'Oh, shit,' Isadora said, pulling her arm back from the shuttle controls.
'Invoke and ye shall receive,' said the pilot. He reached up to unfasten his helmet.
'It's
'
I had a bad feeling about whom she meant.
'Now that I have a captive audience,' Emil Zacharias said, doffing his helmet, 'I'd like to discuss our little contract.' He smiled as coldly as ever.
'Where's Canfield?' I struggled to get my helmet off.
He laughed and tossed me a brass bottle about the size of a thimble.
'Don't open it,' he said. 'The cabin's crowded enough as it is.' He turned to view the three other passengers. 'Crowded with members of the weaker gender.' He smiled at them as sweetly as any cat would at cornered rats.
I heard helmets coming undone behind me. One of the three was unzipping her pressure suit.
'I finally have all four of you together and under my power. Ordinary physical power.' He looked forward at the steady, unblinking stars that blazed in the Cimmerian darkness of space. He smiled. 'By the simple act of smashing this console, our tiresome contract will be canceled regardless of your desires.' He turned to smirk at the women. 'Or of Her...'
Bridget's hand smacked him on the face and held on tight.
'By the magician's oath with Fate,' she cried, 'I
you!'
Zack made a weak sort of hiccupping sound, incapable of speech. Even so, the old crone maintained her grip. A piece of paper crackled crisply inside her palm.
'Nice little trick-'
'Shut up, Dell.' She gazed deeply into his hateful, frozen stare. Her voice grew deep, ominous.
'
'
Woman
'
'
'
Her hand withdrew to reveal a square of parchment stuck to his forehead. A weird, intricate design had been drawn on it in purple ink. Zack just sat there, motionless as a wax dummy.
'How soon till we dock?' she asked calmly.
'Uh, I'll find out.' I pulled the stopper from the little brass bottle and pointed it away from me. I don't know what I expected, but after a moment I hazarded a peek inside.
