![[Wildcards 10] - Double Solitaire](https://fs.ageofbook.com/231459/thumbs/152x264/wildcards-10-double-solitaire.jpg)
moment of silence, then Turtle blurted, "I WANTED TO GO SO BAD." The shell rose and flew a few feet away. Suddenly a tall dune flattened beneath the force of Turtle's grief.
Mark looked seriously down at Tachyon. "We've got problems. I gotta sleep sometime. There's gotta be two of us."
The thought hit both of them simultaneously. They pivoted slowly to face Jay.
"No, oh no," said the detective, holding out his hands as if to ward them off and retreating backward a few steps.
"It makes perfect sense," Mark argued.
"Bullshit it does. You're asking me to climb on board that spaceship and go to another planet, where you can display me like a prize trout to a bunch of his... her relatives who may all want to kill her, except that I'm supposed to stop them."
"Yes," Tach said succinctly. "That sums it up."
"You're nuts," said Jay Ackroyd equally succinctly.
"You can let him down -- lots of people have -- but the Doc's always been there for us. He's going to a dangerous place, and she's in a tough condition to deal with violence and killing. So, I'm asking you for her. Will you help?" Trips asked.
"Hell, if the crazy Takisians don't kill me, the fucking pronouns will." Jay unlimbered a hip flask and took a swig. Jay slapped the cap back onto the flask and thrust it back into his coat pocket. Sauntered over to Tachyon. "Okay, but I get time-and-a-half for other planets."
Tach couldn't find a phrase, a word, or an entire army of words crushing enough for the detective. Instead she spun on her heel and returned to Turtle. Laying her cheek against the cold metal shell, she whispered softly, "Goodbye, Tommy."
"COME BACK." Even through the distortion of the speakers she could hear his pain. Her throat ached in sympathy.
"I promise." Whirling she half ran, half staggered through the deep sand until she stood face-to-face with Zabb. "I accept your terms, Trader Captain," she said with great formality. It served to remind Zabb of his current status. The point was not lost upon the Takisian, but he merely indicated the ramp with his usual graceful courtesy.
"Then let us be off."
At the foot of the ramp there was a paranoid little quadrille as Zabb tried to get Tachyon and the humans to precede him into the ship.
Tach glowered up at him. "I think not. I want you where I can see you."
Zabb bowed. "My motivation exactly. You have a most alarmingly attractive derriere." He shrugged and chuckled at Tach's smoldering expression. "But pleasure postponed is pleasure savored."
The quick rap of boot heels, and he was consumed in the brilliant light pouring through the open hatch. Tach drew a breath, squared her shoulders. Mark suddenly turned and waved cheerfully back at Turtle like a happy vacationer about to set sail on a cruise ship. Jay dropped his head briefly into his hand.
Then flanked by her two incongruous paladins, Tachyon entered the enemy ship.
Chapter Eleven
They say the Morakh lack all mentatic skills, but there is a humming in the brain, a shivering along all the nerves, which tells a Morakh that dying is about to start. Durg was feeling it now. He signaled Blaise. There was a widening of the pupils, no more, to indicate he understood. Durg allowed himself a brief moment to hope that Blaise was finally learning subtlety.
Their current danger existed because of Blaise's phenomenal oratorical skills. The boy had presented his plan for the domination of House Ilkazam. He had spoken as if addressing an auditorium of the Tarhiji , and even the psi lords had been affected. Now Blaise was a danger, and the time for betrayal had come.
L'gura was once more behind his desk. There were three other of the Zal'hma at' Irg , and Malika, with him. Blaise was seated, facing L'gura. Kelly was on one side, Durg on the other.
"Your groundling ways have some interest, but I think we prefer to handle our affairs in the Takisian manner," L'gura said.
Durg snapped his fingers, indicating Malika, and then petitioned the ancestors.
Mark looked seriously down at Tachyon. "We've got problems. I gotta sleep sometime. There's gotta be two of us."
The thought hit both of them simultaneously. They pivoted slowly to face Jay.
"No, oh no," said the detective, holding out his hands as if to ward them off and retreating backward a few steps.
"It makes perfect sense," Mark argued.
"Bullshit it does. You're asking me to climb on board that spaceship and go to another planet, where you can display me like a prize trout to a bunch of his... her relatives who may all want to kill her, except that I'm supposed to stop them."
"Yes," Tach said succinctly. "That sums it up."
"You're nuts," said Jay Ackroyd equally succinctly.
"You can let him down -- lots of people have -- but the Doc's always been there for us. He's going to a dangerous place, and she's in a tough condition to deal with violence and killing. So, I'm asking you for her. Will you help?" Trips asked.
"Hell, if the crazy Takisians don't kill me, the fucking pronouns will." Jay unlimbered a hip flask and took a swig. Jay slapped the cap back onto the flask and thrust it back into his coat pocket. Sauntered over to Tachyon. "Okay, but I get time-and-a-half for other planets."
Tach couldn't find a phrase, a word, or an entire army of words crushing enough for the detective. Instead she spun on her heel and returned to Turtle. Laying her cheek against the cold metal shell, she whispered softly, "Goodbye, Tommy."
"COME BACK." Even through the distortion of the speakers she could hear his pain. Her throat ached in sympathy.
"I promise." Whirling she half ran, half staggered through the deep sand until she stood face-to-face with Zabb. "I accept your terms, Trader Captain," she said with great formality. It served to remind Zabb of his current status. The point was not lost upon the Takisian, but he merely indicated the ramp with his usual graceful courtesy.
"Then let us be off."
At the foot of the ramp there was a paranoid little quadrille as Zabb tried to get Tachyon and the humans to precede him into the ship.
Tach glowered up at him. "I think not. I want you where I can see you."
Zabb bowed. "My motivation exactly. You have a most alarmingly attractive derriere." He shrugged and chuckled at Tach's smoldering expression. "But pleasure postponed is pleasure savored."
The quick rap of boot heels, and he was consumed in the brilliant light pouring through the open hatch. Tach drew a breath, squared her shoulders. Mark suddenly turned and waved cheerfully back at Turtle like a happy vacationer about to set sail on a cruise ship. Jay dropped his head briefly into his hand.
Then flanked by her two incongruous paladins, Tachyon entered the enemy ship.
Chapter Eleven
They say the Morakh lack all mentatic skills, but there is a humming in the brain, a shivering along all the nerves, which tells a Morakh that dying is about to start. Durg was feeling it now. He signaled Blaise. There was a widening of the pupils, no more, to indicate he understood. Durg allowed himself a brief moment to hope that Blaise was finally learning subtlety.
Their current danger existed because of Blaise's phenomenal oratorical skills. The boy had presented his plan for the domination of House Ilkazam. He had spoken as if addressing an auditorium of the Tarhiji , and even the psi lords had been affected. Now Blaise was a danger, and the time for betrayal had come.
L'gura was once more behind his desk. There were three other of the Zal'hma at' Irg , and Malika, with him. Blaise was seated, facing L'gura. Kelly was on one side, Durg on the other.
"Your groundling ways have some interest, but I think we prefer to handle our affairs in the Takisian manner," L'gura said.
Durg snapped his fingers, indicating Malika, and then petitioned the ancestors.
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