's right；〃 I seconded。 I didn't especially like the thought of spending any more time out in the gloom than I had to； and I certainly wasn't going to let any of the group go wandering off on their own。 〃We'll take three caff colas and a distilled water；〃 I added to the barkeep。
His eyebrow crest went a little mottled； either a sign of resignation or possibly contempt for such miserliness。 〃Yes； patronae；〃 he said and turned back to his bar； muttering under his breath as he went。
〃Three colas and a water； huh？〃 Jennifer said； shaking her head。 〃You really are the big spenders。〃
〃As he said； we're short on cash；〃 Tera said firmly。 〃So you might as well stop wasting your time。〃
Jennifer shrugged。 〃Fine。 You know； though； there's an easy way to make some fast money。〃
She leaned in toward the middle of the table； beckoning us in conspiratorially。 〃There's a ship out there somewhere…no one knows where；〃 she said； dropping her voice to a murmur。 〃You find it； and it's worth a hundred thousand marks to you。 Cash money。〃
A matched set of Kalixiri ferrets with cold feet began running up and down my back。 〃Really；〃 I said； trying to keep my voice neutral。 〃How e it's worth that much？ And who to？〃
〃I don't know why they want it；〃 she said； half turning and snagging a folded piece of paper from the next table over that had apparently been left behind during the earlier mass exodus。 〃But it's all right here；〃 she said； handing it to me。
I unfolded it。 To my plete lack of surprise； it was the same flyer James Fulbright had waved in my face back on Dorscind's World。
With two unpleasant differences。 First； as Jennifer had said； the reward had been jumped from the original five thousand to a hundred thousand。 And second； instead of my old Mercantile Authority photo； there was a much more up…to…date sketch。 An extremely good sketch。
〃Sounds like a con to me；〃 I mented offhandedly as I folded the paper again and dropped it on the table in front of me； my skin crawling beneath the fake scars on my cheek。 So that was why the Patth agent on Dorscind's World had surrendered without even token resistance。 Letting me get off the planet had been less important in his eyes than making sure he stayed alive to take back a proper description to his masters。 Suddenly my disguise didn't seem quite so forting and impenetrable anymore。 〃So why show it to us？〃 I asked。
She waved a hand around。 〃You can see how it is；〃 she said； her eyes and voice starting to drift toward the seductive。 〃I'm stuck down here。 But you're not。 You might run into this Icarus out there。〃
Chort made a strange sound in the back of his throat。 〃What ship did you say？ The Icarus？〃
〃I guess no one knows what it looks like；〃 she said； ignoring him； her eyes still on me and growing ever more seductive。 〃But they say that guy on the flyer is aboard it。 You might spot the ship； you might spot him。〃
〃And then？〃 I prompted。
She leaned close to me。 〃Then you could call me here；〃 she said； breathing the words straight into my face now。 The perfume mixed with the alcohol on her breath was definitely from the lower end of the price spectrum。 〃I know who to get the word to； and who to collect the bounty from。〃
〃You say they just want the ship？〃 Tera spoke up。 She had picked up the flyer now and was looking at it； and in the admittedly inadequate light I thought her face had gone a little pale。
〃They want the ship and crew both；〃 Jennifer said； still gazing at me。 〃What； can't you read？〃
〃What for？〃 Tera persisted； handing the flyer off to Nicabar。 〃What do they want them for？〃
Reluctantly； Jennifer leaned back again and looked at Tera over her shoulder。 〃I don't know；〃 she growled； clearly annoyed at the interruption in her sales pitch。 〃And I don't care； either。 The point is that there's money to be made； and we could be the ones who make it。〃
〃And how would you propose we split it？〃 I asked。
She smiled at me again。 The seductress role was apparently all she knew how to play。 〃All I want is passage back to Earth and a couple thousand to help me get set up there；〃 she breathed； leaning toward me again。 〃That's all…you'd get all the rest。 Just for one little Starrm call。 I'd even pay you back for the call。〃
〃Why do we need you at all？〃 Nicabar put in； looking up from the flyer。 〃Why can't we just call this number ourselves？〃
〃Because I know how to get you an extra fifty thousand；〃 the woman said； breathing her words into my face again。 〃Private money。 Revenge money。 See those three in the back？〃
I turned my head。 The three robed figures were still hunched over their table； but as we all looked that direction； as if on cue； one of them stirred； rolling his shoulders to the sides as if adjusting them in his sleep； then falling silent and still again。 But the movement had been enough to drop his hood partially back； revealing his face。
It was another of the Lumpy Clan。
From my left； from Nicabar's direction； came a faint but sharp intake of air。 I turned to look at him； but by the time I got there he had his usual stolid expression back in place。
But the stifled gasp alone was very enlightening。 Clearly； somewhere along the line； Nicabar had run into these lads before。
〃They passed the word that they were putting another fifty thousand into the pot；〃 Jennifer continued。 Like Chort's reaction earlier to the name of the hunted ship； she'd apparently also missed Nicabar's reaction to the Lumpies。 Either she was drunker than I'd thought； or else she was putting so much effort into her attempted seduction of me that she didn't have any attention to spare for anyone else。 〃I hear the guy on the flyer smoked a couple of their pals。〃
〃Not a very friendly thing to do；〃 I said； peering with some difficulty into her face； not because she was unpleasant to look at but because she'd once again moved to a position bare centimeters away from me。 Maybe she was counting on her perfume to seal this deal for her。
Inside my jacket； my phone vibrated。 〃Excuse me；〃 I said； half turning away from her and digging into my pocket； glad for an excuse to break away from that gaze； even temporarily。
It was； as I'd expected； Ixil。 〃Everything all right？〃 he asked。
〃Just fine；〃 I told him as Nurptric returned to our table with our drinks。 〃We found out why everyone else is gone。〃
〃Good；〃 he said。 〃Whatever the reason； they're ing back。〃
〃It seems…〃 I broke off。 〃What？〃
〃I'm reading fifteen ships on landing…approach vectors；〃 he said。 〃At least five of them are heading for our spaceport。〃
I looked up at the Ulkomaal。 〃Nurptric； do the Balthee ever actually land to pick up prisoners？〃
He seemed shocked。 〃Of course not。 They wouldn't dare…this is Ulk