Mirik was waiting by a rookery with a grubby pot-house tucked into one corner; she led them inside, knocked on a hatch. -
It opened to show the corroded face of an ancient bawd who tapped a bony finger on the ledge. “Pay her,” Mink said. “Two minims.”
Shadith dropped the token on the ledge, took the key the old woman pushed at her. “So?”
“We go upstairs now. We’ve just bought an hour in one of the kips.”
“Just a moment. Don’t say anything yet.”
Mirik moved to the table beside the bed, reached inside her blouse, and pulled out a gadget that looked as if she’d crumpled together an assortment of miniature sensor boards and plugged in chips at random. She spread it on the table, touched it on.
Shadith felt the vibration at the edge of her senses that told her they were under a privacy cone. She raised her brows, decided Adelaar was probably right about wanting the girl back. “Why all the caution?” she said.
“You didn’t read your rules, did you.” Mirik sounded amused. “Conspiring to divert the services of a laborer under Contract is a large nono.”
“I see. However, as long as compensation is paid…”
“It’s one of those things… urn Shadith, is it? Illegal till the offer is actually on the table.”
“Adelaar was afraid you’d be depressed enough to contemplate suicide.”
Mirik sighed. “I was close to that some four months ago when I woke up and found that miserable gila had hopped it and left me broke and alone. I felt such a damn fool. You won’t believe this,” she sighed, “but I didn’t know what he was doing till I was with him on his ship and we were ’splitting for here. All he wanted was a bedwarmer and an ear for his brags. If I hadn’t been so wiped from his thumping me about, I’d have walked out the lock. It was when the Governors sold me into Contract with Kapal Banish as Unskilled Labor that I got mad. That pulled me out of the glooms. Turn your head a moment. Ah. Yes. You’re a friend of Aslan, aren’t you. I had that mark of yours described to me. Does the Patron really want me back?”
“Yes. She thought a year on University would be a good idea, then you return to Adelaris and work off the debt. Another sort of Contract Labor, I suppose.”
“At least it’s my choice this time. All right. What do we do now?”
“How much do you owe?”
“Almost as much debt as that gila left me with. And Kapal Banish is pulling everything it can get to extend the Contract. They know about Adelaris and my training and they’re putting on a lot of pressure to get me to violate copyright. In the meantime I do security maintenance and programming at Unskilled pay. What with Kapal’s interest charges and the cost of my food and the air I breathe and the hole, I sleep in, I manage to clear something like a minim every two weeks. Since they’re guaranteed a twenty percent profit on the money they put out to pay my debts, I should be clear sometime around my hundred and fourth birthday. As of this morning, profit included, my contract’s worth two thousand gelders. You’d better include around a hundred more to meet other claims they might dream up. Since I’m officially labeled Unskilled, there’s one trick they can’t pull. They can’t up the prices for losing my services. It’d mean a hefty head tax and a fine for misrepresentation.”
“Two thousand? That’s all?”
“It’s plenty when you’re flat with no hope in sight.”
“Ah, yes. Are there any buyouts you know about?”
“Around two weeks ago, there was this brain-wipe case. A broker handled it, took him outMarket.”
“Know the broker’s name? I was thinking it might be better to go that route rather than fooling around on my own.”
“You’re probably right. Actually, she handled both of the buyouts. I don’t think she’s really female, but she’s certainly not male, so it’s easiest to say she. Elegant creature. Not a Cousin, some species no one seems to know. Her name’s Ruxalin and she has an office on the Barter Strip in the AgentNode. Urn. I’ve got to get back. Mind waiting here till I’m well away?”
“No problem. Don’t forget your privacy projector. I imagine there are some open slots you should refill.”
Mirik grinned. “You’re so right. I don’t want more expense on my poor little head.”
Shadith strolled beside Bisa, her mind busy with Mirik’s bit of information about the brain-wipe felon as they moved through the rough narrow streets, walking carefully to avoid losing their footing.
“So it works out nicely.” Bisa patted a yawn, threading her fingers through her hair. “Herm didn’t want me to have anything to do with this. He likes your singing and your songs, but you scare him, Shadow. He has his little nest here, and he feels safe in it. You bring in echoes of the outside.”
“You all right with it?”
“Chali can cool him down. Why are you doing this kind of work? With your gift…”
“Put it down to perversity, Bisa. Or just wanting some adventure while I’m still young. Digby offers that. I can write and sing anywhere, any time.” Bisa’s yawn triggered a yawn in her. “At this moment, though, what I want to do is get some sleep.”
11
“My fee is five hundred minims an hour. All time spent dealing with Admin will be charged to you at actual rate which includes one full hour of waiting time. I eat anything over that.”
“Acceptable.”
At a short distance Ruxalin looked like a thin and rather beautiful woman, but up close the resemblance was gone. She was an ice goddess, eerie because she so closely resembled what she so clearly was not. Her skin was white and translucent as milkglass and delicately scaled, her hair spun glass, her nose a knife blade slightly turned up at the nostrils, her small mouth a pale bluish pink. And she was neuter. Completely and utterly neuter.
Shadith leaned forward and put the holder with Adelaar’s credit chip on the desk. “I want to redeem a woman under Contract at Kapal Barush. I’ve been informed that the liability in question is approximately two thousand gelders. Anything greatly more than that will be Kapal trying it on. They’ll be reluctant to part with her, but vulnerable because the woman is registered as Unskilled and they’re paying her as such, but she’s programming for them and supervising security. Urn, once she’s redeemed, I’ll be responsible for any debts between the time of redemption and our departure.”
“You seem to have, covered the matter rather thoroughly. Do you have a phot of the woman?”
“Yes.” Shadith set the flake viewer beside the credit chip. “Her name is Mirik ac Vissyn. As I said, Kapal Banish holds her Contract.”
“The name of the individual or company providing the credit?”
“Adelaar aici Arash of Adelaris Security Systems. She requests confidentiality. It’s none of Kapal’s business who pays as long as they are paid.”
“That’s quite in order. Is there any prospective prosecution involved?”
“No.”
“Have you examined the Contract and informed Admin of your intent?”
“No. Because of my connection with Digby of Excavations Ltd., OverSec was informed of my reason for being here at the Market. Otherwise, I’ve had no contact with them.”
– “Ah. Digby’s interested in the woman?”
“No. Adelaar is the mother of a friend of mine. I’m doing a favor on the side. Digby, of course, knows about this, but I’m on my own time at the moment?’”I see. Any other complications?”
“Beyond Kapal knowing they’ve got a good thing and wanting to keep it, I don’t think so.”
“I’ve dealt with Kapal before this. They know me and will give in with a minimum of foot dragging. May I check this?” She reached for the credit flake, but didn’t touch it.
“Yes. As to dealing with Kapal, that’s why I came to you.”
Ruxalin dropped the flake into a verifier, made a soft popping sound as she scanned the readout. “Aici Arash seems to trust you quite a lot.”
“We are well acquainted.”
“I’ll require a five hour nonrefundable retainer.”