Prax nodded. Rurhahn switched the lever back to its old position, and the barrel went back to dull gray. Rurhahn showed him the stun clip and explained the gun would need a new charge after firing two or three hundred times. He showed Prax the warning indicator for a low charge and then he had Prax fire at some of the practice targets.
It seemed simple enough to aim; Prax was able to light up the center of the targets after only a dozen rounds.
“You’ve got a good eye,” Rurhahn told him. “Not everyone does. Some people have to work a lot harder to get the same results.”
Prax nodded. “I wish I did as well at your kind of fighting. I still can’t even throw Nakamura.”
Rurhahn slapped him on the back, a friendly gesture that almost knocked Prax over. “Don’t feel bad. She’s pretty good, and you’re new. You’ll get better with time.”
When the shift change arrived, Prax signed out and got cleaned up for dinner. He walked through the staff dining room just as the others were starting to drift in. There were some sly glances as he kept going, but no one said anything.
In the kitchen, Thulan and Draghnachh were busy with last minute preparations.
“Glad to see you looking human again,” Thulan said without preamble. “Go on in. She’s waiting.”
Prax walked down the short corridor to the small dining room and found Rishi sitting at the table.
“Thank goodness,” she said. “You look much better, Praxiteles.”
Prax took his seat. “I feel better, also, lady.”
She smiled as she picked up her fork and began to eat her salad. “So tell me what you’ve learned today.”
Prax picked up his own fork. “I’ve learned that you don’t have to understand or like a machine to appreciate it. And I’ve learned that I can fire a stun gun as well as I can fire a rifle.”
Rishi laughed. “If I could keep learning as many new things as you do every day, I’d be a genius.”
Prax shook his head. “You’ve lived in this kind of world all your life, lady. There aren’t that many things that are new to you.”
“I expect there are,” she said, “if I only went looking for them.”
RISHI stared at her monitor.
“You have not made a request,” the AI said.
Rishi jumped. She had forgotten it was active. “Switch off, please.”
She got up from her chair and paced the room a few times. Really, she would have to do something or she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work. And Van der Keller was coming in an hour. His deal had sounded almost too good to be genuine, but she had promised a meeting, and it wouldn’t do to let herself get distracted during business hours.
She looked at the time displayed on her desk. She had an hour before he came. Glancing around at her office, the room seemed smaller, somehow. The view of the tiny courtyard that opened off her bedroom, carefully landscaped with plants from Prashat, depressed her. She changed the hologram to show a view of the wooded grounds around the house, but it didn’t help. Abruptly, she made her decision. Hari would no doubt throw a tantrum when she got back, but it would be worth it to get out of the house and be on her own for a while. And the new club on the south side of the city sounded interesting. Of course, she wasn’t dressed for cruising. That would be the tricky part.
She left the room and sailed through the outer office, past a startled Merschachh. The Shuratanian looked up as she passed, but Rishi merely nodded.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said.
It was only a few steps to her bedroom. She opened the door feeling rather like she had when she was a child and she and her older siblings had played tricks on each other.
Lidiya stepped out of the dressing room. “Oh, hello, mistress. I was just putting away the laundry. Did you need something?”
Glad she had some practice at lying, Rishi kept her face impassive. “Yes, I’m going to change. I’ve decided to go into Shembor to do a little shopping as soon as my last appointment is over.”
Lidiya glanced at Rishi’s dark blue suede business suit. “Of course,” she said, with just a hint of doubt in her voice. She turned to the dressing room monitor and flicked on the wardrobe program. “What did you want to wear?”
Rishi flipped through several choices and finally found what she was looking for. The outfit she chose looked quite respectable with its outer robe of green silk, but the skintight black body suit under it, worn by itself, would make a different statement at the Barter Club.
Lidiya gave her a curious look. “Well, all right. If you’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Lidiya closed the display. “You’ll be very late for dinner.”
Rishi shrugged. “I don’t mind. I might grab something while I’m out. Praxiteles is on call tonight, and I hate eating dinner alone.” She stepped over to the com and punched Hari’s button.
His face appeared within seconds “Yeah?” He looked distracted, which was good.
“I want to go shopping in Shembor today.”
His eyebrows lifted. “For clothes?”
“No. Jewelry.”
He nodded. “When do you want to go?”
“In an hour or so. I have one last appointment.”
He grunted. “Anika and I are having company for dinner. I’ll ask Rurhahn to handle it. Your escort will be waiting outside your office when you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Hari.”
He nodded and cut the connection.
Rishi smiled with satisfaction. She turned to find Lidiya holding the black and green outfit and giving her a very speculative look.
The maid draped the robe on the bed. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Rishi didn’t bother pretending not to understand. “I do.” She pulled off her suit top.
Lidiya took it from her. “Should I wait for you to get back before I leave? I don’t mind.”
“No, thanks.”
Lidiya looked grim. “Hari’s going to rip your head off later. I just hope he doesn’t decide he wants mine, too.”
“I can handle Hari.” Rishi said the words with confidence. She hoped it was true.
THE deal sounded bogus to Rishi. The man sitting so comfortably in her office had seemed much more plausible at her party. Possibly she was just as susceptible to food and wine and a social atmosphere as her guests had been.
She let him talk for a while, and when he finally ran out of steam, she rose to her feet.
Van der Keller rose with her, his expression composed, polite, self-confident. Well, he was slick, at any rate. Doubtless he made a living because not everyone could count unless the goods were right in front of them.
“I’ll have to think about it,” she said, as the quickest way to end the conversation. She started for the door to see him out.
He seemed reluctant to go. She had to almost herd him through the doorway.
Merschachh stood up when they came into the outer office. He must have seen right away where her difficulty lay, because he opened the door to the corridor. “Good day, Citizen Van der Keller.”
Rishi could see three people in Trahn security uniforms waiting in the corridor. Rurhahn was in front, Tinibu and Praxiteles behind him. “Yes, good day, citizen,” she said. “Have a pleasant trip back to Shembor.”
Van der Keller gave it one last try. “Thank you so much for your time, Mistress Trahn. And do remember I can only hold this deal open for a limited time. Much as I would prefer to deal with the House of Trahn, I can’t extend the contract.”
Rishi gave him a polite smile. “Of course not. I’ll let you know by tomorrow.”
“I’ll see you to your flyter, citizen,” Merschachh said firmly.
Rishi gave him a grateful smile and turned to Rurhahn. “I’ll be ready in just a moment.”
He nodded, an
d she went back to her office for her bag. It wouldn’t do to make a break for it without the means to execute her plan, and despite its name, the Barter Club required cash or credit to get in. Besides, she was indeed going to do some shopping first. She had picked up the bag when she remembered that her pocket com couldn’t be turned completely off. Hari would be able to track her if she carried it. She put it in her desk drawer and left her office, excited to think she would have an evening that wasn’t predictable for a change.
As they approached the flyter pad, Rishi could see Van der Keller’s flyter in the distance. She glanced at her escort. Rurhahn was smart, she knew, but one thing about Milorans was that they took a little while to get up to speed. Inertia wasn’t in their favor when it came to foot races. Tinibu would be faster, but if she was clever enough, he wouldn’t know what she was up to until it was too late. And Praxiteles was new and would have to rely on the others for directions.
She remembered that Praxiteles was supposed to have been on call tonight. “Am I making you all work when you weren’t scheduled?” she asked Rurhahn. “I know this was a last minute trip.”
He tossed his head back in a nonchalant gesture. “It’s not a problem, Mistress. Besides, we get paid double rate if we have to work when we’re on call.”
Rishi noted that Praxiteles wasn’t wearing a stun gun like the other two.
“Don’t they let you carry a weapon, Praxiteles?” she asked.
He flushed and shook his head.
Rurhahn gave an embarrassed chuckle, a sort of deep rumbling growl. “The chief wants Prax to get some practice in Shembor before he carries any weapons, Mistress.” He opened the pilot’s door for her. “Did you want to fly us today, as usual?”
“Yes, thank you.” She climbed into the pilot’s seat and punched in the start code, happy to see Hari hadn’t changed it lately. He had refused to put an access panel on the flyter so she could operate it with just a palm print. Her personal flyter was specially armored and equipped, and Rishi enjoyed piloting it herself. It made her feel more in control of her life.
After an uneventful flight, Rishi set them down on the roof of Trahn headquarters. Conveniently located for trips downtown, the building also had a comfortable level of security.
Day shift had ended, and the roof port was almost deserted. One lone worker gave their flyter a curious glance as she scurried to the lift tube.
After they had locked the flyter, Rishi led the way. She wanted to make sure her palm print would still operate the lift tube.
It did. The platform appeared in seconds.
Once they were down to street level, Rurhahn gave Rishi a deferential but toothy smile and took the lead. He walked slightly to one side and in front of her while Tinibu was a little to the rear on her other side, and Praxiteles trailed them all. The predominately Terran crowd in the street moved out of the way as they walked. No Terran would crowd someone Rurhahn’s size.
The Miloran kept walking until they came to the discreet-looking front of the exclusive jewelry store Rishi patronized. The facade, a single, smooth, blank sheet of stone, had the name of the shop etched into it above the doorway. Rurhahn stepped up to the door cam but then moved out of the way so that Rishi was visible. In seconds, the door slid open; several people waited to greet them. Rishi recognized the shop manager, two guards in the uniform of a commercial security firm, and a clerk. She wondered whether they did nothing but wait by the door for customers.
The manager showed her usual concern at the presence of armed private guards in her establishment. “Good evening, Mistress Trahn. If your escort could leave their weapons here—”
“Certainly,” Rishi said, giving Rurhahn a meaningful glance. The Miloran frowned, but he and Tinibu handed over their stun guns and the three of them followed Rishi into the private room where she sat whenever she shopped at this store. Her three guards waited by the door while Rishi made herself comfortable in one of several chairs by a low table. The store manager brought two tiny glasses of wine and offered one to Rishi.
Rishi accepted and sipped it slowly.
“Now,” said the manager, putting her own glass down untasted, “what can I show you today?”
“I want something new to wear in my hair,” Rishi said. “Do you have anything unusual?”
The woman’s smile bordered on supercilious. “Certainly, Mistress. One moment.”
She walked over to the console in the wall and dialed a series of codes. When she opened a small, recessed door next to the console, Rishi saw several boxes stacked in a neat pile.
The manager brought the boxes over to the table and opened the first one. She held out a jeweled hair comb made of milky white material with a pattern of sparkling white gems set into it in a swirling design. Rishi examined it for a moment, and then the manager pressed a switch under the table. A hologram of Rishi’s head and shoulders appeared above a small round base on the table’s surface. Rishi slipped the comb into her hair to see how it looked on her. The manager reached out to depress a tiny switch on the comb and it disappeared, leaving only the stones visible. It looked as if Rishi had a swirl of sparkling stones sprinkled in her hair.
“Very pretty,” Rishi said, turning the base of the projection so she could study her image from the back. “But not quite what I’m looking for.”
They went through several boxes without success. Rishi had almost decided not to buy anything when the manager held out a delicate curved construction of gleaming gold with a large deep red ruby dangling from the arch in the middle. Rishi set it on her head and admired herself in the hologram. This time the manager turned the image for her, so she could see herself from every angle. The red stone was very striking against the gleaming blackness of Rishi’s hair. It swayed when she moved, and the gold tiara gave her a regal air. It made her look older, more imposing.
“I like it,” Rishi said. “It would look very well with the ruby necklace you sold me last time.”
“I know it would,” said the manager. “I put this aside for you, in case you came in.”
Rishi looked at the contents of two more boxes but came back to the gold and ruby headpiece. She was enjoying her excursion so much she almost forgot the real reason for her visit.
“How much is it?” she asked.
The manager named a substantial price.
Rishi heard one of the guards gasp, but she didn’t blink, even though the price was too high. She didn’t haggle because she wanted this woman to feel obligated to her. “I’ll take it. Could you send it to my house?”
“Certainly, Mistress,” the manger said, all smiles as she put the headpiece back in its box. “Would you like to see anything else? Perhaps some earrings?”
“No, thank you. I have to get home.” Rishi pressed her thumb on the credit box the woman held out to her to pay for the necklace. She stood up and then paused as she reached for her bag, trying her best to look as if she had had a sudden thought. She didn’t let herself look at Rurhahn or the other guards. “I’ve just remembered something. I need to make a confidential call. Could I use your office for just a moment?”
“Of course,” the woman said, as if she were delighted to be asked. “This way, please.”
She led the way to the back of the shop and opened the door to a lavishly furnished office.
“Wait here,” Rishi said to Rurhahn. Behind him, Tinibu looked bored and Praxiteles looked anxious. “I’ll just be a moment.”
The Miloran nodded, and Rishi closed the door. She took a quick breath and then moved swiftly to the back exit that was the reason she had chosen this particular shop. Opening the door was easy enough, but it opened onto an interior corridor, and it took her precious seconds to figure out which way she wanted to go.
She came through another doorway and found herself surrounded by shop cases full of less expensive jewelry.
A startled clerk looked u
p and saw her. “Can I help you, Mistress?”
Rishi smiled warmly. “Which way to the front door, please?”
He insisted on leading the way. “But,” he asked as they neared the door, “your escort—”
“They’re waiting to carry some things for me,” Rishi said hastily. She tried not to fidget while he opened the door, and then she walked through it as swiftly as she dared.
Out in the street, she felt vulnerable and exhilarated at the same time. When no one paid her any attention, she decided the best thing was to get away from the store as fast as possible. She darted around the corner and walked briskly to the end of the block, looking around for a signal post. She found one on the corner and pressed the summon switch. The display flashed at once.
“Two minutes,” Rishi read with relief. She should be safely away before Rurhahn had time to get suspicious about how long her call was taking.
The two minutes seemed to take forever. Rishi waited anxiously as pedestrian traffic flowed around her and skimmers passed her on the streets. Several autocabs had flown past high overhead before one dipped down in front of her, its blue light flashing to indicate it had come in response to her signal.
Rishi sighed with relief, but just as the door opened, pounding footsteps sounded behind her.
“Going somewhere, Mistress?”
Rishi whirled. Tinibu didn’t sound out of breath, but his chest pumped up and down rapidly. Behind him, Praxiteles looked worried but alert.
For one second, Rishi considered trying to jump into the autocab. She rejected the idea; it would be humiliating to be wrestled to the ground by her own guards. Besides, word would get out, and the gossip would be even more embarrassing.
She could order them to take her to the Barter Club, of course. Hari’s orders didn’t limit her activities; they simply said that she wasn’t to go anywhere alone. She glanced at Praxiteles’ distressed expression. No, there was no way she could go to a place like that with him. Besides, anonymity would be impossible with uniformed men trailing her. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.
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