Sweat poured from Teebla’s brow. “You’ll have to do better than that, Fik!”
“Than what?” With fantastic dexterity, Fenli worked the joystick, just missing the blunt end of the whale’s snout. He sidewinded his way around the monster’s flank, ripped saw-edged teeth into the whale’s middle, biting off whole chunks of its hide and gorging on succulent flesh. The whale sank in a blood-wisped trail. Scavengers came to tear at the carcass.
Teebla threw down the controls in defeat. He held up his hands. “Bravo, I concede.”
“That’s enough for one passage to Aldebaran,” mumbled Fenli. He hoisted his winnings to Miko. Half derisively, he scowled. “Since these guys didn’t put up cash, the winnings were only half the wager. Not enough for both of us.”
“So what now?” inquired Teebla.
“I’m still feeling lucky.”
“Well, if you’re up for another round. Obviously, Gayad can’t play, but Ribshot will deal as usual.”
“We don’t need that punk,” grunted Miko. “Can’t we cash in the marbles?”
“You can, but there’s a service charge,” said Teebla.
Fenli snarled, but he put on a crafty face. “Double or nothing then, Teebla. If I lose, we keep the merchandise. You take the money. If we win, well, that’s double fare for us, and we walk away with our product, and no more games.”
Teebla shrugged. “Sounds fair enough. You sound confident in your abilities.”
Fenli pushed all his winnings into the central slot.
Miko gasped. “Is that wise?”
“Relax, I’ve got everything under control.”
“Where have I heard that before?”
Fenli pulled his luminous wager marbles to his side and Teebla gestured at Miko. “So, who is this man? Your mascot?”
Fenli grinned, offering no specific answer. “I’m training him.”
“He doesn’t look like a man to take orders.” Teebla and Ribshot scrutinized the NAVO man, hardly guessing that he was an elite-trained military commander. “Perhaps he’s a government agent, or a spy—sent to infiltrate our operation?”
“Hardly!” Fenli assumed a face of shock. “What do you take me for? A fink?”
To Miko’s eye, they were only trying to goad Fenli into a fight and shake up his confidence.
“As I said, not enough to buy a ship,” murmured Fenli, “but enough to book a ticket out of here.” He examined his winnings.
A slinking figure sauntered over, her hips swinging with enough swagger to raise the eyes of most of the men in the hall. She wore fine, expensive clothes, silk tassels, bright buttons and a wide black belt and jewelled necklace.
There was something oddly familiar about her. Miko stared. Taller...but that could be just the heels. Her dark wine hair and greenish eyes... Yes, The minxish line of cheek, the mocking glint in the eyes. Exchange dark hair with the sophisticated look and bleached-blonde hair and leathers of the vamp from before and one had the call girl. Obviously, the woman was a student of disguise.
She cozied up to Miko without pretence. “You have a ship?”
“Had a ship,” corrected Fenli.
“Pity,” she sighed. “I wish to get off this planet. I have a date off-world with some important people. This dull planet bores me. Now, how much—”
“Quiet, whore,” roared Teebla, “can’t you see we’re concentrating on our game?”
“Who says, four eyes?” She was about to retort something spicier, but the cold look on Teebla’s face seemed to warn her against such insolence.
Others had come to watch the game; the match, it seemed, was one of the more interesting contests taking place in the casino.
The dance band continued to beat out a rousing tune. Partners veered and swayed on the dance floor. A crowd of Daulks, all male, gathered to do an electro-tango. Miko grimaced.
A fight broke out at a distant table. Two men came to blows: a Daulk and a Mercir with suits and high black caps.
“Quite a rowdy place here for one so ritzy,” commented Miko.
“It’s normal to me,” Teebla said. He scratched his head. “Quite a game so far, wouldn’t you say?” He peered curiously at Miko. “How do you like the view of Lake Zaol, Mr. Mak? It’s a form of mercury. Not as dangerous as the real stuff, but still lethal. The ‘unwanted’ sometimes drink it when they give up on life.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Life is hard, Mr. Mak. See those shanties on the east bank of the lake? Owned and built by Unwanteds. I periodically do business with them. It serves me not, or gains me little advantage. Textiles, herbs, contraband. I’m a sucker for profit, from any quarter.”
Miko saw the thrust of the lake squeezed the unwanteds’ ramshackle dwellings into a narrow band of habitation along the infertile barrens.
“Shall we continue?” urged Teebla. “’Tis you against I, winner take all.”
The seductress crowded close to Miko, her breasts pressing against his shoulders.
Miko turned to blink at her. “Do you have a name?”
“Mine’s Star. What’s yours?”
“He’s Mr. Mak,” offered Teebla with a wide grin.
“Well, Mr. ‘Mak’, seems as if your partner, or bully boy, has accumulated quite a stash—” She whirled angrily. “Hey, buzz off, creep!”
Out of the corner of his eye, Miko saw a playboy Daulk teasing Star’s ringlets. He had grey ears pinned under a silver headband and was making a pass at her but she slapped him and turned away.
The game was underway.
Fenli dove low, losing the gambit. His face twitched, but he regained his composure and Teebla broke out in another grin. “So,” Teebla chuckled, “it seems your luck is not infallible.”
Miko saw that Fenli thought to try the same trick by holing up in a cave for an ambush. But Teebla was not so naive. He pulled back on his toggle sharply and waited. Miko heard Fenli sigh in irritation. Fenli’s lips parted in a scowl as he thought Teebla had performed a cowardly manoeuvre, but there was clearly a purpose in Teebla’s feint.
A
