to stop playing even to eat.
And when you got tired of looking at your cards or into your glass, there was the view through the full-wall transparent outer hull. Rippling blue-green water, hundreds of brilliantly colored fish and small sea mammals; and around all of it the intricate winding loops and fans of the famous Pantolomin coral reefs.
The Tralla Room was, in short, as fine a casino as Han had ever seen in his life ... and the Coral Vanda had seven other rooms just like it. Sitting at the bar beside him, Lando downed the last of his drink and pushed the glass away from him. 'So what now?' he asked.
'He's here, Lando,' Han told him, tearing his gaze from the reef outside and looking one more time around the casino. 'Somewhere.'
'I think he's skipped this trip,' Lando disagreed. 'Probably ran out of money. Remember what Sena said-the guy spends it like poisoned water.'
'Yeah, but if he was out of money he'd be trying to sell them another ship,' Han pointed out. He drained his own glass an,d got up from his seat.
'Come on-one more room to go.'
'And then we do it all over again,' Lando growled. 'And again, and again. It's a waste of time.'
'You got any other ideas?'
'Matter of fact, I do,' Lando said as they swung wide to get around a large Herglic balanced precariously across of two of the seats and headed down the bar toward the exit. 'Instead of just wandering around like we have for the past six hours, we should plant ourselves at a sabac table somewhere and start dropping some serious money. Word'll get around that there are a couple of pikers ripe for plucking; and if this guy loses money as fast as Sena says, he'll be plenty interested in trying to make some of it back.' Han looked at his friend in mild surprise. He'd had the same idea a couple of hours ago, but hadn't figured on Lando going for it. 'You think your professional gambler's pride can take that kind of beating?' Lando looked him straight in the eye. 'If it'll get me out of here and back to my mining operation, my pride can take anything.' Han grimaced. He sometimes forgot that he'd kind of dragged Lando into all of this. 'Yeah,' he said. 'Sorry. Okay, tell you what. We'll give the Saffkin Room one last look. If he's not there, we'll come back here and-' He broke off. There on the bar, in front of an empty seat, was a tray with a still-smoldering cigarra sitting in it. A cigarra with an unusual but very familiar aroma to it...
'Uh-oh,' Lando said quietly at his shoulder.
'I don't believe it,' Han said, dropping his hand to his blaster as he threw a quick look around the crowded room.
'Believe it, buddy,' Lando said. He touched the cushion of the vacant seat. 'It's still warm. He must be-there he is.' It was Niles Ferrier, all right, standing beneath the ornate shimmerglass exit archway, another of his ever present cigarras gripped between his teeth. He grinned at them, made a sort of mock salute, and disappeared out the door.
'Well, that's just great,' Lando said. 'Now what?'
'He wants us to follow him,' Han said, throwing a quick glance around them. He didn't see anyone he recognized, but that didn't mean anything. Ferrier's people were probably all around them. 'Let's go see what he's up to.'
'It could be a trap,' Lando warned.
'Or he could be ready to deal,' Han countered. 'Keep your blaster ready.'
'No kidding.'
They were halfway to the archway when they heard it: a short, deep-toned thud like a distant crack of thunder. It was followed by another, louder one, and then a third. The conversational din of the casino faltered as others paused to listen; and as they did so, the Coral Vanda seemed to tremble a little.
Han looked at Lando. 'You thinking what I'm thinking?' he muttered.
'Turbolaser bursts hitting the water,' Lando murmured grimly.
'Ferrier's dealing, all right. Only not with us.' Han nodded, feeling a hard knot settle into his stomach. Ferrier had gone ahead and made a deal with the Empire ... and if the Imperials got their hands on the Katana fleet, the balance of power in the ongoing war would suddenly be skewed back in their favor.
And under the command of a Grand Admiral ...
'We've got to find that ship dealer, and fast,' he said, hurrying toward the exit. 'Maybe we can get him out in an escape pod or something before we're boarded.'
