doesn't interest me," said Nighthawk. "Third, you're not the first or the hundredth fool who thought he could make a reputation by killing me, and I'm still here." Nighthawk came to a stop some six feet from the man and stared into his eyes. "Okay, I'm all through trying to save your life. Make a move, or slink off with your tail between your legs. It makes no difference to me. But make up your mind fast; I'm in a hurry, and I feel no obligation to let you go for your weapon first."
It was Nighthawk's total confidence, his complete lack of concern, that finally got through to the man. He swallowed hard, held his hands well out from his body in plain view, and backed away.
"You're blocking my way," said Nighthawk. "Get off the street."
The man glared at him and did as he was told.
"I'm sure you're thinking about taking a shot at me after I pass you," said Nighthawk. "I wouldn't like that." Suddenly his burner was in his hand, and an instant later, almost faster than the eye could follow, he'd turned, aimed, and melted the handle of the man's weapon. "I wouldn't touch that for a few minutes if I were you."
Without another glance at the man, he began walking again, and Kinoshita joined him.
"Don't tell me," said Nighthawk.
"Tell you what?"
"You were going to tell me there was paper on him and I should have killed him."
"I don't know about the paper—there probably is. But why didn't you kill him?"
"Killing him wouldn't make news five feet outside the District," answered Nighthawk. "And I'm not here to kill every man with paper on him. I'm here to attract Jeff's attention. This guy wouldn't even attract the local cops' notice."
In another five minutes they reached the edge of the District, crossed the street that was the dividing line, and headed to a subspace radio sending station. Nighthawk let the robot clerk read his retina and thumbprint. The clerk checked them against his identity file in the Master Computer on Deluros VIII, cleared his credit with the Cataluna branch of the Bank of Deluros, and finally connected him to the hospital on Giancola II.
"How's Jason Newman doing?" he asked when he'd gotten through to the head of Newman's surgical team.
"The man has remarkable recuperative powers" was the answer. "His cloned organs should be ready to transplant in about six or seven days. Then it's up to him, but I'd say that at the rate he's regaining his strength, he could be out of here in a month, maybe even a little less, as long as he takes it easy."
"He's not the type to take it easy," said Nighthawk.
"Yes, I know. We got the whole story from a Cassandra Hill, who arrived two days ago."
"Thank you," said Nighthawk. "I'll check in again in a few days." He broke the connection and turned to Kinoshita. "Why the hell did you tell Cassandra where he was? I thought he wanted you to wait."
"I didn't tell her anything," replied Kinoshita. "She's a remarkable woman. I don't know if I ever told you the full story of what happened back on Pericles IV, but she's the one who actually led the revolt against her father. Newman was really just around for the end of it."
"She sounds like an interesting woman," commented Nighthawk. "I'd like to meet her someday."
"I don't know if that would be a good idea," said Kinoshita.
"Why not?"
"If one Jefferson Nighthawk could fall in love with her, why not another?"
"You've got a point." Nighthawk walked out of the sending station. "Okay, let's see if the reward's been transferred here yet."
They walked another block to the police station, where they learned that all three rewards had been paid. The two smaller ones had been transferred to a holding account on Giancola II that the hospital could draw from to cover Newman's bills. The reward for Bellamy was in the police department's account, awaiting Nighthawk's instructions.
"We've deducted the price of shipping Bellamy's body to the Binder X bounty station," said the officer in charge.
"Didn't they believe you when you
It was Nighthawk's total confidence, his complete lack of concern, that finally got through to the man. He swallowed hard, held his hands well out from his body in plain view, and backed away.
"You're blocking my way," said Nighthawk. "Get off the street."
The man glared at him and did as he was told.
"I'm sure you're thinking about taking a shot at me after I pass you," said Nighthawk. "I wouldn't like that." Suddenly his burner was in his hand, and an instant later, almost faster than the eye could follow, he'd turned, aimed, and melted the handle of the man's weapon. "I wouldn't touch that for a few minutes if I were you."
Without another glance at the man, he began walking again, and Kinoshita joined him.
"Don't tell me," said Nighthawk.
"Tell you what?"
"You were going to tell me there was paper on him and I should have killed him."
"I don't know about the paper—there probably is. But why didn't you kill him?"
"Killing him wouldn't make news five feet outside the District," answered Nighthawk. "And I'm not here to kill every man with paper on him. I'm here to attract Jeff's attention. This guy wouldn't even attract the local cops' notice."
In another five minutes they reached the edge of the District, crossed the street that was the dividing line, and headed to a subspace radio sending station. Nighthawk let the robot clerk read his retina and thumbprint. The clerk checked them against his identity file in the Master Computer on Deluros VIII, cleared his credit with the Cataluna branch of the Bank of Deluros, and finally connected him to the hospital on Giancola II.
"How's Jason Newman doing?" he asked when he'd gotten through to the head of Newman's surgical team.
"The man has remarkable recuperative powers" was the answer. "His cloned organs should be ready to transplant in about six or seven days. Then it's up to him, but I'd say that at the rate he's regaining his strength, he could be out of here in a month, maybe even a little less, as long as he takes it easy."
"He's not the type to take it easy," said Nighthawk.
"Yes, I know. We got the whole story from a Cassandra Hill, who arrived two days ago."
"Thank you," said Nighthawk. "I'll check in again in a few days." He broke the connection and turned to Kinoshita. "Why the hell did you tell Cassandra where he was? I thought he wanted you to wait."
"I didn't tell her anything," replied Kinoshita. "She's a remarkable woman. I don't know if I ever told you the full story of what happened back on Pericles IV, but she's the one who actually led the revolt against her father. Newman was really just around for the end of it."
"She sounds like an interesting woman," commented Nighthawk. "I'd like to meet her someday."
"I don't know if that would be a good idea," said Kinoshita.
"Why not?"
"If one Jefferson Nighthawk could fall in love with her, why not another?"
"You've got a point." Nighthawk walked out of the sending station. "Okay, let's see if the reward's been transferred here yet."
They walked another block to the police station, where they learned that all three rewards had been paid. The two smaller ones had been transferred to a holding account on Giancola II that the hospital could draw from to cover Newman's bills. The reward for Bellamy was in the police department's account, awaiting Nighthawk's instructions.
"We've deducted the price of shipping Bellamy's body to the Binder X bounty station," said the officer in charge.
"Didn't they believe you when you
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