bringing himself to a halt no more than three meters from Karrde and the Legionnaires. He swiveled around again to face Shada, shoulders hunched with anticipation—
And with a smoothly casual movement, Karrde plucked the tangle gun from the Legionnaire's hand and fired.
The swooper screeched an air-blistering curse as the semi-plastic webbing slammed into his back, whipping around him and pinioning his arms solidly to his sides. 'As you were, gentlemen,' Karrde said mildly, taking a long step away from the Legionnaires and shifting his aim to cover them.
'Cute,' the lieutenant said. Oddly enough, he didn't seem particularly upset. 'Real cute.'
'I thought you'd like it,' Karrde said, nodding to the other two Legionnaires. 'Your weapons on the ground, please.'
'That won't be necessary,' a suave voice said from somewhere above him. Karrde risked a quick glance, but he could see no one. 'No, I'm not there,' the voice assured him, a touch of amusement in his tone. 'I've been watching your performance from inside my casino, and I must admit to being impressed by your work. Tell me, what is it you want here?'
'To see you, of course, Lord Bombaasa,' Karrde said to the hidden speaker. 'I had hoped to collect on an old debt.'
The lieutenant made an uncomfortable-sounding noise in his throat. But Bombaasa merely laughed. 'I'm aware of no debt I owe you, my friend. But by all means let us talk about it. Lieutenant Maxiti?'
'Sir?' the lieutenant said, straightening automatically to attention.
'Give the gentleman back his blaster and escort him and the lady to the casino. And have your men clean the garbage out of the square.'
* * *
The interior of the ThrusterBurn was a sharp contrast to the climate outside—a sharp contrast, for that matter, with nearly every low-rent cantina and tapcafe Shada had ever been in. The air was cool and comfortably dry, and while the booths lining the walls were dark enough to ensure privacy, the rest of the tapcafe was bright and almost cheerful.
Not that the current clientele was the sort that would appreciate such homey touches. There were about twenty of them, stamped-templet copies of the four she'd disposed of outside, all glaring balefully at the newcomers from their group of tables in one of the corners by the curved bar. Briefly, Shada wondered if Bombaasa had told them their sentries were being unceremoniously carted out of the square outside, but quickly dismissed the thought. A man who owned this kind of tapcafe would be unlikely to risk it by deliberately inviting a fight inside.
Nevertheless, she kept an eye on the swoopers as Lieutenant Maxiti led them across the main area to an unobtrusive door at the back of the dance floor.
The door opened as they approached, giving them a glimpse of a small back room, and a large, dark-eyed human stepped out. He threw a measuring glance at Karrde, an even longer look at Shada, and then nodded to the Legionnaire. 'Thanks,' he said to the latter, dismissing him with that single word, then looked back at Karrde. 'Come on in,' he invited, stepping aside to let them pass. The back room had been fitted out as a compact casino, with four tables around which a dozen or so beings of various species were busily engaged in a variety of card and dice games. With their minds and hopes pinned to their money, it was doubtful any of them even realized anyone new had come in.
All except one. A short, pudgy human with thin, sticklike arms, he sat alone at the largest table, his slightly bulging eyes focused unblinkingly on Karrde and Shada as they stepped into the room. Two large men with the same bodyguard look as the one now closing the door behind them stood at attention beside the pudgy man's chair, also eyeing the newcomers.
Shada grimaced, not liking this at all. But Karrde didn't hesitate. 'Good day, Lord Bombaasa,' he said, stepping right up to the edge of the table. 'Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.' The two bodyguards seemed to tense, but Bombaasa merely smiled thinly. 'Like the legendary Rastus Khal, I am always available to those who intrigue me,' he said smoothly. 'And you do indeed intrigue me.'
His insectlike eyes shifted to Shada. 'Though for a moment there I thought you had run out of tricks,' he added. 'If your companion hadn't snatched the lieutenant's tangle gun, you would have been in trouble.'
'Hardly,' Shada told him coolly. 'I caught a reflection of him moving toward the Legionnaires and guessed he was about to try something. If it didn't work, he was going to need my help right away, and the swooper would keep.'
Bombaasa shook his head admiringly. 'An amazing display, my dear, truly amazing. Though I'm afraid that in the process you've ruined your gown. Perhaps I can arrange to have it cleaned before your departure.'
'That's most generous of you, my lord,' Karrde said before she could answer. 'But I'm afraid we won't be able to stay on Pembric that long.'
Bombaasa smiled again, but this time there was a distinct glint of menace to the expression. 'That remains to be
