The Third Lynx

'You'd like that, wouldn't you?' I countered, thinking furiously. This whole scheme depended on the Modhri thinking he knew where the Lynx was. Briefly, my thoughts flicked to Stafford, wondering if he'd made it across to the Tube yet or whether he was still stuck in one of the waiting rooms. 'Okay, you got me,' I told the Modhri. 'You can have the Lynx.' I cocked my head as if considering my options. 'But not here.'

His ears twitched in a way I'd never seen a Tra'ho's ears move before. 'Where, then?'

'The Terra Quadrail Station,' I told him. 'My friends in the transfer station will be allowed to leave, and then we'll all travel together back to Human space. You can message ahead and have a walker waiting.'

For a long moment he gazed at me. 'Very well,' he said at last. 'I can wait a little longer. But only a little longer,' he added, his voice deepening. 'And don't try anything clever. Remember, I'll be watching you the entire way.'

'Yes,' I murmured. 'I'll bet you will.'

A pair of drone Spiders were waiting for me when the shuttle's upper hatch opened, one of them plucking the gun from my hand without comment and tucking it in close beneath his silvery sphere as he and his companion strode off toward the stationmaster's office. I wasn't sure what happened to confiscated items; hopefully, Bayta could persuade them to put the weapon in a lockbox to be returned to Fayr later.

His job of living shield completed, the oathling stayed aboard the shuttle for transport back to the transfer station. There was no need for him to stay; the Modhran colony inside him had already linked up with whatever mind segment of travelers happened to be in the Tube at the moment, transferring all the necessary information about me, the Lynx, and the exchange agreement.

Nor was there any need for any of them to change their own travel plans in order to shadow me. When my train pulled in, the walkers aboard—be there one or twenty—would similarly be clued in on the situation. Someone would also probably send a message ahead on one of the Spiders' message cylinders, alerting Modhri mind segments down the line. Once the Modhri was alerted to something, you didn't have a hope of outflanking him.

Not unless you were clever.

Stafford had indeed made it across ahead of me. As per our arrangement, he was sitting in one of the clinger- plant-covered gazebos near the stationmaster's office, pretending to be engrossed in his reader. I took a seat fifty meters behind him, out of his line of sight, and settled in to wait for the others.

And to figure out what exactly I was going to say to them.

Fayr arrived on the eighth shuttle after mine, his plastic substitute status guns bouncing prominently beneath his arms. He was wearing a scowl of wounded dignity, probably for the benefit of any of his fellow passengers who might have witnessed my performance. He consulted the schedule, carefully avoiding looking in my direction, and marched off toward the platform where the next Terra-bound train was scheduled to depart.

Bayta and Morse arrived two shuttles later, with their own luggage plus Penny's abandoned carrybags in tow. They had moved out of the main traffic patterns and were looking around when I reached them.

'There you are,' Morse growled. 'What the bloody hell was that in aid of?'

'It's called a diversion,' I explained. 'Any problems back there after I left?'

'Only the expected ones,' he said, frowning slightly at me. 'What kind of diversion?'

'Where's Ms. Auslander?' Bayta asked.

'Not here,' I admitted. 'I'm afraid I got finessed at the last moment.'

'Well, that's clever,' Morse said heavily. 'First you lose Stafford, and now you lose Ms. Auslander, too?'

'You're half right,' I told him. 'Come with me.'

I led the way to the gazebo where Stafford was waiting. 'Agent Morse: Mr. Daniel Stafford,' I introduced them as Stafford stood up. 'Mr. Stafford: EuroUnion Security Service Agent Ackerley Morse.'

'Honored,' Stafford said shortly, his eyes probing the milling crowd of Quadrail passengers behind us. 'Where's Penny? You said she'd be with you.'

'I'm afraid there's been a slight hitch on that front,' I told him, bracing myself. 'We'll be meeting Ms. Auslander back at Terra Station.'

His roving eyes locked on to me. 'You lost her? What in blinking—?'

'She'll be all right,' I interrupted, holding out a soothing hand. 'All they want is the Lynx.'

'Well, then, let them have it,' he said, starting to turn toward the backpack on the seat beside him.

'Easy,' I said, catching his arm. The Modhri would undoubtedly be watching all of this.

Stafford shrugged off my hand. 'Don't touch me,' he snapped. 'You promised that if I cooperated they'd let Penny go.'

'And they will,' I assured him. 'It's just going to take a little longer, that's all. Don't worry, she'll be fine.'

He looked down at Penny's luggage, clustered around Bayta's feet. 'It's coming out of your hide, Compton,' he said darkly. 'From now on. Anything and everything that happens comes straight out of your hide.'

'I'll get her back,' I promised.

'Then let's get to it,' Stafford said, squinting at the nearest schedule holodisplay. 'Next express that direction is in an hour. Do we need tickets, or did you already get them?'

'No, we still need tickets.' I cleared my throat. This was going to be awkward. 'Speaking of which …'

He looked at me with disgust. 'You still need me to cover your fare, I suppose.'

'If you wouldn't mind,' I said, feeling my face warming. Originally, he was supposed to be so grateful that I'd reunited him with Penny that he wouldn't even bat an eye over me stiffing him for a measly little Quadrail ticket back to Earth. Obviously, gratitude wasn't exactly at the top of his mind right now.

I could only guess what was at the top of Morse's.

'Fine,' Stafford growled. 'You really are a piece of work, Compton, aren't you?' Pushing past me, he headed toward the stationmaster's office.

I caught Bayta's eye and nodded. She nodded back and set off after him. 'Well, that went well,' Morse commented.

'It'll be all right,' I said, watching Stafford's stiff back.

'Your record is so convincing so far.' Morse paused. 'There is another way to play this, of course.'

'You mean just give them the Lynx?'

'I mean we wait for them to bring Ms. Auslander across to the Tube,' he said tartly.

'And then what?' I asked.

'We grab her back, of course,' he said. 'At least here it's a level playing pitch. No guns for us; no guns for them.'

I snorted. 'Like that'll matter when they can bring ten thugs for each of us.'

'Can't the Spiders help?'

'Can't and won't,' I said. 'No, the only way to get Ms. Auslander back is to play it straight.'

His eyes narrowed slightly. 'You have a plan, don't you?'

'Not yet,' I admitted. 'But it's a long way back to Terra. I'll think of something.'

TWENTY-ONE :

Stafford, as befit his status and the number of zeroes on his cash sticks, booked himself a first-class compartment. As befit his frustration at my inability to deliver his fiancee, he booked me a seat back in the second to the last of the third-class cars.

'It's bloody unfair,' Morse grumbled as we made our way down the narrow aisle to our seats. 'It's not your fault she isn't here. If she'd stayed with Bayta and me during your little performance, she'd have been fine.'

'You don't hear me arguing,' I said as I took my seat beside a pair of Shorshians. Honeymooners, from the look