Enraged, Sebulba started toward a waiting Anakin, but suddenly the Glymphid Aldar Beedo stepped between them.
"You're disturbing my concentration," he said to Anakin, tapping a blaster on his belt.
"He's a Jedi," Doby whispered. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"All beings are the same once they're dead," Beedo said, his eyes cool.
Anakin hesitated, not sure what to do. The situation now threatened to spiral out of control. Hekula was starting across to join in. If a fight began, others could be hurt, including Doby and Deland.
"Master!" Suddenly Djulla appeared and tugged at Sebulba's robe. "I have made fresh tea."
"So what?" Sebulba said furiously. "Get away from me, slave!"
He struggled to kick Djulla aside with his hind legs while keeping his eyes on Anakin. Deland jumped forward to protect his sister. Sebulba's kick connected and Deland flew through the air, smashing against the cliff face.
He landed awkwardly on his arm with a cry.
"Deland!" Djulla ran toward her brother. She knelt beside him. "You're hurt!"
"Get away from him!" Hekula suddenly roared, rushing forward. ''You take orders from us! Get back to your post!"
Djulla hesitated. Aldar Beedo shrugged and turned away, tucking his blaster back into his belt. "This is a family matter," he said. "I have work to do."
Deland's teeth gritted. "Go back," he told his sister. "I am all right."
Hekula turned to Anakin. "If you keep insisting on making trouble, you'll be sorry."
Anakin trembled with the effort of holding himself back. He thought of Obi-Wan's coolness. He could not feel it, but he could imitate it. It was better to let this particular moment pass. He was not a slave boy, he was a Jedi. He could not pick a fight because two bullies deserved to be humiliated.
Djulla hurried away. Doby helped his brother to his feet. Deland held his arm carefully.
"Better get the medic, boy!" Sebulba called before scuttling back to his Podracer. "It looks like you won't be able to pilot your Podracer."
"He's right," Deland said through gritted teeth. "It's broken."
"What are we going to do?" Doby whispered. "This was our last chance.
What can we do for Djulla now?"
Anakin saw the desperation on the two brothers' faces. Once again, he was faced with a choice. He had to make it for himself. He had to do the right thing and trust that Obi-Wan would understand.
"I can pilot the Podracer," he said. "If I win, your sister will go free."
"But that isn't fair," Doby said. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"Because it is the right thing to do," Anakin said. He knew that from the bottom of his heart. But he still had to tell his Master.
Chapter Thirteen
Obi-Wan stood across the street from Uso Yso's swoop shop. He had disguised himself as a space traveler, pulling on a dull gray cloak and a wrapped headdress. As he watched, a steady stream of visitors entered and left the shop. None of them left with a swoop. Apparently Yso was doing a thriving business in taking illegal bets.
Obi-Wan saw a short, plump figure suddenly dart across the street and head for Yso's dark front door. He sprinted across the street to catch up.
He yanked Didi back by the collar of his tunic. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing. At least, nothing now, since you are holding my collar,"
Didi said.
"You said you were going to buy back Bog's speeder," Obi-Wan accused.
"I tried! I did! But the cheating monkey-lizard I sold it to upped the price," Didi told him. "I couldn't afford to buy back my own speeder! I need to raise a little cash, so I thought I would sell Bog's datapad and buy back his speeder instead."
Obi-Wan saw the datapad tucked under Didi's arm. "Let me see that."
There was a chance that someone on the Games Council knew the events were rigged. This might be an easy way to find out. He quickly accessed the information on Bog's system and flipped through random files. There didn't seem to be anything amiss. One file was labeled WAYS TO ADVANCE. Obi-Wan accessed it and read through a list of instructions Bog had written to himself.
BE FRIENDLY TO ALL!! THOSE WHO CANNOT HELP YOU TODAY CAN HELP YOU TOMORROW!!
DO MENIAL TASKS FOR IMPORTANT BEINGS!! IT MAKES YOU INDISPENSABLE!!
NEVER CONTRADICT A SUPERIOR!!
FOLLOW THE POWER!!!!!!!
"You see what I have to put up with?" Didi sighed. "My poor Astri."
Obi-Wan accessed another file marked GAMES COUNCIL RESPONSIBILITIES.
He scanned the notes carefully. It appeared that Bog's only job on the Games Council was arranging VIP seating. He had made lists matching Senators with exclusive gallery skyboxes for various events. So much for his importance.
Obi-Wan shut down the datapad. He tucked it inside his tunic.
"I was going to sell that!" Didi protested.
"It's not yours to sell. Didi, I know you won't take my advice. But things just might be more complicated than you realize. I'd advise you to stay away from betting."
"I assure you I will," Didi said, his brown eyes sincere.
Obi-Wan's comlink signaled. Jocasta Nu's voice came through crisply.
He spoke so that Didi could not hear. "I found out who Quentor is. Were you playing a joke on me, Obi-Wan?" Jocasta Nu asked.
"No, of course not."
"There was no record of him anywhere, so I did the usual criminal search. Then a deep background trace. Nothing appeared."
"So he is an underground figure."
Jocasta Nu chuckled. "Not exactly. He's a yellow-tailed summerbird."
"He's a bird?"
"An unofficial pet of the Senate. He lives in the eaves of the building and the Senators leave him fruit and crumbs to feed on. If he's one of your suspects, I must warn you, he hasn't left Coruscant. He's most likely nibbling on muja fruit right about now."
Obi-Wan groaned, then thanked Jocasta Nu and cut the communication.
Fligh had lied to him. That wasn't surprising. It was a lie worthy of Fligh, one calculated to delay him and amuse him.
But he wasn't amused.
He turned to Didi. "Do you know where Fligh is staying?" Didi shook his head. "A guest house, I suppose. A hovel, I'm sure. Fligh is very cheap."