“Yes. The person who talks to me for her says that she thinks her . . . what do you call those things like little airplanes without wings?”
“Flyer?” That was what most Terrans seemed to call them.
“Right. Luodine thinks hers is being tracked somehow. Anywhere she goes, the computers will know. Maybe is normal for you guys, I don’t know. But it sounds like she doesn’t want this.”
The drinks arrived. Vrel paid. “Okay,” he said slowly after the waiter left. It meant that Luodine was mobile. So, assuming that Tevlak’s house had been raided after his and Hudro’s departure, it sounded as if she—and probably Nyarl too—had been released. But she thought it likely their blue-and-yellow flyer was being monitored, which was probably true. That all made sense.
“She says you have a `clean’ flyer,” Ramona said. “I guess that means one they’re not watching, eh?” That could only mean the flyer that had brought Vrel, Thryase, Cade, and Marie to Tevlak’s from Uyali, and which was now at the construction site thirty miles away where Hudro and Vrel had left it. Thryase had somehow arranged for its movements not to be recorded by the traffic system (which eliminated that as an explanation of how they had been traced to Tevlak’s).
“Go on,” Vrel said.
“Well, it sounds to me like she wants to go someplace without them knowing all the time. She needs to use yours.”
Vrel leaned back on the chair, sipped from his glass, and thought about what he should do. In the end, he decided it would probably be best not to do anything until he heard from Hudro. He glanced at his wrist unit unconsciously. Still nothing. Where was Hudro? They had agreed to call only in an emergency. Vrel wondered much longer he ought to give it before deciding that this was becoming one.
Ramona had shifted her attention to another presence that had appeared by the table. Vrel looked up to find a Terran glowering at him. He was tall and lean bodied, with a short beard and hair tied by a band at the back, wearing a black shirt under a leather vest, and pants held up by a wide, ornate-buckled belt. Two more were behind him, looking equally mean and ugly. He shot something in Spanish at Ramona, causing an abrupt change in her manner. She gripped her glass tightly, as if to throw it; her eyes flashed. She retorted just as sharply, and an angry exchange in rapidly rising voices followed, accompanied by gestures and challenging looks from the man, at Vrel. Conversation around them died. The Hyadean military by the bar looked questioningly at each other and started to move closer. Somebody ran out the door, and his voice could be heard calling along the street. A man across the room called out in English, “Leave them be. You are assholes. Why don’t you mind your own business?”
“When they come here taking our women, it is our business,” the leader of the three shouted back. “Who the hell are you, pig shit? You mind your—”
“I am not anybody’s woman!” Ramona spat.
Two Terran military police appeared in the doorway—peaked caps with red bands, white gaiters, drawn batons. Fingers pointed across to the table. They came over. One of them asked what was going on. Several onlookers began telling the story all at once. The Hyadeans by the bar drew back but remained alert. Ramona dropped her aggressiveness, shrugged and shook her head, and answered the MPs’ questions meekly. Their attention turned to the three men, still standing their ground, and an argument broke out between onlookers supportive of both sides. The MPs began shouting and waving their batons to try and calm things down.
Ramona looked at Vrel resignedly. “Should I call this friend of Luodine’s and give some answer?” she asked him.
“No. There is a colleague of mine here somewhere that I need to hear from first.”
“What you want to do now?”
Vrel shook his head. “I don’t know. Just wait.”
“You don’t need this trouble. My place is near here. We can go there and wait to hear from your friend. Will be easier, no?” Ramona looked at him as if there was nothing more to say. Vrel hesitated. She laughed. “If you worry about I might be losing business, you don’t need to. Is good for everyone to have a break sometimes. Besides, if it helps get Luodine out of some kind of trouble, then there is nothing to think about. Okay? So, we go.” It seemed a good idea. All Vrel needed was for this to turn into an incident that would result in his being identified. They left unnoticed while the argument was still proceeding furiously.