are any good, they’ll find and disable those pretty quick. Even the on-demand-only transmitters would trigger halfway-decent scanners, and they’d zap the cams.”
“Which would tell us something, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, either they are undercover mercs or really paranoid religious nuts. Unfortunately, it would tell them something, too.
“Too bad Kay isn’t here. She could sneak in and out, nobody the wiser.”
“Well, I leave it to you, Jo. It’s why you get paid the big money.”
“Thanks. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about a raise.”
“Next assignment.”
“That’s what you always say, Rags.”
“And don’t you want a consistent commander? Besides, what would you do with more money? I have to force you to take leave now as it is. You probably have more noodle in the bank than the rest of us put together.”
“No,” Gramps said, “that would be Formentara. Zhe’s richer than some planets. And zhe doesn’t spend it, either. I had that much, I’d retire.”
Jo shook her head at Cutter. “Amazing how good you are at changing the subject.”
“Mark of a good commander. You gonna stand around all day or get us some useful intel?”
TEN
Jak was no less truculent than he had been before, but he tried to keep it hidden better. Perhaps because Wink was with Kay this time, and Jak did not want to reveal anything that might put him at any kind of disadvantage in front of a human. Given that she already knew what a
kurac
-head he was, he wouldn’t put much effort into trying to sway her.
He couldn’t help himself, though. When he saw Wink next to Kay, he said, “So this is your tame human I’ve heard about.” He spoke in
NorVaz
instead of Basic.
Jak didn’t know that Wink Doctor had an unseen translator feeding his earbud, and the sound was low enough so that Jak couldn’t hear it.
Before she could speak, Wink said in Basic, “Yes, that would be me. I have heard much about you, too.” He smiled, not showing his teeth. “All manner of things.”
It was a good insult. Veiled, not enough to trigger a Challenge for slander between two Vastalimi, and Wink would be immune to such in this case anyway. Nicely played.
Still running on surprise, Jak said, “You understand me?”
“Oh, I understand you perfectly well.”
That shut him up.
Kay said, “I have more questions about your uncle.”
“Ask them, then.” He had to clench his jaw shut to keep from saying something else that would make him look bad.
Kay already knew the answers to the questions she meant to ask. Jak’s responses were less important than his knowing she had a purpose in asking and what that purpose was. She was on the hunt, she had quarry, she was seeking a trail, she wanted Jak to know what it was and, generally, where she was heading.
They went through her list, Jak growing more impatient and wary with each question, and finally they were done. They left.
On the walk back, Wink Doctor said, “Okay, what was that all about? You already knew all that stuff, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You think Jak is involved? Trying to rattle him?”
“No reason to think he is directly involved. But Jak is weak. He will speak of this to somebody, and word will get around that we suspect the illness was a deliberate attack upon The People.”
“Ah.”
“If we are wrong, it won’t matter. But if we are right, it might provoke someone into
doing
something. People suddenly made nervous by the notion that we are looking for them. Skittish prey will make mistakes.”
“Won’t it also make you a target?”
“A risk I am willing to take.”
“Hmm. I had a thought: Could Vial have been a part of this?”
She considered it. “Possible. Although we had history that he might have thought necessary to play out. I suspect he was contracted to challenge me before I left Vast and never got the chance to act on it. But maybe somebody took out a new contract.”
“Somebody worried about you could hire somebody
“Which would tell us something, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, either they are undercover mercs or really paranoid religious nuts. Unfortunately, it would tell them something, too.
“Too bad Kay isn’t here. She could sneak in and out, nobody the wiser.”
“Well, I leave it to you, Jo. It’s why you get paid the big money.”
“Thanks. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about a raise.”
“Next assignment.”
“That’s what you always say, Rags.”
“And don’t you want a consistent commander? Besides, what would you do with more money? I have to force you to take leave now as it is. You probably have more noodle in the bank than the rest of us put together.”
“No,” Gramps said, “that would be Formentara. Zhe’s richer than some planets. And zhe doesn’t spend it, either. I had that much, I’d retire.”
Jo shook her head at Cutter. “Amazing how good you are at changing the subject.”
“Mark of a good commander. You gonna stand around all day or get us some useful intel?”
TEN
Jak was no less truculent than he had been before, but he tried to keep it hidden better. Perhaps because Wink was with Kay this time, and Jak did not want to reveal anything that might put him at any kind of disadvantage in front of a human. Given that she already knew what a
kurac
-head he was, he wouldn’t put much effort into trying to sway her.
He couldn’t help himself, though. When he saw Wink next to Kay, he said, “So this is your tame human I’ve heard about.” He spoke in
NorVaz
instead of Basic.
Jak didn’t know that Wink Doctor had an unseen translator feeding his earbud, and the sound was low enough so that Jak couldn’t hear it.
Before she could speak, Wink said in Basic, “Yes, that would be me. I have heard much about you, too.” He smiled, not showing his teeth. “All manner of things.”
It was a good insult. Veiled, not enough to trigger a Challenge for slander between two Vastalimi, and Wink would be immune to such in this case anyway. Nicely played.
Still running on surprise, Jak said, “You understand me?”
“Oh, I understand you perfectly well.”
That shut him up.
Kay said, “I have more questions about your uncle.”
“Ask them, then.” He had to clench his jaw shut to keep from saying something else that would make him look bad.
Kay already knew the answers to the questions she meant to ask. Jak’s responses were less important than his knowing she had a purpose in asking and what that purpose was. She was on the hunt, she had quarry, she was seeking a trail, she wanted Jak to know what it was and, generally, where she was heading.
They went through her list, Jak growing more impatient and wary with each question, and finally they were done. They left.
On the walk back, Wink Doctor said, “Okay, what was that all about? You already knew all that stuff, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You think Jak is involved? Trying to rattle him?”
“No reason to think he is directly involved. But Jak is weak. He will speak of this to somebody, and word will get around that we suspect the illness was a deliberate attack upon The People.”
“Ah.”
“If we are wrong, it won’t matter. But if we are right, it might provoke someone into
doing
something. People suddenly made nervous by the notion that we are looking for them. Skittish prey will make mistakes.”
“Won’t it also make you a target?”
“A risk I am willing to take.”
“Hmm. I had a thought: Could Vial have been a part of this?”
She considered it. “Possible. Although we had history that he might have thought necessary to play out. I suspect he was contracted to challenge me before I left Vast and never got the chance to act on it. But maybe somebody took out a new contract.”
“Somebody worried about you could hire somebody
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