Freedom's Ransom

by Anne McCaffrey

  “Where would you put the parameters of Eosi Pe’s possible stops, Zainal?”

  Zainal pointed to the screen on Ladade’s desktop. “If you will bring up his file,” he said, moving to stand behind Ladade so he could see the screen. “Ah yes, well, if you notice, he makes quite a few trips to those coordinates.” He tapped the screen with a finger.

  “Yes, yes, but there’s nothing there. Not even a moon,” Ladade protested.

  “I think you will probably have to achieve those coordinates and then see what might be in space nearby.”

  “But, in space?”

  “Where else to secrete something when only you know the place you left it?”

  “But … but. . :’

  “I’m sure it will take some searching, but think of the rewards, Ladade.”

  “Where? Where?” Kapash came around the desk but before he could see the screen, Ladade altered the display, glaring at Kapash. Zainal straightened, but Kris, knowing him as well as she did, saw a gleam in his eyes. Whatever he had wanted to find, he had. She wondered what it was.

  “What about Au? Where would he have hidden his treasure?” Eosi Au had once commanded both this station and the Barevi market.

  Zainal shrugged. “You knew him better than I did, Kapash, Ladade. Probably even his habits, if you will stop to think, instead of being blinded by greed, Kapash.”

  “You owe me.” Kapash waggled a finger at Zainal, barely able to contain his aggravation.

  “Then let us discharge that debt to you with all possible dispatch, Kapash,” Zainal said in such an ominous tone that even Ladade, fascinated by Zainal’s theory, looked up from his screen.

  “Indeed, Kapash,” Ladade said. “I will detain you on the station no further.” He motioned toward the door, and Kapash had no option but to leave at such a curt dismissal. He did so reluctantly, despite Zainal’s guidance.

  “What did you give for our release?” Kris asked in Zainal’s ear as they strode along the corridor to the airlock where Kapash’s gig was docked.

  “The coffee,” he muttered.

  Kris was both appalled and pleased to hear that her life had been ransomed by coffee beans. She really did mean a lot to him. But did he mean all the coffee? For someone who had given away one of their most important commodities, he looked oddly pleased. She hoped whatever he had found here was what he had wanted to discover.

  She found that she had barely enough strength in her legs to get inside Kapash’s gig. Kathy looked frightfully pale and sank instantly into the nearest seat. Pride kept Kris erect on her feet.

  “Zainal, is there anything to eat on board? And I’m still thirsty.”

  “I’ll see. ” He rummaged in the small alcove, finding only some Catteni dry rations. He gave one packet to her and another to Kathy and then brought them water. Kathy found a small packet of coffee beans in her tunic pocket and handed them to Zainal.

  “Do you have a grinder on board, Kapash?” Zainal asked.

  “Why ever would I?” Kapash replied in a surly voice.

  “We have some beans.”

  “They are all mine, Zainal. Remember that!” He snatched the packet from her fingers. “And we go immediately to your ship so I may see that no more of my beans are distributed on Barevi. “

  “Oh?” Kathy looked up at Zainal, her eyes wide with alarm.

  “It’s all right, Kathy.”

  But on Kathy’s face was the dismay he was going to see from everyone else involved in their Barevi mission. Not that he felt any would rebuke him for bartering the beans for the lives of the two women. Zainal winked at Kathy, who was so astonished that she dropped her eyes and continued to chew the hard Catteni rations.

  Kris managed to eat enough to let her stomach work on something useful and then leaned back in a seat and thought of the long shower she would take to get rid of the stench of the prison.

  o~O~o

  Natchi and Erbri appeared at the gangway of Kapash’s gig as they disembarked. Ferris was with them, and so relieved was he to see the women being escorted by Zainal that he let out a ululation that startled everyone on the dock. Then he raced away to find transportation.

  It was Natchi who helped Kathy onto the small motorized cart that arrived, and it was actually Natchi who paid for the hire when they reached the KDM. Jax and Floss wept with relief when they saw their friends gliding past the berths. Then Clune and the Doyle brothers appeared. Ninety all but carried Kathy on board, seeing that she was by now so weak with shock.

  Chuck arrived with Gino and Sally Stoffers, having been summoned back from the marketplace by Ferris. Eric came, too, looking as concerned as everyone else, though he went back to his current patient, whom he had left in the chair with Tavis in attendance.

  There was freshly made coffee and Floss sliced bananas, deciding that the last of the ripe fruit would be easy to digest as well as good for them.

  Kris and Kathy both finished the snack, grateful for Floss’s care and solicitude. Then they decided they would feel better after a shower and clean clothes and excused themselves.

  “Well?” Chuck asked Zainal, cocking a bushy eyebrow. “Kapash, your people took off with the rest of the coffee.” Then leaning close to Zainal, he asked in a lower tone, “Was that the price of their freedom?”

  “It was,” Zainal admitted.

  “Well, they’re worth it. They don’t look as if they suffered any great harm.”

  “Fortunately, no,” Zainal said with such an edge to his voice that Chuck grinned. “Do you care to inspect our holds, Kapash, to be sure the bargain has been kept?”

  Kapash flicked away such a consideration. “You are an honorable man, Zainal.”

  “There were only two full bags left,” Chuck said, “and what bagged beans we brought back from the market while we awaited your return.” Heavy in Chuck’s eyes was the suspicion that Kapash might have trumped up the charges just to get the beans.

  “Shall I give you a refund on your stall rental, Zainal, now that you have no reason to remain?” Kapash asked with studious politeness.

  “We still have tradable goods, Market Manager,” Zainal said with equal courtesy and showed the man to the main exit.

  “He did rig it, didn’t he, Zainal?”

  “It’s a possibility,” Zainal admitted, knowing how devious the market manager was. Greed was Kapash’s main motive, which, of course, meant that he had seen how popular the coffee was. Zainal left the galley to go to the control room. Curious, Chuck followed and found him lighting up the main computer screens. Zainal entered four letters and sat back, watching the unit deal with the code.

  When a menu appeared, Zainal typed in another series and suddenly the screen scrolled down line after line of what Chuck thought were ship IDs.

  “And what have you got here, Zainal lad?” Chuck asked, taking another seat.

  “I met our beloved space station commander and he very kindly accessed some files for me, updating me—though I’m sure he didn’t mean to.” A smile wreathed Zainal’s usually bland expression. “He gave me the chance to see two of his codes. One, this”—here he struck a save button and then an order to print the entire file—“is a list of all ship activity in and out of the station for … oh, probably ten years. That’s as much as it’s necessary to save.”

  “And what was the other code, Zainal?”

  Zainal went back to the menu and tapped another code. “This one will take more time and effort,” said Zainal. “But it might be worth it. It will give us the movements of all Eosi ships in and out of Barevi. I have also learned that the Eosi did not keep their share of earnings in any holding establishment, but secreted their treasures where only they could access them. If we examine their flights and destinations, we might discover where they stopped along the way.”

  “Well, a good day’s work for all the anxiety. You got Kris and Kathy back, and also found what you’ve been looking for.”

  Paper was spewing out of the printer now. “Yes,” said Zai
nal with satisfaction, “we’ll know considerably more about the ins and outs of all shipments of slave labor following the Catteni invasion. I might even find out how much Ladade earned from his cut of the captains’ loot.”

  “I heard that Ladade is pretty honorable.” The end of that sentence posed a question.

  “Depends on your standards of honor,” Zainal replied. He reached over and removed a wad of the hard copy from the basket, riffling through the pages. “We must get back to Botany and then return to Jarth. Did you get any more automotive parts?”

  “We got some truck tires from Nilink, the man you were supposed to deal with earlier, and he was right annoyed when Kapash’s men cut him off at the pass, as it were.”

  “Did he deliver to us or did you collect from his warehouse?”

  “We collected but he has that place well secured.”

  “Full?”

  “What you got is only a single column of the hoard he has. Whatever did he have in mind when he stocked up on tires? You can’t use them on any Catteni vehicle, and there’s nothing you can do with tire rubber. It’s not something you could melt down like metals. By the way, he has batteries, too.”

  “You know, Chuck, I think we’ve gone about this the wrong way round.”

  “If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, Zainal, indeed we have.” He smiled and chuckled, rubbing his hands together. “And that’ll show Kapash.”

  “Speaking of whom, let me just see…” And going back to the original menu, Zainal picked another file and opened it. “This is exactly what I need: the prison duty roster.” He scrolled backward and stopped at a date. By now, Kapash’s name was familiar to Chuck in Catteni script. Zainal finally highlighted the name “Kapash” and a date.

  “Now that wouldn’t just happen to be the date we got launched to Botany, would it? With Kapash on duty?”

  “Perceptive of you, Chuck. That’s exactly what it is.” Now it was Zainal who rubbed his hands together.

  “Wish I had access to Kapash’s office files,” he muttered, though he was well enough pleased to discover that Kapash had, indeed, connived in his being dropped. For he now had proof that Kapash had been on duty the day he and Kris and the others were sent off to Botany on a slave ship. Kapash’s “duty” should have included the rescue of an obvious Catteni from such a shipment. “And now I have proof and cause.” An odd smile played on Zainal’s lips but, with a shake of his head, he changed to his customary bland expression.

  “Speaking of greed…” Zainal paused, jiggling his fingers on the worktop. “Where would one least expect to find treasure?”

  “Right out in the open?” Chuck suggested.

  “Quite likely. Pe was an odd personality, even for an Eosi.” Zainal chuckled softly. “It’s worth a look on our way out.”

  “Our way out?”

  “We would be less noticeable then and we can always come back. Meanwhile, I intend to reduce Kapash’s greed. A thief should not be allowed to enjoy it.”

  “But you gave him the beans for the women’s safety.”

  Zainal gave Chuck an odd smile. “As market manager, Kapash is not only allowed to punish thieves, but he also has to indemnify the merchants for any losses they may incur while their products are under his protection.”

  Chuck’s jaw dropped open. “Zainal?”

  “He owes me a debt, as one Catteni to another, for unlawful imprisonment, and I shall take no more than is legal to acquit that debt and the several insults to my women.”

  o~O~o

  For the evening meal, celebrating the safe return of the women, Natchi, Erbri, and Tavis were included among the guests. Erbri had brought in a roast of a beef-like animal that was hunted in the forests of Barevi. As the hunters were usually Catteni enjoying shore leave, they often sold their kills to local merchants, though occasionally they had the beasts butchered and took the best cuts back to their ship for better food than their captain would supply. The roast was tender and juicy, and everyone had second servings.

  “I have one more task to complete,” Zainal said when everyone, even Ferris, said they had eaten enough. He glanced at Peran and Bazil. “Then we will lift for Botany.”

  “Oh no, I can’t do that,” Eric said, looking astonished. “I have too many clients waiting for crowns and bridges to leave right now” “Oh, we’ll be back, I assure you,” Zainal said.

  “Look, Dr. Eric,” Tavis said, “you can stay here. My family will be glad to have you as a guest, and I have so much to learn from you.”

  “And I will stay, too. Can’t I, Dr. Eric? You know how helpful I can be. Please, Zainal, please?” Ferris begged.

  “I’ll think about that, Ferris. You could be vulnerable.”

  “No,” Tavis said with suddenly unexpected dignity. “If he was in the employ of Dr. Eric, of course he must stay. And my family will protect him, too.”

  “You have learned much already, Tavis,” Eric said kindly. “Zainal, I really can’t leave or all the groundwork that has been laid for dentistry on Barevi will go for nothing.”

  “I have no objections to your staying, Eric. In fact, I would prefer it, though it does leave you exposed. Professionally, you are not involved,” Zainal said cryptically. “However,” and now he stared at Tavis, “can you keep Eric safe within your family compound?”

  “We would pledge his safety if that is necessary, Zainal,” Tavis said with an upward jerk of his chin to show his willingness and determination. “Emassi Doctor Eric has many, many influential and wealthy patrons. No harm would come to him.”

  “Good. We shan’t be gone long, but there may be some repercussions.”

  “Repercussions?” Eric asked. “Oh, because no one’s going to like dealing with Kapash for their coffee.”

  “I did hear something that puzzles me,” Natchi said, looking dour. The old veteran had really enjoyed his early-morning cup and a place to sit in the sun. “That Kapash would be dealing with coffee beans from now on?”

  “His supply is limited to what he has,” Zainal said.

  “Then he doesn’t have the single concession to sell beans?”

  “He may think he does,” Zainal said with a little smile, “but this market is free to all traders, and that is not a rule he can bend. As we shall make certain. Now, I have discovered sufficient evidence to prove to me that Kapash was the duty officer at the prison the day we were dispatched to Botany.”

  Wide-eyed looks and gasps echoed the surprise of those around the table.

  “I knew it, I knew it,” Natchi said, swearing oaths in such a jumble that no one quite caught their sense, which was just as well, Zainal thought. “Greedy swamp wart. May he drown in his own slime.”

  “He might—quite legitimately, if you are all willing to take some risks before we depart tomorrow”

  “What? What do we have to do?” was the eager response to risk-taking.

  Even Kathy looked determinedly eager to cooperate, judging by the vengeful light in her eyes.

  Zainal propped his elbows on the table but gave first Natchi and then Erbri a long look.

  “I had already intended to take you two back to Botany for your mechanical skills but it might be as well—if you agree to tonight’s business—to take you with us for other reasons.”

  “Such as?” Natchi challenged.

  “We are still missing considerable spare parts—”

  “And we’re going to steal them so Kapash has to pay insurance!” Ferris bounced up and down in his chair, believing he had perceived Zainal’s plan.

  “But, Father…” Bazil, his more conservative child, protested, glancing at Brone, who evidently had no qualms with what was being suggested.

  “Yes, yes, it is wrong to steal, but it is very proper and Cattenish to respond to insult. And Kapash has insulted me and mine once too often. Especially now I have proof of his complicity in my transportation.”

  “What proof do you have?” Brone asked blandly.

  “I have the duty roster for th
at particular day, and he was on it as prison warden. That means he was supposed to oversee who was shipped out. I know he had orders to include everyone caught up in the riot, but that did not include a Catteni.”

  “And Zainal was certainly not part of that riot,” Kris said firmly, eyeing Bazil sternly. “Neither was I. But I was Terran and unconscious, so I had no chance to proclaim my innocence in the affair.”

  “So, what must we do to assist you, Emassi?” Erbri said.

  “Since you and Natchi have repaired all those lift glides, can you also help load them?”

  “Sure, but all the places you need to get into are secured,” Natchi pointed out.

  “Some are even guarded,” Erbri added cautiously.

  “Shorting out the security system is no big problem,” Bayes said, as their electrical expert. “Most of it needs to be repaired. Plenty of faulty lines.” He shrugged. “Could go anytime.”

  “You can always get in from the roofs, too,” Ferris said, and Ditsy nodded emphatically.

  “Oh, can you? To which storage sheds in particular, Ditsy?” Zainal asked, suspecting that Ditsy had checked out such matters when he was looking around all the storage places.

  “Oh, like Nilink’s and Luxel’s. Cut a panel out of the ceiling and with a lift on the roof we could load it in next to no time.”

  “And leave all the front tiers of tires to make ‘em think no one’s tampered with their stuff,” Ditsy added.

  “Zerkay’s merchandise can be handled the same way. Steal the back layers and he won’t be much wiser.”

  “He was the nicest of the lot,” Kris said with dismay on her face.

  “He has no need of the things he looted, and we can’t play favorites if we’re planning a widespread heist.”

  “It’s not theft,” Peran said. “It’s restitution of impounded materials that were stolen in the first place.”

  Zainal gave his son a quick look for that bit of sophistry. Brone shrugged as if to imply he had not put such words in the boy’s mouth.