Vision of the future

Car'das wanted to see any of you? I said no such thing.' Which wasn't the same as saying Car'das hadn't asked him to make the offer. 'If I accept,' Karrde said slowly, 'when would we need to leave?'

'Wait a second,' Shada put in before Entoo Nee could answer. 'What do you mean, if you accept? You don't want to go off alone with him.'

Karrde grimaced. No, he most certainly didn't. But at some point he was going to have to face Car'das. And if this was the best way to protect his people while he did that...

'Let me put it another way,' Shada said, glaring at Entoo Nee. 'I'm his bodyguard, and I'm not letting him go off alone. Not with you or anyone else. Clear?'

Entoo Nee held out his hands, palm upward. 'But—'

He broke off as Threepio reappeared and set two heavy mugs of dark liquid onto the table.

'Thank the Maker,' he said breathlessly. 'The clientele of this place are most unpleasant—'

'Never mind the local color,' Shada cut him off. 'Did you hear any Rodian?'

'As a matter of fact, I did,' the droid said, half turning and pointing toward one of the tables across near the bar. 'Three human males at that table—yes; the ones now standing up—'

'Uh-oh,' Shada muttered, darting a glance at Entoo Nee. 'Come on—time to get out of here.'

'Don't bother,' a softly vicious voice said from behind Karrde. Slowly, he turned around. Two tables away, three men were sitting facing them. And all three had their blasters drawn.

CHAPTER

14

'Oh, my,' Threepio gasped, just audibly. 'We're doomed.' Karrde looked back around. Behind Shada, the three thugs Threepio had just identified were striding between the tables toward them, blasters now in their hands as well. Across the rest of the tapcafe, the casual drinkers and loungers were either staring in surprise or morbid anticipation or else trying to beat a surreptitious retreat before the shooting started. 'I suppose it would be a waste of breath to say you have the wrong people,' he said, turning back to face the men behind him.

'No, go right ahead,' the thugs' spokesman said sarcastically as the three of them got to their feet and fanned out slightly to cover their targets. 'I always enjoy a good laugh in the morning. Hands on the table, please. So—did I catch the name right? Talon Karrde?'

'Yes, indeed,' Entoo Nee spoke up brightly before Karrde could answer. 'And this is Shada, and their protocol droid See-Threepio.'

The spokesman impaled the little man with a glare. 'You with them?' Entoo Nee's eyes widened innocently. 'Me? Not really, sir—'

'Then get out of here.'

Entoo Nee blinked, threw a quick look around at Shada and Karrde, and scrambled up from his seat. 'Do let me know, Captain Karrde, if you change your mind,' he said. He shot a quick smile at Karrde, another at the spokesman, then bounced his way toward the door. The spokesman watched him go, frowning; and as the little man pulled open the door, he turned back to face Karrde. 'Change your mind about what?' he demanded as the thud of the closing door echoed across the tapcafe.

'He'd just made me an interesting offer,' Karrde said, lifting his arms with conspicuous slowness and folding them across his chest. The thugs, their full attention on him and Shada, had completely missed the fact that someone had come into the tapcafe at the same moment Entoo Nee left. If he could manage to keep all of their attention on him for just a few more seconds... And then someone across the room swore in astonishment. One of the thugs glanced around—'Shri—Xern!' he barked.

The spokesman spun around... and froze, his mouth dropping open with shock. Silently, determinedly, H'sishi was striding toward them.

It took Xern another second to find his voice. 'What in the name of the Rift is that?' he breathed.

'She's a Togorian,' Karrde supplied, throwing a surreptitious glance at Shada. Her eyes were darting back and forth between the suddenly inattentive thugs, clearly measuring distances and assessing possibilities. That could be trouble. 'Oh, and she's with me,' he added. H'sishi was still coming toward the semicircle of thugs, her mouth open far enough to show her fangs. 'Tell it to stop,' Xern snapped, his voice hitting a higher pitch as his blaster jerked around to point at the Togorian. 'You hear me? Tell it to stop or we'll shoot.'

'I wouldn't advise shooting a Togorian,' Karrde admonished him mildly. 'It only makes them angry.'