Trickster

or something? Listen, I was just joking around when I said-'

'No, nothing like that,' Elena said impatiently. 'Look, if that stuff's for real, I'll buy some.'

'We should probably get out of here, Marlene,' the redhead said.

'Is it for real?' Elena persisted. 'I've got cash right here.'

'It's for real,' Marlene said cautiously. 'I'm a secretary over in bio-enj, and one of the researchers owed me a… a favor. This stuff is so new, it doesn't even have a name.'

Elena licked her lips. It would be perfect. Devin would be hers for the taking. She decided on the spot she had to get her hands on some of the stuff, whatever it was.

'I'll pay you a hundred SA chits for a dose,' she said.

'No way,' Marlene scoffed. 'I only have two doses left. If I give one to Shirley here, that's only one left for me.'

'Two hundred chits.'

'Honey, you must think I'm crazy. My boyfriend's the best he's ever been when he's on this stuff, and I'm looking forward to some hot action tonight with him. It's not for sale.'

'I'll give you fifty freemarks.'

Marlene looked startled. 'Hard cash?'

'Hard as diamonds.' She held up a wad of plastic bills. Marlene eyed it with undisguised greed. SA paid most of its employees in company chits which were only spendable on SA station, and a fair number of employees discovered that their salaries weren't quite enough to make ends meet after paying SA for rent, food, clothes, and other necessities. SA rarely had problems retaining its workers, as a result. Only certain employees were able to specify a salary paid in freemarks, and Elena, of course, was one of them.

'Come on, Marlene,' Shirley said, plucking at Marlene's sleeve. 'I don't like this. Let's get out of here before Security shows up.'

Marlene kept her eyes on the money. 'It's all right, Shirl. Listen, hon, maybe I could sell you a dose but… ' She hesitated and Elena forced herself not to fidget. Then Marlene shook her head. 'I don't know. This stuff's hard to get, and who knows when I'll be able to get my hands on some more? Plus, my boyfriend's a real minute man, if you get my drift. I don't think I can give this up. Sorry.'

The chance was slipping away. Recklessly, Elena yanked more bills from her pocket. 'I'll give you a hundred freemarks. That has to be, what, a month's rent for you?'

Marlene wavered again. 'I–I don't… '

'Marlene, come on,' Shirley whined. 'This is really making me nervous. She's gotta be Security.'

'A hundred and twenty,' Elena insisted. 'That's all I have on me. Come on, help me out, here.'

'Well… ' After an achingly long moment, she finally held out the vial. Elena handed over the money and all but snatched the little bottle from Marlene's carefully-manicured hand. A thin smile crossed Elena's face. Devin would learn what it meant to say no to her, he would, indeed.

Now that the deal was done, Marlene seemed to lose her earlier reticence. 'Using the stuff's a little tricky, hon,' she said. 'It has a strong smell, so you can't just slip it in his drink-he'll notice. You have to persuade him to take it on purpose instead. I put some in both our drinks and tell my boyfriend we'll get a little high together. It doesn't affect women much-just gives us a little buzz-but it'll be different for him, you just wait. Best part is, when it wears off, your boyfriend'll think the whole 'do as I say' sex thing was his idea.'

Elena grinned. 'Sounds perfect. Thanks.'

'Don't mention it,' Marlene said, turning back toward the mirror to examine her lipstick. 'And I mean that literally.'

Elena left the restroom, the tight smile still on her lips. She found Devin in the press around the Pit, obviously still unable to find a way closer to their favored spot at the railing. The little vial in her hand gleamed like a diamond. If no one will give you what you want, sometimes you just have to take it.

'I can't get closer,' he complained over the noise.

She took his arm and pulled him away. 'Come on,' she yelled. 'I have a better idea.' He let her lead him away from the Pit and out the door into the street corridor. Vehicles buzzed by and the lights of FunSec glittered and swirled around them. Humans and non-humans walked, lurched, crawled, and scampered up and down the sidewalk. Overhead, the lattice of walkways swarmed with beings.

'We're going back to my place now,' she said in a voice that brooked no argument. 'It's time you moved on, Devin. Besides, we have to discuss your new position, remember?'

'Elena, I don't-'

' Now, Devin,' she snapped.

'All right.' His voice was meek again.

With a triumphant smile, Elena flagged down a cab. Men like Devin Reap wanted to be given orders, wanted to obey. She probably could have gotten him faster if she had simply ordered him to come along with her.

During the cab ride, she gave him gentle, careful caresses. The feel of hard muscle under her questing hands was an incredible turn-on, especially when she knew that soon he'd do anything she said, anything at all. For his part, Devin kept his eyes down. Once he shyly touched her knee but otherwise kept his hands to himself. When they arrived, Elena paid the driver and led Devin to her front door, which was set into an anonymous row of similar doors. She opened two locks, pressed her thumb against a pressure plate, and opened the door.

Elena, of course, ranked a great deal of space. She had five rooms to herself, all of them with extravagantly high ceilings and a wide expanse of floor. The furnishings were simple and minimal, to further emphasize this latter quality. Elena's quarters also had large windows that looked out into deep space, though she could change them into holographic scenes of anything she wished. Devin looked around, obviously awed.

'Clarence,' she said, 'deactivate interior security cameras.'

'Acknowledged,' replied the computer.

'Wow,' Devin whistled. 'You could put three of my apartment in just this living room.'

'I'm not Head of Information Services at my project for nothing,' she said. 'Will you excuse me for just a moment?'

Without waiting for a response, she went into the bathroom, which was as spacious as the rest of her quarters, and removed her access key from the hidden pocket on the inside of her belt. Elena herself had written the security protocols that demanded Roon and the department heads keep their access keys on their persons at all times, and if anyone did remove a key, it had to be hidden in a secret place. Elena had no direct control over the other two department heads, and Roon had explicitly ignored her advice about not installing a Collection terminal in his home, but Elena could make damn sure her own key was safe. She certainly wasn't going to show the key to Devin, or leave it unmonitored in his presence, not even if he was about to be drugged out of his mind.

Elena opened the medicine cabinet above the sink and pressed a hidden switch. A small door in the back of the cabinet slid open, revealing a space just big enough for her key. She set it inside, closed the compartment, flushed the toilet, and went back into the living room. Devin was sitting on the couch, nervously drumming his fingers on his knees. He jumped to his feet when she entered the room.

'I was thinking,' he said, 'that I should probably be going. You have to work tomorrow, and I shouldn't-'

'Just stay right where you are,' she said, heading for the bar and uncorking a bottle of champagne. 'You can't leave without having at least one drink.' She filled two glasses and dosed them both liberally from the little vial while Devin fidgeted nervously. He was so cute when he did that, so innocent-looking. Could he be a virgin? Wouldn't that be a kick!

The lighting was low, and Elena ordered the computer to put on some soft music. Then she brought the champagne flutes over to him. A sharp smell issued from the bubbling liquid.

'What is this?' Devin asked as she handed him one.

'Champagne,' she said, 'laced with a little something to give us both a hit.'

'A drug?' he asked, looking doubtfully at the flute.

'I'm taking it, too,' she purred. 'It's meant to enhance our pleasure.'

'Well… ' he wavered.

'Drink it!' she ordered.

He gave her a wide-eyed look, then drank. In exultation, Elena emptied her own glass. The champagne had a distinctly acrid taste to it. She set her flute on the coffee table and drew an unresisting Devin down to the sofa. She kissed him, and he kissed back with tentative uncertainty. God, he was handsome. Her hands were shaking with