work of an old-fashioned whip. Her head hung down, and her hair obscured her face. Her body had taken a great deal of abuse; in addition, it was either drenched in sweat or had been oiled.
'What happened to this one?'
If Buzznoose had noticed Billy's lapse, he did not show it. 'She became violently uncooperative, and my people were forced to make an example of her. You have no idea how much trouble a single unchecked disruptive influence can cause in a place like this.'
Billy was very much aware that the other two were looking at him, waiting for him to make the next move. He had come into the place playing it by ear, with no real, comprehensive plan. Suddenly the inspiration for which he had been waiting struck. He faced Buzznoose.
'Do you know who you're holding here?'
Buzznoose, taking the question at face value, consulted a small data file attached to the cube's plexiglass front.
'Sure. She's an indigent. Used to be called Renatta de Luxe. She hit the zero, and we picked up title for minimum flesh. She's also a troublemaker. She may take a little taming, but at least she has spirit. Did you think that your client might have a use for her?'
Billy grimly shook his head as he examined the data display. 'You clearly don't know who you have here.'
Buzznoose was starting to look worried. 'I don't?'
'You're in a lot of trouble.'
'I don't know what you're talking about.'
Billy took a deep breath. 'The woman you have hung up in there is none other than Deeja Vespasian, the eldest daughter of the prefect of Garth. She's kind of wild, and she's been staying in the city indulging in the kind of vices that attract the young, wealthy, and powerful to Krystaleit. She was reported missing this morning. I don't know how she came to hit the zero, but it must have been some kind of mistake or misunderstanding.'
Buzznoose was starting to display extreme agitation. 'I bought the damned woman in good faith. Check with the city.'
'I doubt that the prefect will see it that way. When he hears what you've done to his daughter, he probably won't be too interested in your faith, good or otherwise.'
Billy was very well aware that Reave and the Minstrel Boy were looking at him with veiled admiration. He warmed to his fantasy. The minders, on the other hand, were starting to become edgy and ill at ease. But Buzznoose seemed to be swallowing the fiction whole. He was starting to melt.
'Who is this prefect?'
'He's the virtual dictator of Garth. He's a brutal despot whose unpleasantness is rivaled only by his paranoia. He has a particularly well-developed sense of revenge, and he dotes on his degenerate daughter. I'd say the least that he'd do to you is to hire a couple of Nulites to blow this place to rubble.'
Buzznoose might have been worried, but he was hardly straight out of the nothings. 'How do I know there's a grain of truth in any of this?'
Billy shrugged. 'You don't.'
'It could be an elaborate con.'
'It could be, except that I haven't asked you for anything. All I've done is give you a piece of valuable information absolutely for nothing.'
One of the minders leaned close to Buzznoose and whispered something. The slaver nodded and looked at Billy.
'How do you know about all this?'
'We make our way through reality by knowing things.'
Buzznoose was sweating profusely. 'Suppose I accept that what you're telling me is true? Is there anything I can do about this? I mean, is there some way I can get rid of her? It's really the city's fault. Can't I just dump her on the street and make like I never seen her?'
Billy coldly shook his head. 'No, I doubt there's anything you can do.' He glanced at Reave and the Minstrel Boy. 'I think we should get out of here right now. We can't afford to be connected to this man in any way. The prefect will string up this idiot by his thumbs when he sees what he's done to her.' He turned on his heel and started marching back the way they had come. The Minstrel Boy and Reave fell in behind him.
'Now what?' Reave whispered.
'Keep your fingers crossed.'
'Hey, wait!' Buzznoose called after them. 'Wait just a moment.'
As Billy turned, he winked at Reave, 'Here we go.'
He faced Buzznoose. 'There's really nothing I can do for you. I've told you.'
'You can't just walk in here and drop this bomb on me and then leave. There's got to be some way out of this.'
'You might be able to skip town — although the prefect is quite capable of finding you. He's also relentless. It would be a matter of honor.' Despite his seemingly negative attitude, Billy was already walking back toward the slaver.
Buzznoose's voice was practically a wail. 'I've never even heard of this place Garth.'
'That's hardly going to have an effect on the prefect.'
'Can't you do something? You seem to know a whole lot of people.'
Billy stopped in his tracks. 'You must be joking. My partners and I can't risk our reputations and maybe even our health to bail you out.'
'Maybe you could talk to the girl. Prevail on her that it wasn't my fault she got herself listed.'
Billy folded his arms. 'That might have been possible if your goons hadn't given her that whipping.'
'She was disruptive — '
'And you had to make an example of her. Yes, yes, I heard you the first time.'
Buzznoose was pleading. 'Give me a break. Hell, I'd make it worth your while.'
Billy made an impatient gesture. 'Okay, okay, I'll tell youwhat I'll do. We'll take the girl and try and cover things up. We'll need money. Hard currency, though, no local credit.'
Suddenly Buzznoose's eyes narrowed. 'Now you're asking me for something, aren't you? You're asking me for quite a lot.'
Billy's anger was cold steel. His hands signaled total dismissal. 'Now you insult me.'
Buzznoose was fatally torn. 'I. .'
Billy looked at the Minstrel Boy and Reave and jabbed a finger toward the way out. 'We're leaving. This man is an oaf.'
The Minstrel Boy chose that moment to interrupt the proceedings. 'Before anyone goes anywhere, you'd all better take a look at this.'
Up to that moment all the concentration had been on Renatta in the fifth cube. Nobody had bothered to look in the sixth one. Inside it, four duplicates sat cross-legged on the floor. Their eyes were dull, and their expressions drugged.
Billy looked hard at Buzznoose. 'This really complicates matters.'
Buzznoose was rapidly shaking his head. 'No, no, take the girl. I can dispose of these.'
Billy glared at him. 'You can't kill them. You understand that? This is a matter of hereditary power and the divine right of prefects. If so much as one part of one body was found. . ' He let the horror that would fall on Buzznoose remain unstated. 'You'll have to take them a long way from here, wipe their memories, and turn them loose.'
'I'll do it. I'll do it. Just take the girl. I'll get you the money.'
Billy pointed to the Renatta in the fifth cube. 'I'm presuming that this one is the original.'
Buzznoose nodded eagerly. 'Yes, yes, that's the original.'
At that, one of the duplicates raised her head. 'She's not the original. I'm the original.' She seemed to be confused and tobe having difficulty focusing her eyes.
The other women took up a slurred chorus.
'I'm the original.'
'I'm the original.'
Just as Billy was starting to worry that things were getting out of hand, Reave caught hold of Buzznoose's
