“As a matter of fact, we tried. Would you like to see the tapes?”
Gedge keyed a reference number into his desk-robot and swiveled the viewscreen so Hosato could watch. The very human features of a uniformed Mc-. Crae security guard blinked into view.
“Security,” the face said briskly.
“Gedge from Ravensteel here,” came Gedge’s voice. “Let me talk with Sasha.”
“She is unavailable,” the guard responded. “May I be of assistance?”
“Perhaps,” Gedge’s voice continued smoothly. “One of our ore scouts malfunctioned and got away from us. The last time we saw it, it was headed your way. We’d like permission to cross over onto your property and reclaim it.”
“Under no circumstances are Ravensteel personnel allowed on Mc. Crae property,” the guard recited. “We will conduct a search of our own and notify you of the results.”
“I want to talk to Sasha,” Gedge insisted stubbornly. “She’d let us—”
“She is on a priority mission at this time,” the guard interrupted. “Until her return, I am in temporary command. Mc. Crae rules are very specific on the point of trespassers. We will conduct our own search, and if any Ravensteel personnel are found on Mc. Crae property, they will be fired on as saboteurs.”
The screen blinked out as the guard broke the connection.
“That doesn’t prove anything,” Hosato insisted. “You know as well as I do, transmissions and displays can be phonied electronically. Hell, Suzi could do that!”
“Who. Oh, yes, your robot. Well, I don’t know much about that. Your people were always better than us at radios and transistors and stuff like that.”
The casual dismissal in his voice gave more impact to the racial slur than would have been gained with sarcasm.
“But what it comes down to, Hosato, is, I don’t believe your cock-and-bull story. More importantly, neither does the executive board. We think you sold out to Mc. Crae.”
A tiny spark of fear replaced Hosato’s anger. He began to wonder if he would be alive at the end of his meeting.
“How am I supposed to have sold out?” he asked quietly.
“You’re good, Hosato. I’ll admit that. A specialist.” Gedge waved a casual hand at Hosato’s gear and weapons arrayed on his desk. “Did you know that any one of a dozen on my team would have tried your mission. For no extra pay. No, you probably wouldn’t. You’re the outside specialist they went to instead.”
Hosato was about to repeat his question, then held his silence.
“Fifteen thousand with no results guaranteed.” Gedge shook his head in mock admiration. “I don’t mind admitting, Hosato, I’d be willing todo nothing for a lot less than that.”
He laughed at his own joke before continuing.
“So there you were, no loyalties to Ravensteel, no career to worry about, nothing to inspire you to finish the mission except more money. Now, the Mc. Crae security system is tight, maybe the best except for ours. There’s no way you could crack that system without risking your life, and with fifteen thousand in your packet, why should you?”
Hosato thought of his family’s generations-long record of successful missions, but kept his silence.
“Now, here’s where I take my hat off to you, Hosato.” Gedge smiled. “Ninety-nine out of a hundred space bums would have taken the money and run, but not you. You saw a way to squeeze a few more credits out of the situation. You reveal yourself to Mc. Crae, and offer to use your position with Ravensteel to get a spy through the door—not just a spy, but their own chief of security!”
Hosato forced a smile. “I suppose it doesn’t make an impression on anyone that she’s had her arm blown off.”
“That was a nice touch,” Gedge admitted. “It almost worked, until I reminded the board that Sasha would probably let you cut off both her legs to get an inside look at Ravensteel security.”
“I see,” Hosato said thoughtfully.
“So the only question left is, how much did they pay you, or, more important, how much will it cost to get you back on our side?”
Hosato met his eyes and smiled. For a brief moment anger flashed in Gedge’s ice-blue eyes; then it was gone.
“You’re a brassy bastard!” He laughed, shaking his head. “I think it’s safe to say the board will probably go along with it, especially since you brought them a present.”
“How’s that?”
“Sasha, of course.” Gedge winked again. “She was your ace in the hole all along. She has enough data on Mc. Crae security in her head to keep my team busy for a long time. I don’t know how you got her to go along with this, but bringing her with you gives you the leverage you need to change sides again. Sheer brilliance.”
Hosato shrugged modestly and stood up, extending his hand. “Well,” he said, “I tried. It’s good to be working for Ravensteel again.”
Gedge ignored his hand. “When will you be ready to start?” he asked. “As soon as we get the information out of Sasha, I assume.”
“Actually”—. Hosato smiled—. “I won’t have to wait that long. I’ve gotten most of the data I need. Just keep her here and away from Mc. Crae until I’m done. Incidentally”—he shot a glance around the room—“what did you do with the other two. The kid and the mechanic.”
“We’re holding them next door.” Gedge gestured at the door in the wall. “We weren’t sure if we should kick 'em off-planet or just kill them.”
“Keep 'em,” Hosato advised. “They’ll make good hostages.”
“Hey, that’s a good idea,” Gedge admitted. “Say, what is that thing, anyway?”
Hosato had started to pick up his gear from the desk.
“This?” he asked, holding up a six-inch metal rod with a sharp point.
“Yeah. Is it a poison injector or a climbing spike or what?”
Hosato smiled. “Actually, it’s much simpler than that,” he confided. “It works like this.”
As he spoke, he released the throwing spike with a sharp snap of his wrist. The spike darted across the room and embedded half its length in the forehead of the watching guard.
A surprised look spread across the guard’s face; then he crumpled to the floor.
Gedge blinked, then started to turn to Hosato.
An epee was in Hosato’s hand, and a gleam of light from the overhead lamp shone from its needle point, hovering inches from Gedge’s throat.
“Don’t even twitch, Gedge,” he said coldly. “There aren’t many reasons for keeping you alive, and lots for killing you. All I need is an excuse to change my mind.”
Gedge swallowed hard but kept his voice level. “What… What’s your game, Hosato?”
“That’s the problem,” Hosato retorted. “You’ve got it into your head I’m out to destroy Ravensteel. Well, that’s your prerogative. It’s mine not to go along with it.”
Gedge licked his lips nervously. “Okay, Hosato. Put the sword away and let’s talk it out.”
“No deal. Now we play it my way.” He edged over to the fallen guard and retrieved the blaster, shifting the sword to his left hand.
“How many guards on the two next door?” he demanded.
“Look, Hosato, we can—”
“How many?”
“Two.”
Hosato moved sideways until he stood against the wall beside the door into the adjoining room.
“If you’re lying, Gedge, you’ll be the first to go. Now, open the door and call to them.”
Gedge hesitated, then moved to the door and opened it.
“We’ve got a code Delta,” he announced casually.
In a flash Hosato was in the doorway, his blaster leveled at the occupants of the next room.
“Freeze!” he snarled.
The two guards, hands on the butts of their blasters, froze in place. Rick and James were seated on a sofa against the far wall, apparently unharmed. Hosato noted with satisfaction they had failed to relieve James of his dress sword—probably didn’t consider it a serious weapon.