“I’ll let you rest. I need todeal with Seetva.”
Once he’d left, she slumpedover and put her face in her hands. Michio,find me quickly. I can’t take much more. I’ve never faced suchdark psychic powers before.
The next day Cadmus took her tothe flower garden she’d seen outside her window. She was able walkwithout help now and her ribs only hurt when she coughed or movedwrong.
Cadmus talked at length about thedifferent types of flowers, which were transported from otherplanets. She found it incongruent that such an evil man enjoyedhorticulture. She leaned down to smell a flower; when shestraightened, she caught Cadmus studying her.
“You’re much stronger.Tomorrow night, I’ll take you to a party where I’m meeting somebusiness associates. Afterwards you’ll spend the night in my bed.”
Toemeka felt as if the ground wasknocked out from under her. She’d hoped to find a way to escapebefore he degraded her so horribly.
Cadmus signaled to a nearby slavewoman and she brought over a large rectangular box. He handed it toToemeka. “Open it.”
Toemeka removed the lid. Insidewas a metallic-gold evening gown.
“Tomorrow night you’ll wearthis to the party,” he said.
Toemeka shook her head. “Ican’t wear that. There are many dresses in my closet—perhaps oneof them…” She trailed off, noticing his scowl and remembered howhe’d reacted when she refused his gift of the jeweled china bird.She swallowed and lifted it out of the box. “It’s… well…”
“It’s exquisite — made by afamous designer just for you. You’ll look gorgeous in it and everyman will wish you were his.”
Michiowouldn’t like it,she thought. It would make her look like a kept woman or lady of thenight. Yet as she stared at it, she realized the party might providean opportunity for escape.
9
Escape
At the Krillian Space Station,Michio showed Erling the spaceship he wanted for the run to Devil’sEye. Appalled, Erling stared at the worn vehicle. “You expect me totrade the Blue Lady for this pile of flying garbage?”
“We can’t land on Devil’sEye in the Blue Lady,” Michio replied. “We’d be shot down.”
“The Blue Lady and I go wayback. She’s gotten me out of a lot of tight spots plus she’senhanced to be one of the fastest ships around. We’re better offusing her.” Erling gazed fondly at his sleek spacecraft.
“It’s just a ship. Come on,just make the trade and let’s get out of here.”
“Can’t we dock the Blue Ladyand buy a ship?”
Michio crossed his arms acrosshis chest. “This space station is on the outskirts of civilization.There aren’t any ships to buy or rent. Everyone plans to leave onthe ship they came in on.”
“Won’t they be suspiciousthat we’re trading a valuable ship for a piece of junk?”
“The trader thinks our ship wasstolen. I told him we don’t have papers since I didn’t want himto know who you are.”
The sly grinning trader came overand said something in the local language. Michio’s translatorrepeated it in the universal language.
“What did he say?” Erlingasked.
“That we’re getting a gooddeal.”
“Yeah, a good deal for him. Howmuch money is he going to throw in?”
“None.”
Erling raised his eyebrows.“None! I’m not trading! My ship is worth ten of that heap ofgarbage.”
“It’s better than it looks. Itook it for a test run. It’s beat-up on the exterior because it’sseen a lot of combat. It was used for smuggling weapons, slaves, anddrug-running, but it has a defense shield system and advancedweapons. It’s fast and can make space jumps. Besides that, it’sequipped for long space journeys with sleeping cabins, a galley andhas a simulated gravity field, like the Blue Lady, so our bodieswon’t lose muscle tone.”
“I don’t know.” Erlingshook his head, still looking uncertain. “The Blue Lady has allthat and doesn’t look like a piece of flying space-junk. It’sstill a bad deal.”
“Come on, we’re wasting time.Let’s make the trade and get going.”
“I’m not dealing with thatcrook. He’s trying to rob us.”
“Toemeka’s life is at stakeand you’re grumbling about getting a bad deal? You can buy as manyships as you want; you and Koriann are rulers of Jaipar. Isn’tToemeka’s life worth the Blue Lady?”
“Of course, it is. I just don’tlike getting cheated.” Erling didn’t raise any further objectionsas Michio completed the transaction.
They boarded the Blue Lady toretrieve their possessions. Erling walked into the cockpit and slidinto the well-worn pilot seat. “I’ll be back for you, Lady. We’vebeen through too many storms together to leave you in the hands of aslave dealer.” He got up, grabbed his bag and followed Michio ontothe smuggler’s ship.
“Were you able to buy us someclothes and weapons?” Michio asked.
“Yeah.” Erling walked up theramp, then stopped abruptly when he saw the ship interior. Althoughit had seen a lot of wear, at one time it had been a custom designedluxury cruiser.
“This must have been some fancyship when it was built.”
“Wait until you see thecabins.” Michio led Erling to the first of two compartments. Thecabin gave a feeling of comfort with plush, built-in chairs, aprivate bathroom and a double-sized berth. The walls and ceiling wereshiny metal, reflecting images like a mirror. One whole wall wasdirectly etched with a scene depicting a harem.
“I’m supposed to sleep here?”Erling asked, staring at the nude women in disbelief.
“I’ll sleep here. The otherbedroom isn’t quite as gaudy.”
Erling tossed a bag on the bed.“Your clothes are in the bag.”
Michio lifted out an orange shirtwith full sleeves, a knee-length black jacket, skin-tight pants, andhigh boots. “You’re joking. I’m not wearing this!”
Erling smirked. “Got to dressthe part.”
“Surely there are less gaudyclothes we can wear.”
“As you pointed out, we have tofit in. We’re slave dealers.”
“Slave dealers!” Michioexclaimed.
“Yeah and let’s hope wesucceed in capturing the woman we’re after on this voyage.”
Late that night, Michio andErling arrived in the city of Henotaux on Devil’s Eye and gotpermission to land at the large airship spaceport. After landing,Michio and Erling rented an aircar and drove to a series of bars toask bartenders questions about buying slaves and if they knewCommander Rochambeau.
Finally, they came to Raider’sTavern, a bar further out from the city.
