the past. Have you noticed your cabin door locks on the inside?”
Strength went from Kossara. She stumbled backward, fell to the bench,
rested head in hands while whirling and darkness passed through her.
Presently she grew aware that Flandry stood above. His fingers kneaded
her neck and shoulders. As she looked up, he stroked her hair. She
gasped and drew aside.
He stepped back. “No offense, Donna.” Sternly: “See here, we’ve a bundle
to discuss, none of it very amusing. Do you want a stim pill–or what,
to make you operational?”
She shook her head. After two tries, she husked forth, “Nothing, thank
you. I am all right now.”
“Drink? The liquor cabinet is reasonably well stocked. I’m for Scotch.”
“Nothing,” she whispered, dreading in spite of his words what might be
in a glass he gave her.
He seemed to guess that, for he said, “You’ll have to take from my
galley in due course if not sooner. We’ve a long trip ahead of us.”
“What? … Well, a little wine, please.”
He got busy, while she worked to loosen muscles and nerves. When he sat
down, not too close, she could meet his eyes. She declined the cigarette
he offered, but the claret was marvelous. He streamed smoke from his
nostrils before saying, deliberately:
“You might recollect who else was bidding on you.” She felt her face
blaze. “And I didn’t spend quite a lot of beer money out of chivalry.
Your virtue is safe as long as you want it to be–while I’m your owner.
But I need your cooperation in some rather larger matters. Understood?”
She gulped. “If I can … help you, sir–”
“In exchange for manumission and a ticket to Dennitza? Maybe. I haven’t
the legal right to free you, seeing what you were convicted of. I’d have
to petition for a decree. Or I could simply order you to go back where
you came from and enjoy yourself.” He saw her glance fall to the slave
bracelet. “Yes, now we’re clear of Terra, I’m permitted to take that off
you. But I haven’t a key for it, and my tools would damage it, which’d
put us through a certain amount of bureaucratic rain dance if we return
there. Never mind. Beyond range of the comnet, it’s inert.” Flandry
grinned. “If I were indeed a monster of lust, rather than a staid and
hardworking monster, I’d still have taken you into space before
commencing. The idea of an audience at any arbitrary time doesn’t
appeal. Let them invent their own techniques.”
Loathing tightened Kossara’s throat. “The Terran way of life.”
Flandry regarded her quizzically. “You don’t have a high opinion of the
Empire, do you?”
“I hate it. I would die–be tortured–yes, go into a brothel, if I could
pull the rotten thing down around me.” Kossara tossed off her wine.
Flandry refilled the glass. “Better be less outspoken,” he advised. “I
don’t mind, but various of my fellow Imperialists might.”
She stared. The real horror of her situation shocked home. “Where are we
bound?”
“Diomedes, for openers at any rate.” He nodded. “Yes, I’m investigating
what went on, what is going on, whether it threatens the Empire, and how
to prevent same.”
Kossara rallied. “You have the records of my … arrest and
interrogation, then,” she said fast. “I have no further information.
Less, actually, because the hypnoprobe blanked out related memories,
including those from Dennitza. What’s left is bits, blurry and jumbled
together, like barely remembered dreams. So how can I help
you–supposing I wanted to?”
“Oh, background and such.” Flandry’s tone was casual. “Give me the rest
of your biography. Explain what your people have against the Imperium.
I’ll listen. Who knows, you may convert me. I won’t hurry you. There’s
an unsanctified amount of information pumped into the data banks aboard,
which I need to study en route. And we’ve time. Seventeen standard days
to destination.”
“No more?” In spite of everything, astonishment touched her.
“This boat has legs, albeit not as well turned as yours. Do ease off,
Donna. Your culture has a soldierly orientation, right? Consider me your
honorable enemy, if nothing else, and the pair of us conducting a