Joseph smiled at her warmly.
"It is just that you have never been in love, my friend. When you are in love even pain can seem sweet if it allows you a glimpse of your beloved. I will pray that you may know it soon."
"Gee, thanks Joe," she said dryly. "I'll pray for your mental health too. Wha…!"
Alvec had suddenly leapt into the galley where they were sitting, arms open wide he began to sing:
"Her skin is soft and tender as the petals of a rose
and her eyes are as bright as the dew.
Come into my arms, O my Rose of the stars
and I swear I will always love you."
Joat raised an eyebrow.
"Had a good time did you?"
Alvec put his hand over his heart, closed his eyes and sighed.
"I did," he shook his head, smiling, "I really did."
As Joat muttered, "Nuts…, you're all nuts!" he bounded over to a cupboard and pulled out a coffee, peeled back the heat seal and inhaled as steam rose in a fragrant puff.
"Mmm mm," he said and took a sip. "So! How'd it go, Captain?"
She grimaced. "About as we expected. We were royally cheated. He only paid me five thousand credits and told me it was a life lesson. Can you believe it?"
Alvec scowled and shook his head sadly.
"The nerve'a some people. What's the universe comin' to, when even smugglers and gunrunners can't be relied on?"
"I am a little surprised that we have not heard back from them by now," Joseph said. "In my experience, such people are not inclined to merely shrug philosophically and go on to the next thing."
Joat grimaced and shrugged.
"It was either going to be an immediate reaction," Rand said. "Or not. For all we know he took it off-planet."
Alvec rolled his eyes.
"Bite your tongue! If you had one," he said. "If that's the case we might not hear from them for months. And we sure can't afford to wait around here for someone to get around to getting mad at us."
"No," Joat said looking a little lost, "we can't. I hadn't really thought of no one coming after us at all."
"Oh, do not worry, Joat, Alvec," Joseph said sympathetically, "I am certain that very soon a heavily armed and angry band of smugglers will be beating upon your hatch crying out for your blood. You mustn't lose faith."
Joat laughed, but before she could speak, Rand broke in.
"In fact, there is a party approaching Wyal now, Joat. I have them onscreen on the bridge. Come and have a look at them."
The day had dawned with the aching clarity of deep cold; the sky was a pale blue-green arch above, with both moons full and looking like translucent globes on the horizon. On the main screen was a view of a very expensive landcar just pulling to a stop at the base of the Wyal, crisp snow squeaking under its wheels. Both front doors opened and from each a man with the squat, square build of a heavy-worlder emerged. They advanced with the economic efficiency of battle cruisers and their heads swung like gun turrets, ceaselessly examining their surroundings for any threat.
One stumped over to the rear door of the glossy landcar and opened it. A woman emerged.
Alvec gave a long whistle. "Not my type," he said. "But that's something."
"It is hard to believe she is of the same species as her guards," Joseph said seriously.
"All of that party are homo sapiens," Rand said.
Alvec snorted. "You wouldn't understand."
Her long black hair lay in a thick, glassy braid on her shoulder, its color stark against the pale green of her exquisitely cut thermal suit. She moved towards the Wyal with the grace of flowing water. All three of them wore wraparound eye protection against Schwartztarr's harsh sun. As one, they raised their heads to study Wyal's height.
"A living clichй," Joat said, feeling an odd mixture of awe and amusement. "You fellas reel in your tongues, now."
She knew the woman. Her name was Silken-no known last name-she was Ciety's second in command, his lover, according to CenSec. A gangster's "moll" and her "torpedoes" in ancient Earth parlance.
"She's a nice lookin' girl," Alvec said judiciously.
Joat grinned over her shoulder at him. "But she's no Rose, am I right?"
"No, ma'am."
"She is no althea, either," Joseph said with a grim smile.
"Permission to board," the woman said, as though repeating a formula rather than making a request. Her voice was soft and pleasant. Her companions waited with a boulder patience that somehow had an edge of spring-steel readiness.
"This is Captain Simeon-Hap. May I ask your business?"
Silken took off her glasses and stared into the pickup. "I'm sure you know who I am, as well as why I'm here. I'd prefer to discuss our business in private-you know why, as well."
Well, Joat thought. Right to the point.
"And I'm sure that you'll understand Ms…" Joat paused to allow the woman to introduce herself. After a moment of silence she continued: "Uh, that your companions make me nervous."
The beautiful face smiled. "If we were here to hijack you, Captain, I assure you, you wouldn't be aware of us until we were on your bridge. However, there is a limit to how much openness I'd consider healthy for both of us. I repeat, we need to talk."
"I'm unwilling to allow either of your companions to board."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going up there alone!"
"We're not about to kidnap you, lady, not so… openly," Joat said sarcastically.
"You have two crewmen aboard," the woman said, her eyes flashing. "I'm not willing to be alone under those circumstances."
"My crew are trained to stand a watch, distribute cargo, fill out manifests and keep the ship functioning. Your friends appear to have benefited from… another kind of training altogether." Like how to turn people's heads around so they can look down between their shoulder blades. Aloud she said, "May I suggest a compromise?"
"Please. Do."
"One of your people stays with your landcar, one stays by the lock with my crewmen, and you join me on the bridge for a private talk."
The woman considered it. Joat thought she was going to refuse, then she put her glasses back on decisively and nodded.
"All right. That's acceptable."
Joat keyed the lift, raising her other hand to still the protests. "With you masters of self-defense on hand, what do I have to worry about?"
"Energy weapons, capture, torture, death," Joseph suggested.
"Masters!" Alvev said. "Oh, good. I would've been worried if I didn't know that."
"Go on and meet them," Joat said. She put a hand on each rocklike shoulder and shoved gently. "I'm a big girl now."
She should have been in the vids, Joat thought. That entrance was a masterpiece. As if Silken entering a room automatically made her the most important thing in it.
"Yes?" the Captain of the Wyal said after a moment's silence.
Silken simply stood in the center of the room and held up the blue datahedron that Joat had transported. Her gaze stayed unfocused, only the tapping of one slim booted foot demanding attention.
It's times like this I'm really glad I'm a woman, Joat thought complacently.
Joat reclined in the pilot's crash-couch, her legs crossed, hands loosely clasped on her stomach. She raised a brow and spoke again, with just a shade more emphasis:
"Yes?"
After a moment Silken sighed in irritation. She put one hand on her hip and flicked the datahedron with one manicured nail.