have, and I don’t like the smell of it. You never have answered me straight, not
once, and I gave you your chance. Now maybe you can break my arm and maybe you
even figure you can kill me to shut me up, but, mister, I’ve got several hundred
cousins who know who I’m with and where and you’ll find yourself taking a slow
voyage on Dublin if you don’t let me out of here right quick.”
“Is that why you stayed? To ask questions?”
“What do you expect?”
He stared at her with more pain than he had felt since Ross died, let go her arm
so suddenly she almost rolled off her edge of the bed; and she sat there rubbing
her wrist and glaring at him. He had no wish to be looked at. “Go on,” he said.
“I’m not stopping you.”
“Don’t tell me I’ve hurt your feelings.”
“Impossible. Go on, get out of here and let me sleep.”
“It’s my room. I paid the bill.”
That hurt I’ll take care of it I’ll put the fifty in Dublin’s account. And the
fifty before that. Just take yourself off. No worry about the cash.”
“It really looks like it. What are you doing, following us to get me to pay your
bar bills? You going to hit me up for finance?”
“I don’t charge,” he said bitterly. His face burned. “Go on. Out.”
She stood up, stalked over, collected her clothes from the chair and started
pulling them on—paused, sealing up the silver coveralls, and looked back at him.
“Probably I’d better pay your rent for the week,” she said. “I think you’ve got
troubles, Stevens. I think your combine’s going to have your head on a platter.
You’re not going to turn a profit on this.”
“Don’t bother yourself. I don’t want your money and I don’t want your help. I’ll
handle my combine.”
“Oh, sure, you’re going to explain how it all seemed a good idea at the time.
This story’s going to be told over and over again, bigger every time it hits
another station. How you did it to see me again, how you did it for a bet, how
you took out of Viking the wrong direction and triplejumped solo through
Tripoint, that you’re a Mazianni spotter or a Union spy with a hyped-up ship or
an outright thief, and you know how much Dublin wants herself mixed into the
story? The tale’ll get back to Viking without our help. They’ll hear it on
Wyatt’s real early; they’ll hear it everywhere ships go… because they’re all
here, every ship, every family, every Name in the Merchanter’s Alliance and then
some. And Union military’s coming in to call. It’s going to spread. You
understand that?”
He thought about that, with a chill feeling in his stomach. “So, well, then, it
looks like I’ve got a bigger problem than you do, don’t I? I’m sure Dublin’s
going to survive it”
“Bastard.”
“You came out on the dock, Reilly. That was your doing. I didn’t arrange it.”
“I’ve no doubt you’d have come to Dublin asking for me. You used our name over
com. What more did it lack?”
“Out.”
“You’re flat broke, Stevens. Unless you’re carrying something under the plates.
And they’ll look. You’re going to get your ship attached. At the least”
“I’ve got funds.”
“What have you got?”
“Maybe it’s none of your business.”
“You don’t. Not worth this trip.”
“None of your business.”
“Huh.”
He stared at her, unwilling to fight it out. Watched her walk to the door—and
stop. She stood there. Looked back finally, dropping her hand from the door
switch. “You tell me,” she said, “really why you pulled this.”
“Like you said.”
“Which?”
“Take your pick. I’m not going to argue the point.”
“No. You tell me, Stevens, how you’re going to rig this. I really want to know.”
He shrugged, sitting up, hooked his arm in the pillows and propped himself
against the headboard. “I told you already what I’m going to do. It’s no
problem.”
“I think you’re in bad trouble.”
“Nothing I can’t solve.”
“So I’m flattered I made such an impression on you. But I’m not why you came.