“I want to know where the woman named Rita Chavez is.”
“Rita? I don’t believe I know anyone-”
“Lying to me is not wise. You went on board the Hungry Hawk with her. Where is she?”
“Uh-well, I do owe you a favor. Sure, I know her a little. But I lost track of her during the fight on shipboard. I haven’t seen her since then.”
Hunter was watching Roland’s face carefully and listening to the tone of his voice as he spoke. From his data about human behavior, he concluded that Roland was telling the truth. He nodded his acceptance.
“Uh, look, mate-thanks for the lift, so to speak, but I think a few of those blokes may still be under full sail back there. I ought to make myself scarce for a bit.”
“Yes, I agree.”
“All right, then. So long!” Roland jogged away from Hunter, up the alley.
Hunter then realized that MC 2 should have already joined him. He walked back down to the main thoroughfare. “MC 2, respond. Are you in trouble?”
On the waterfront, he looked around in all directions. MC 2 was not in sight. The sounds of struggle from the tavern had ended; some buccaneers were singing again.
“MC 2, respond.”
When Hunter received no answer, he hurried back to the doorway of the tavern. One of two possibilities had occurred; either MC 2 had been damaged and trapped in the tavern, or he had run away. In the doorway, Hunter’s enhanced sight and hearing told him instantly that MC 2 was no longer inside.
Hunter stopped where he was. He realized that he had misjudged the power his First Law interpretation had over MC 2. Apparently MC 2 had decided that once Roland was safely outside in Hunter’s care, the First Law imperative on MC 2 was no longer in effect. So MC 2 had taken the opportunity to flee from Hunter under the Third Law while Hunter was in the alley with Roland.
If MC 2 had passed the mouth of the alley where Hunter had been, Hunter would have heard him. That meant MC 2 had gone in the opposite direction when he had first left the tavern; on the waterfront, there were only two possible directions from this doorway. Hunter walked quickly after MC 2, running through the new situation in his mind.
“I know that he is nearby,” Hunter said to himself. “I know he is aware of my presence. Roland knows that MC 2 will follow his orders, short of harming humans, though he apparently has no idea why; Roland does not seem to know that I must do the same.”
With MC 2 so close, Hunter felt a resurgence of his efficiency. A residual effect of his earlier malaise might have accounted for his misjudgment about MC 2’s response to the First Law imperative concerning Roland. Still, he knew what to do next.
First he sent out his radio signal to Steve, Jane, and Rita again. Maybe he could finally get an explanation of why Jane had clubbed him over the head. Then he began a systematic search of the waterfront and the side streets leading inland. He turned up his hearing and vision and began to move at a light run.
Before Wayne took one of the longboats from the Old Laughing Lady back to the docks, he checked on Rita. He found her well, though cautious with him. She reported that Captain Tomann had not tried her door. Wayne was convinced that he would not bother Rita as long as he believed she was worth a ransom. Then Wayne had to wait for the longboat to be rowed back since he had missed the first wave of departures.
Finally on the waterfront again by midmorning, Wayne looked around for Hunter. He could hear the singing and shouting of celebration from the nearest taverns. Other buccaneers were wandering up and down the waterfront laughing and talking, or shopping at the small booths. Wayne wanted to find Hunter to talk business, but of course Hunter could find him more easily than he could find Hunter.
“Well,” Wayne muttered aloud to himself. “Might as well enjoy it a little.” He decided to have breakfast. His pockets were heavy now with coins he had received as his share of the loot from the brief voyage.
Wayne went to a booth right across from the docks. He would be in plain sight there if Hunter came walking along the waterfront. Wayne bought a couple of rolls, a small smoked fish, and some fresh, cool water. Then he sat down on a nearby rock to eat.
Just as Wayne was finishing his first roll, someone slipped quietly behind him and sat down on another rock.
“Good morning to you,” Roland said softly, glancing around. “Fine day, isn’t it?”
“What-Roland! Come around beside me.” Wayne was startled, but tried to cover it. Wayne decided to stay calm and find out what Roland wanted.
“No, sorry. I had a spot of trouble a while back. I’ll just keep my head down and sit behind you.”
“Oh. Something serious?”
“Nay!” Roland laughed lightly. “Not at all, mate. Too much rum early in the morning and a bit of celebration was all. I doubt anyone’s carrying a grudge, but I’ll watch out for myself a little longer.”
“Here.” Wayne handed him a roll, phrasing his next question carefully. “Have you learned anything about the people I paid you to find?”
“That little guy you’re looking for,” said Roland, taking a bite out of the roll. “He’s real strong for his size and basically does what people tell him?”
“That’s right. So you’ve seen him?”
“Aye.” Roland nodded. “But he got away from me again. He’s here on the waterfront, though, or at least he was not very long ago.”
“Good work. If you can grab him again, will you bring him to me? I’m staying out on the Old Laughing Lady.”
“Ah! You’re on the crew with the wild man, eh?” Roland grinned. “Don’t make Tomann mad, now. I’d hate to lose you as a source of employment, even with my share of booty from the last voyage.”
“We’re getting along just fine.”
“You know…” Roland trailed off, looking at Wayne. “That is, could there be another one of these blokes?”
“Another one? Of the same stature?”
“No, no! Just the opposite. I got myself into a brawl, see, and the little fellow stopped someone from hitting me. Then a minute later this gigantic man rose up from a table and charged into the group.”
“Gigantic, you say. Maybe about, oh, six and a half feet tall? Brawny?”
“You got it, mate. He picked me up like I was a little shaver and carried me out of the tavern over his head.”
“Blond hair, square jaw, clean-shaven-good looking man?”
“Well, no. Maybe I have the wrong fellow. This one has brown hair and a beard, and a narrow face.”
“Did he say anything?”
“Well-yes. He asked me about Rita.”
“Rita!”
“That’s right.”
“It must be Hunter,” said Wayne. “The same, uh, man but in disguise. What did you tell him?”
“I told him I couldn’t help him.”
“Very good. All right, I tell you what. For now, forget about looking for Rita and distracting her.”
“As you please. Is there anything you would like me to do-that is, anything worth a bit of coin?”
“Yes.” Wayne leaned to one side to stick his hand in his pocket. He pulled out some more coins. “Take this. Stay on the lookout for MC 2 and bring him to Tomann’s ship if you can.”
Roland took the coins. “He’s important to you, all right; I can see that. But what’s it all about?”
“Sorry,” said Wayne. “I can’t explain it. But it’s very important-more important than you can imagine. I have to get my hands on him.”
Roland glanced around quickly and drew away. “I’ll remember that.”
Steve and Jane had spent the previous night at the same inn as before. It had seemed odd without Hunter, but the night passed without incident. They ate breakfast on the waterfront while they watched the ships sailing into port. When the longboats began rowing the crews to shore, Steve had found a spot at one end of the docks where they could look down the length of the waterfront. They were searching for Hunter most of all, but Roland, Rita, or MC 2 would do for a start.
At one point, Steve had pointed to a very tall, brawny figure standing uncertainly on the docks after climbing out of a longboat. “Hey, there’s Hunter.”