"You there! No talking to the slaves!" A burly slave master stormed toward her, gripping his electrolyzer rod. He stopped before Nessa, glaring at her. "We only allow prospective buyers to examine our merchandise. Begone, beggar!" He looked as if he might use the rod on her, which made her even angrier. He was no better than an Antek.
"Who says I'm not looking to buy?" she snapped, her hand going back to her coins.
The slavemaster's eyes narrowed and he grabbed her roughly by her tunic front. "You, buying a slave? I find that mighty suspicious. You sure you're not an escaped slave yourself? Where's your master, girl?" He looked around to see if Nessa was alone, then dragged her forward. "Maybe I just ought to put you in the line."
She found her wits in time to grasp the pistol beside her coins and whip it out and against the man's stout belly. "I don't think so," she hissed.
The slavemaster released her so quickly, she staggered back. He raised the electrolyzer rod toward her but wavered in the face of the pistol still aimed at him. "I don't know who you are, beggar, but get off this square before I call the authorities."
"Maybe I'm a Controller agent." Nessa didn't know where those words came from, but she knew the Controllers used countless different beings to infiltrate the quadrant as their eyes and ears. And she liked the man’s reaction.
"I meant no disrespect," he stammered. "Forget what I said about calling the authorities."
"How much for the two children?"
A calculating gleam stole into the slavemaster's eyes. Apparently the prospect of a sale overrode everything having just transpired. Business was business. "How much do you offer?"
Nessa considered a moment, mentally totaling her coins. Maybe she could buy the children and still have enough for transport. "One hundred miterons each."
"One hundred miterons?" he roared, all pleasantries forgotten. "You're not a beggar, you're a thief! Listen, girl, I don't care if you do work for the Controllers. I have to eat. I can get more than that for children at the Pleasure Domes."
Children in the Pleasure Domes? Sickened, Nessa knew she could not leave the Shielder children here, even if it took all her money to gain their freedom. Only one solution presented itself. She would have to return to Chase's ship and take some miterons from his vault. He could afford it, she told herself, ignoring the twinge of guilt.
"Two hundred each, then." She offered all she had, praying to Spirit the slavemaster would take it.
"Please, you insult me," he cajoled. "I have overhead, you know. I have to feed these slaves and shelter them every night. I need to get back at least what I have in them."
Slaves that slept standing up couldn't take much room, Nessa thought. "I have only four hundred miterons with me."
He rolled his eyes in well-practiced, long-suffering resignation. "By the gods, I must have a sign that says `Cheat me'. All right, all right. You drive a hard bargain…I'll take it."
He probably would have taken less, but Nessa didn't care. She waited impatiently while he carefully counted every coin and drew up the papers. The children were hers. She owned two slaves, a staggering thought.
"You're coming with me," she told the children, taking them each by the hand. They showed no emotion at her words, just plodded along beside her in absolute silence. She led them back toward the marketplace, although she didn't have any destination in mind.
She hadn't thought any further than getting the children off the square. Now she realized she'd have to take them with her to Santerra. She certainly couldn't leave them on Elysia. They appeared able-bodied, so they'd be welcome at the Shielder colony. Now she not only needed money to transport three to Santerra, but the children had to have clothing and food.
Best to get on with it and go to Chase's ship. She had no idea what time it was, but only a few hours had lapsed since he left. If she hurried, she could get the money and find the transport station before he returned to the ship.
CHAPTER TEN
The children spoke not a single word on the way back to the ship. Nessa talked to them, apologizing for them having to travel through the crowds naked, enduring the curious stares and cruel remarks. "We'll purchase you some clothing as soon as I get more money. And we'll get you something to eat, too."
The children remained silent, and Nessa gave up all attempts at conversation. She felt a great sense of relief when they finally reached the ship. She ushered the children into the corridor. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
Retrieving her list of Chase's codes, she punched in the vault combination and the panel slid open. She found a strongbox containing miterons and credit disks. Bypassing the discs, which could leave a trail, she scooped up two handfuls of coins, dividing them between her pockets and her boots. As she closed the panel, she heard pounding on the hatch.
"Chase! Are you in there, old man? I need to leave some things on board. Nessa? Are you there?" Sabin's voice boomed from outside.
Stars! What was he doing on Elysia?
Nessa hurried to the children, who huddled against the wall. Sabin would go away if he got no answer. He couldn't enter the ship with the hatch secured. She squatted beside the children. "Shhh. Don't make any noise. He'll be gone in a minute." Her warning appeared unnecessary, as the children had yet to utter a word, much less a sound.
A second later, the hatch hummed to life and began lifting. By the Spirit! Sabin must have Chase's code. Damn him! He always managed to show up at the most inopportune times. Spurred to action, Nessa whispered, "Come with me, quickly!", and half-dragged the children to her cabin. "Stay here until I return."
She stepped from her cabin just as Sabin entered, carrying two packages. "Nessa! Didn't you hear me pounding on the hatch?"
She remained silent as he strode toward her. "Locked you in, did he? Smart man. Where is he? Still out there, hunting down that worthless cur, Marak?"
Nessa glanced at her cabin door, realizing she needed to draw Sabin's attention away from the area. "Yes, he's still out there." She sidled past Sabin toward the cockpit, hoping he'd follow. "Did you need to leave those packages for him?"
He started after her, a quizzical expression on his face. "Actually, these are for you."
"For me?" Amazed, she halted, the children momentarily forgotten.
"Yes, for you. And I'll be damned glad to get rid of this one piece of baggage." He paused, trying to balance a package that suddenly seemed to take on a life of its own. Nessa heard scratching and hissing. "Here, take it." He shoved the package toward her.
She realized it was actually a hinged box, with heavy mesh on the top. The box vibrated in her hands and chattering came from inside. A futile hope taking root, she undid the clasp. A familiar head popped out, four jet-bead eyes gleaming at her. Turi!
"Turi! Oh, Turi," she cried, snatching him against her. "You're alive! You're alive." He burrowed against her neck, chattering and chirping. Intense happiness blazed through her and she felt like shouting for joy. Tears blinded her and she sought Sabin through the blur. "How?"
He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. "Moriah found him after you and Chase left Calt," he explained gruffly. "He was near death, but she nursed him back to health. I thought—uh, well—no one else could handle the little monster, so I brought him back to you."
Nessa thought she might burst from happiness. "Thank you," she whispered.
Sabin cleared his throat again. "I didn't do it for you. That creature bit me three times, although he liked Moriah pretty well—" He halted abruptly, his eyes narrowing. "What the—?"
Pivoting around, he dropped the second package, his hand whipping to his gun.
Tension poising his body for action, he strode toward Nessa's cabin.
"Where are you going?" she cried, stumbling after him, half blinded by Turi's fur. Ignoring her, He opened her panel.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Desperately, she tried to think of a diversion, but he had already disappeared into her cabin. Prying Turi from her neck, she followed, praying for
a miracle. But she seemed fated to suffer bad luck.
Sabin stood glaring at the two terrified children cringing against the bunk. "What in the blazing hells is this?"
He still held the gun and the children cowered even more, covering their heads with their arms. Nessa stepped between them and Sabin, shoving his arm down. "Put your weapon away, shadower. Unless you're afraid of two innocent children."
He turned a blistering glare on her. "How did these Shielder children get on this ship?" Grimacing, he brought his hand to his nose. "They smell worse than Anteks. I know Chase didn't bring them aboard. He'd never allow anyone—or anything—this filthy on his ship."
Nessa hadn't even considered the smell, or the germs. Frantic, she tried to come up with a convincing story. Sabin grasped her arm in a merciless grip. "Tell me why these urchins are in your cabin—and don't even think of lying to me, Nessa. If you do, I swear I'll cast the lot of you off the ship."
Not a bad idea, considering the sooner she and the children left before Chase returned, the better. "I'll save you the trouble," she retorted, trying to wrest free of his grip.
"No, I think you'll tell me the truth." He shook her, clinking the miterons in her pockets. His expression turned even more thunderous and he plunged his hand into a tunic pocket. She struggled futilely to break free, and Turi lunged at his arm, but Sabin evaded him.
"You little thief," he growled at Nessa. "Stealing Chase blind as soon as he leaves the ship."
"I had money when Chase rescued me!"
Sabin patted the other side of her tunic. "Not two pocketfuls of miterons, I'll wager. Or weapons, either. I'll take those right now."
He held out his hand. Nessa had no choice but to comply. Reluctantly, she gave him the stunner and pistol. He took them and patted her pockets again to be sure she'd given him everything. He didn't know about the knife in her boot, thank Spirit.
He snapped the weapons she'd handed him onto his utility belt, shaking his head. "We'll get to the bottom of this, lady. We'll just wait right here until Chase gets back and checks his gold and his armory."
Desperation flooded Nessa. She kicked Sabin's shin as hard as she could. "You do that, shadower! And see these two children returned to Slaver's Square, which is where I found them. I'm not a thief! I only borrowed enough from Chase to buy the children some food and clothing and purchase us transport. I could have taken more, but I didn't."
She paused, heaving for breath. Staring incredulously, Sabin released her and rubbed his shin. "Borrowed? I suppose you were going to pay it all back?"
Quiet despair replaced Nessa's momentary frenzy. "Don't you care about anything other than yourself? Doesn't it bother you to see people enslaved and put in chains? Look at these children! They've been abused and starved. Unlike you, I do care, and I couldn't leave them there."
Sabin shrugged, slipping his weapon back in its holster. "What are you going to do with them?"
Nessa wondered how much to tell him. "Take them with me to Zirak."
"Next I suppose you're planning on converting them to your 'religion'. Spare me, pilgrim. I'm not some dim-witted Antek. I know you're lying through your teeth, even if Chase doesn't."
"I'll leave you and Chase to your miserable greed as soon as possible. And I'll take the children somewhere safe. That should be enough."
"I'll be happy to see you go," Sabin muttered, punching the panel control. "You and that damned lanrax." He strode through the panel before she could ask his intentions.
She started after him, but then she heard the hatch opening and Chase calling out, "Nessa! Where are you?"
Panic slammed through her. She closed the panel and leaned against it, battling the waves of dizziness washing over her. Oh, Spirit, what to do? What to do? Chase must never discover the children. He would send them back to Slavers Square and imprison her.
Tremors shook her arms and legs. Not that! She couldn't have a seizure now. She sucked in great gulps of air. Miraculously, the oblivion never came. After a moment, the trembling eased. Pushing away from the panel, Nessa turned to the children.
"We have to hide you. Quick, in the lav!"
* * * *
Chase entered the ship, carrying packages and towing Marak in the wheeled body harness. He saw Sabin in the corridor. "What are you doing here, Travers? I thought you were headed toward Verante." He sneezed violently and rubbed his watering eyes.
"And I thought you were headed for Star Base Intrepid, old man." Sabin sauntered forward to study the unconscious prisoner. "So you got Marak. What did you do to him?"
"I injected him with a knockout drug, so I wouldn't have to listen to his foul mouth." Chase shifted the packages, not adding that he'd also wanted time to do a little shopping. It galled him that he couldn't banish thoughts of Nessa, even while planetside hunting a vicious criminal. But she'd needed something else to wear, he rationalized. Then, when he'd passed that cursed vendor…
He sneezed again, swearing under his breath. He would have to take another allergy injection, as much as he hated it.
"Allergies acting up?" Sabin inquired.
Chase resisted the urge to beat the knowing smirk off his partner's face. Once while in the throes of a drinking marathon with Sabin, he'd made the mistake of confiding that he had allergies. A confession Sabin liked to lord over him.
"Shut up, Travers. Where's Nessa?"
Sabin jerked his head toward her cabin. "In her quarters. Why do you ask?"
Chase sneezed twice. "Because I need to unload something into a plexishield case—not that it's any of your concern." He headed for Nessa's cabin, Sabin right behind him. At the panel, he turned and glared at his partner. "Don't you have anything better to do? You could put Marak in the brig."
Sabin considered for a moment. "Nah. Plenty of time for that. Marak looks like he'll be out for a while."
Chase almost decided to wait until later, when Sabin was gone, before he unloaded his troublesome package. His partner didn't need to know he'd lost all sanity for a few moments at the marketplace. But another round of sneezing convinced him to do this now.
"Why don't you just mind your own business and go back to your ship?" he muttered, sounding the panel tone.
Sabin shook his head, an infuriating grin on his face. "I wouldn't miss this for a thousand miterons."
Chase ignored him. "Nessa, are you in there? I have something for you."
"Wait! I'm coming." Nessa opened the panel, her face unusually flushed. "What is it?"
She sounded breathless and Chase eyed her critically. "Are you okay? Your face is red."
Her hand flew to her check and she seemed to grow even more flushed. "Umm, I'm just a little warm." She grabbed her tunic and fanned it. "This robe is very heavy."
A pungent stench wafted into the corridor from her cabin. Chase wrinkled his nose. "What in the Abyss is that smell? It's worse than Marak's stink."
Nessa's eyes widened and she glanced at Sabin. "I do—don't know," she stammered. She edged out and shut the panel behind her.
A sudden sneezing episode racked Chase. "I brought you something. You can open it in your cabin."
Nessa appeared anxious. Probably Travers making her nervous. She always acted skittish around him. "It's too crowded in the cabin," she hedged. "Couldn't we do this in the cockpit?"
Chase found her behavior strange. He was starting to get very irritated, not to mention completely congested. "No!" he snapped, shoving the boxes at her. "Open the larger one now."
She fumbled with the clasp. He couldn't understand her reluctance. Didn't every woman like to get gifts? The box opened and a silvery head poked out, as four shiny eyes looked around. He stood proudly, waiting for her pleased reaction.
"It's a lanrax," she said blankly.
"Yep, it sure is," Sabin quipped.
The lanrax hissed at Nessa and slithered out of the box. It hung by its back feet, then dropped to the floor and scurried to Chase. It climbed his leg before he could react and settled against
his chest. Nuzzling its cold nose against his neck, it chattered happily. A violent sneeze left his chest aching.
"Get off me!" He tried to pry the lanrax loose but it dug its claws into him. He finally peeled it off and held it away from him by the scruff of its neck. "Nessa, take it."
Hesitant, she reached out and took the spitting and hissing lanrax. It sank its teeth into her hand. "Ouch!" She dropped the lanrax and grabbed her hand. "It bit me."
The creature hightailed it back to Chase and started up his leg again. Damnation. This wasn't going as planned. "What's wrong with this thing?" he snarled, pulling it off his leg. "It's for you, Nessa. Take it, damn it!"
She stepped back, shaking her head. No appreciation whatsoever for his gift.
"It doesn't want Nessa," Sabin pointed out. "It wants you, old man."
"Why would the creature want me? I hate the damn things!"
"Let me see if I can guess. Did you use gloves when you purchased this little critter?"
Glaring at his partner, Chase shook his head. Sabin sighed with mock heaviness. "That explains it, then. The lanrax picked up your scent and bonded with you."
A sick feeling settled in Chase's gut. "That's crazy! I only held it for a moment while I put it in the box—" A series of sneezes interrupted his protest. "That's not enough time for anything to bond. Nessa, is that plexishield case still in your cabin?"
An apprehensive look crossed her face. "I'm not sure."
"It has to be there. I never removed it." He opened her panel.
"No! You can't go in there!" She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him back. "The case is occupied."
"Occupied?" He pushed past her, looking toward the case. There was Turi. It couldn't be. He stepped closer and the creature hissed. Sure looked and acted like Turi. "How did he get here?"
"Sabin brought him," Nessa explained, still tugging on his arm. "Moriah found him."
Chase met his partner's amused gaze. "Gee, thanks a lot."
"Think nothing of it, partner."
"Now, could you please leave?" Nessa pleaded, glancing toward the lavatory.
Shielder — A new Science Fiction Romance (Book 1, Shielder Series) Page 12