Dadina exhaled in relief at the much lower figure. Obviously Gaian manuscripts were either less rare or less wanted than other planets' artworks.
"I can buy you one as a late birthday present," she said shyly.
"No need, you already got me plenty of souvenirs," he told her. "I'll have those three, then. Thank you, Drox."
***
Dadina wasn't happy as they exited Drox's shop. Stolen goods sold at high prices seemed outrageous, but she remembered Mya had told them the Galaxy Police had no power on Friport. The Wandering Planet was the world of outlaws and criminals, a futuristic Tortuga – as Daniele had called it – that followed its own rules, a no-man's land that took care of itself and where galactic laws weren't always applicable
"I wonder if we could trace the buyers and have them arrested," she grumbled as they took the elevator back up one level.
"Not on Friport," Shan-leo reminded her. "But if we figure out who the Manuscripts Collector is... although I'm sure he never sets foot here!"
The mid-level they had passed through on their way down was for brothels and private clubs, and it was even more crowded now. Must be time for sex on Friport.
"Hey, Blondie, want to have fun?" a young man called.
Dadina glared at him. He had long dark hair and a dimple as he smiled mischievously at her. He was good looking, if a little disheveled for Dadina's tastes.
"Are you blind?" she retorted, grabbing Shan-leo's arm.
"Two men are better than one," the male hooker assured with an impish smile. "Want to try?"
Shan-leo chuckled. "No thanks," he answered, dragging Dadina away.
"Bastard!" Dadina said as they reached the next elevator.
"Hey, this is Friport's red district, what do you expect?"
"I don't know, but business must be very slow to try to attract customers like that!"
"He was kind of cute, though. Don't you like long-haired guys?"
"He had an androgynous beauty to him," she admitted grudgingly.
Shan-leo chuckled. "We should have tried him together, then."
"What? Shan-leo, I'm monogamous, I don't want any of those three-foursome things!"
They reached the hotel and Shan-leo let her go in first, like an old-fashioned gentleman, but grinning from ear to ear.
"I know what you like in bed," he reminded her with a wink. "Let's get some dinner, shall we? Then we'll see if your half-brother has news for us. I really want to send these back to Gaia." He patted the manuscripts Drox had put in a heavy plastic folder.
Dadina nodded, still frowning. After dinner, they went back to their room, and she checked her messages.
"Name of the officer following the old manuscripts thefts is Commander Imdela Tasart," she announced, reading out loud. "Let me forward you that, so you can contact her and ask her for more info. I'm sure she knows about Drox but can't arrest him..."
***
The Haiduc was leaving Friport behind when Commander Tasart contacted them. The comm screen showed a pale woman with mid-length, curly red hair and large hazel eyes. She was still quite young – probably in her early thirties – but looked determined.
"Thank you for contacting me and retrieving those manuscripts," she said. "I'm aware of Drox's trade, but he'd be out of business if we could bust his customers. You're the only one who reported him."
"I'm not too keen on stolen goods, and I know what my father would say if he caught me stealing." Shan-leo smiled. "I have the means to purchase what I want and I don't need to own every piece of parchment I lay my eyes on. But Drox mentioned a collector..."
"Ah, yes, the Manuscripts Collector." Commander Tasart sighed. "I wish I knew who he was. He has more antique manuscripts in his private collection than some museums – and only he can see them!"
"That's selfish, stealing history and culture from other planets," Shan-leo commented. "And some of those pieces are works of art from long lost traditions... There are a couple of ancient manuscripts at Mansion Shermac, but they've been in the family for centuries."
Or maybe not. He should check with Jan-wen. What if the Empire had stolen manuscripts from its colonies during its rule? What if the treasures of the Sire Library were actually stolen a long time ago? That made for an uncomfortable thought, even though the Sire Library was open to the public.
"Do you think you could help me?" Commander Tasart asked. "I know I shouldn't involve a civilian, but the Collector obviously knows I'm GP. Drox refused to put me in touch with him even when I tried to pass myself off as another collector."
"Mm... what could I offer him?" Shan-leo mused. "I'm headed to the Library of Cosmic Wisdom of Humanoids on Mirabilis, can I borrow something there to lure him?"
Commander Tasart brightened.
"I'll put you in touch with the Chief Librarian of Mirabilis," she said. "Thank you!"
***
The city of Mirabilis on the namesake terraformed planet was divided in three main areas. The Old Town, where the Library of Cosmic Wisdom was, the New Town, where its youthful and perfect inhabitants paraded their glorious bodies half-naked in the gardens and palaces that were reminiscent of Marc'harid, and the Lower Town, or the slums, that were hidden behind a wall, and could be seen only from the air.
Foreigners weren't allowed in the new town except to try the Perfection Exam, and the pass lasted two hours – unless one had a special invitation from the king or queen, one had no way of seeing the marvels of the new town. Ugly wasn't welcome in Mirabilis.
Tourists flocked to the Old Town, where the Perfects retired once their youthful looks faded. It was more austere, with sturdy buildings less decorated than the new town. Most pedestrians had gray or white hair and graceful aging beauties, reminding Shan-leo of the courtiers and nobles he'd seen during childhood, hanging around the Imperial palace. After the death of the Emperor, most Sire elders had moved out of the capital and retired to their country estates.
The library was next to the Museum of Humanoid Beauty, a rectangular two-story building with five steps leading to the main door. The grand entrance had marble floors, a painted ceiling and wooden tables and benches. Large paintings of libraries decorated the side walls, and light came in from the tall windows by the main door. Beyond an open paneled door, a double staircase led to the upper floor and a long corridor to the ground floor rooms, cutting the rectangular building in half.
By the inner, smaller door sat a man with light brown skin, straight, graying platinum blond hair and large gray eyes. Pudgy and of narrow build, when he rose to greet Dadina and Shan-leo, he was very tall. He wore a brown, hooded vestment over clothes that were the same color as his wooden desk, where paper notebooks sat next to a latest generation computer.
"Welcome, young people, to the Library of Cosmic Wisdom," he said in a low voice that was barely audible in the big room. "It's nice to see the galaxy youth sometimes interested in old fashioned books. I'm Ndo Koyo, Chief Librarian. Are you looking for something in particular?"
"I'm Shan-leo Shermac, Commander Tasart must have told you of my visit," Shan-leo answered.
"Oh." The Chief Librarian quickly checked that nobody was around. "Yes, I know what you're looking for. Kyo!" he called.
Quick steps announced the entrance of a short bald man wearing the same brown vestment as the Chief Librarian.
"Yes, Chief Librarian?"
"Watch the door," Ndo Koyo ordered. "I'm busy with these youngsters."
The plump man bowed and sat at the desk, while Ndo Koyo signaled Shan-leo and Dadina to come upstairs with him.
"I'm a longtime friend of Jan-wen Silverio," Ndo Koyo said, glancing at Shan-leo as they walked along the stately corridor. "So you're his pupil?"
"We share a passion for old manuscripts." Shan-leo grinned. "He's worried for his treasures."
"Ah, yes, we're worried too. Since the thefts started, we took some extra measures."
They reached an elevator operated with a code that took them to the basement.
"We've put the most precious pieces away," Ndo Koyo confided, opening a reinforced door – again with a PIN code. "I'm the only one who has access here. So far it worked."
He let them into a vault where a few of the oldest works were kept in plexiglass cases.
"This is the first written law of Mirabilis, penned in an alphabet we can't decipher anymore. This is a Shaara codex – as you know the Shaara are extinct, so that's all we have left from them."
Fascinated, Shan-leo followed his guided tour, wondering which one he could borrow to lure the Collector into a trap. Dadina was uneasy in the windowless room, and kept looking at the closed door.
"Any of these will do," Ndo Koyo said, looking at Shan-leo. "The one that would be least damaged by a trip is this one." He pointed at an illuminated page written in a square-looking alphabet Shan-leo couldn't read but thought looked beautiful, especially with the frame of strange fruits and flowers in bright colors surrounding it.
The door suddenly unlocked, startling them.
"I thought only you had the code," Dadina muttered as it slid open to reveal a young woman with slanted eyes and long black hair. She stared at the librarian who opened his mouth, then froze. Dadina was also unable to move, but she watched the long-haired male hooker come forward and head for the Shaara codex, ignoring her.
Shan-leo snapped out of his stupor when he realized Ndo Koyo and Dadina were paralyzed, and he felt the woman's mind try to control him as well.
"A Chinese woman and her Native American assistant," Halyss had said. They fit the description, both of them – not Gaians, obviously. Shan-leo couldn't read either mind, but the woman looked like she was from Xi-kong.
His artificial arm rose to block the young man who was reaching out for the Shaara codex.
"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped, pushing back the thief, who stumbled but didn't fall, taken by surprise by his reaction.
"Stay back, Sire," the woman said threateningly.
"You don't steal in front of my eyes," he retorted, marching towards her. She was obviously more dangerous than her accomplice. Natural ESPs were rare, but not unheard of.
She scoffed. "Stop me if you can."
One of the cases flew towards him and crashed on the prosthetic he had raised to protect himself.
Psychokinesis! Not only could she control and read minds like him, she also had another paranormal power.
"Hurry up, Wim!" she snapped as Shan-leo tried to come up with the next move. He wasn't trained for combat and he was alone against two.
The long-haired young man rushed past him and she smiled briefly.
"So long," she said as the door closed again.
Shan-leo heard Dadina and Ndo Koyo exhale, but he didn't have time to check on them. He opened the door and called back the elevator. Breathless, Dadina jumped in with him, but the Chief Librarian was too slow in spite of his long legs – as he stopped to assess the damage in the vault.
Shan-leo and Dadina rushed down the stairs, passed the still dazed librarian in the entrance hall and stopped outside the library’s main door, looking around the crowded street.
Shan-leo cursed under his breath.
"What now?" Dadina asked, still panting.
"Let's get the Haiduc. They must have a starship too."
They ran back to the spaceport where a Futureo-class Fox ship had just taken off. Dadina took the pilot seat while Shan-leo called the library. Ndo Koyo was back at his post, still wide-eyed by how quick the action had been.
"How did they get in?" he asked, panicky.
"The woman, she's a telepath," Shan-leo answered quickly. "She read your mind. We're after them. Don't worry, we'll bring the codex back."
Shan-leo ended the call and reached out to Commander Tasart, giving her the data of the starship they were pursuing.
"I have a mini-cruiser in the area, backup is on the way," she said. "Thank you for what you've done, we'll take it from there."
"You still need me." Shan-leo shook his head, determined. "The woman is a telepath and she can control minds. I'll go with the assault team to protect them."
The policewoman was surprised to hear that, but agreed to let him continue the pursuit. "Can you tell me more about those two?"
"Only that the young man's name is Wim. She was probably shielding him from me. If she hadn't taken me by surprise, I could have protected Dadina and Ndo Koyo."
"I can't believe that hooker is actually an antiques thief," Dadina muttered as they kept following the other starship. "But I'm glad he has a shitty starship."
"What's with Futureo-class Foxes?" Shan-leo asked. "Can we beat them?"
"Their sensors are slightly below average, while ours are excellent. Their speed is average – we're faster. But they have good weapons, which we don't have. If we did, they have poor shields, so they'd have to surrender."
"And if they try to shoot us?"
She grinned at him. "The Haiduc is no warship, but her shields are the best. Backup is on the way. We'll get those thieves."
"Excellent." Finally Shan-leo relaxed in his seat.
10. GALAXY POLICE
"GP mini-cruiser incoming," Shan-leo said as Dadina concentrated on following the rogue starship. Whichever of the thieves was driving was a hell of a pilot. If it weren't for the Haiduc's superior speed, they'd have lost them by now. "Guess what it's called?"
"Don't have time for riddles," Dadina grumbled.
"Warp Phantom. Your half-brother is on the rescue team." Shan-leo grinned.
"Oh." Dadina frowned. "Good for him."
The captain of the Warp Phantom got in touch to say she was sending the assault team with full battlesuits and weapons on stun as usual.
"You sure you don't want me to go with them?" Shan-leo asked.
"You'll go if T'ymi'chel needs back up," she answered with a brief smile.
Shan-leo chuckled and nodded.
"Maela's son is a pro like his mother," he told Dadina who snorted.
They watched the mini-cruiser intercept the Futureo-class Fox and waited. Commander Tasart's star-cruiser was also on its way to meet them and was approaching fast.
The next communication from the mini-cruiser came from T'ymi'chel himself.
"Hey, Shan-leo, good to see you! Thanks for the heads up on those two."
"Did you manage to knock them out?" Shan-leo asked, amused.
"We shot the woman first, thanks to your warning. The young man put up some resistance, but we managed to stun him too. They're both unconscious, but we don't know for how long. We should rendezvous on Commander Tasart's star-cruiser. One of ours is at the controls of the Fox – it's registered to Mayumi Ikagoru of Xi-kong whom I assume is our ESP."
"Fine, see you on the star-cruiser – unless you see her stir. Teleport me onboard immediately if she does. Actually, I should be there right now."
He glanced at Dadina.
"Do you mind if I go on the mini-cruiser to keep an eye on that ESP?" he asked, worried, while T'ymi'chel consulted with his captain.
Dadina shrugged. "Whatever must be done is fine."
"Shan-leo, I'm coming over with her," T'ymi'chel announced. "The captain thinks it's better to keep them apart anyway."
"Okay, perfect!"
Dadina rolled her eyes, but Shan-leo eagerly awaited the dark-skinned young man who materialized on deck with the unconscious woman in his arms. They took her to his single cabin and Shan-leo shooed out the policeman.
He sat by the bed to observe her. He couldn't really tell her age, but she looked younger now – and harmless. Her shields must be weakened, so he tried to probe her. He found a strong barrier, holding even though she was unconscious.
Surprised, Shan-leo touched her forehead with his left hand. The physical contact usually helped to get through shields, but he only managed to jerk her awake.
Her black eyes glared at him as she retreated against the wall to avoid his touch.
"I mean no harm," he said raising his hands in surren
der. "I only want to know why you're doing this."
She scoffed. "Because I'm good at it," she spat.
"You have some natural skills that amaze me," he conceded. "But why do you use them to manipulate and steal?"
She stared at him before answering. "I’m aware that my skills carry a price and I cannot live in the embrace of society. I'm an outcast, and I'm proud of it."
"I understand your skills are unusual on your home planet, but you could have found a place on Marc'harid."
"Really?" She scoffed again. "Mighty Sire don't care about other telepaths."
"I do. My name is Shan-leo, by the way. You took me by surprise in the library, but it won't happen again."
"I know I can't beat a Sire," she said with contempt. "Not in the battle of minds."
Something hit him in the head and his notebook – that had been on a low table with other personal stuff – fell to the ground.
"Ouch!" he protested, massaging his head. "Will you stop that? I'm trying to help you!"
She spread her legs like a gymnast, her tight-fitting black pants outlining her mound and leaned forward.
"You want to fuck me?" she offered, showing a very decent cleavage from her tank top.
"No! Don't try to seduce me," he snapped, jarred. She was pretty, he could give her that. But what attracted him most was the mystery behind the shielded mind.
"What's your name?" he asked bluntly as she licked her lips and lay back in a sexy pose.
"Mayumi Ikagoru, the Dark Forbidden Lady of the Wasteland," she said with a husky voice. "Love me once and die happy."
He guffawed. "Please. You're not an assassin, are you?"
She sighed and composed herself, now looking like a normal girl in casual clothes reclining on a single bed. "It's hard to kill when you're a telepath," she muttered.
"Not if you're an icy Sire," he replied. "But if you're also an empath, like me, it's nearly impossible, I agree."
She stared at him with curiosity for the first time.
"I've never seen a Sire cyborg," she said. "What's your story?"
***
Dadina and Shan-leo met with Commander Tasart on the Galaxy Police star-cruiser, a ship big enough to hold in its hangar the mini-cruiser, the Haiduc and the Fox. The captain of the mini-cruiser brought Wim with his wrists shackled behind his back, T'ymi'chel accompanied Mayumi, handcuffed in spite of Shan-leo's protests. The policeman who had piloted the Fox brought a stash of manuscripts that made Shan-leo frown at Mayumi.
Star Minds Next Generation Page 10