'Troblum, my dear, she said brightly as if she'd only just caught sight of him. 'How lovely to see you again. You're really a lot of fun. It was a brilliant game we played. Well, I thought so.
'Game? he said weakly. His integral force field had come on instantly, though he knew it would be no use against her.
The Cat took a few paces towards him. Troblum lurched backwards in near panic. Even now he couldn't resist admiring her movements; they really were feline.
'Why yes, darling, the Cat said. 'How funny you couldn't work it out. Marius was right, wasn't he? You don't connect with humans on an emotional level. You marched in here completely oblivious to dear old Stubsy and his naughty little posse. Didn't you see their faces, Troblum? Take a look now.
Troblum gave Stubsy a wild glance. The dealer's face was a rigid mask, teeth clamped together so hard his lips were quivering. Two of the companions appeared at the chamber door, tall and powerful. Troblum recognised them from his last visit.
Simonie, wearing a scarlet dress with a high hem; while Alcinda's taut muscles stretched her shiny black bikini fabric to near bursting point.
The Cat let out a mocking wolf-whistle. 'Aren't they gorgeous, and they play nasty, too, which is really fun. She cocked her head at Troblum. 'You still don't get it, do you? Fantastic. You are interesting. Run an emotional context recognition program, my dear. It'll tell you they're all very, very pissed off. They were when you came through the front door, and sadly they still are. All because of little old me.
'Okay, Troblum said. 'You're right, I didn't get it. Congratulations.
'I know. The Cat gave a fulsome pout. 'Me and Stubsy here had a small wager going. I thought you'd realize by the time you reached the pool, Stubsy said it would be as soon as you arrived and saw him. We both lost. Your fault.
'How did you find me? Troblum said. He didn't really have any tactical programs to run, no smart way to work out how to escape from an underground room with only one door and no communication. But then he was pretty sure even the best tactical program would tell him he was going to die. His own knowledge unfortunately supplied him with a host of extremely unpleasant methods she was known to use to kill her enemies (and friends), and that was before he called up her file to check. If he could just keep her talking… He glanced at the door again.
'Oh my! The Cat's delighted laughter rang across the chamber as she caught his unsubtle motion. 'Troblum, darling, are you going to make a run for it? Tell you what, I'll give you a five minute head start. Do you think your fat legs can reach the bottom of the stairs by then? Will you need to sit down and take a breather?
'Fuck you.
'Troblum! How jolly rude!
From anyone else it would have been ridiculous. From her, it frightened him even further.
'How did you find me? he repeated.
The Cat batted her eyes. 'It was so difficult. You're such a master covert agent. Let me see, could it be all the illegal money your Accelerator friends pay into your External world bank accounts, which is rather easily traceable to Stubsy here? Or was it when you called ANA: Governance and told my dearest old chum Paula Myo to meet you here? Humm, which was it now? My memory is not what it was.
'Oh. It wasn't often Troblum felt foolish, but the way she said it made him realize what an idiot he'd been. He'd suspected that the Unisphere might be compromised to a Faction, yet he still hadn't taken adequate precautions. And as for the money, well any half-rate e-head could trace money.
'Where's your ship? the Cat said.
Troblum shook his head. 'No. The smartcore had some very specific instructions should his secure link be broken. A timer was counting down in his exovision. It was a small glimmer of hope, though he suspected the kind of ship which the Accelerators had supplied her with would be able to burn the Mellanie's Redemption out of the sky with a single shot. More bad planning. That just left one chance.
'Troblum, she said as if chiding a child, 'I'd like to know where your ship is, and I want the command codes. And I believe that you of all people know you really shouldn't annoy me.
'I know. Why do you want the ship?
'Oh, come on, you know that, darling. Marius might be slightly peeved you made him look like a complete dickhead in front of his masters, but that hardly motivates me, now does it, Mr Me-expert?
'Paula. You want to use it to catch Paula.
She clapped her hands delightedly. 'She and I are going to be together for a very long time. I have plans, you see. Big plans for our shared future. And I need her intact. Which you're going to help me achieve, by convincing her that everything here is just hunky dory.
'There's no point. Nobody has a future any more. The galaxy is being eaten alive. We're all going to die within a few years.
A flicker of annoyance passed over the Cat's face. She gave Troblum a long stare. 'I want her to walk in here expecting to see you. Moderately unsuspecting, though she is a paranoid little bitch. So… Ship. Now.
'No.
'What do I do to people I don't like?
He shrugged, not wanting to think of the details he'd so laboriously extracted from various police reports over the decades.
'You will help me, she said. 'Don't make me threaten you. I'm only being this patient because I know you don't understand the consequences of your stupidity. So ask yourself this, how come Stubsy and his friends are being so cooperative?
Troblum turned to the dealer. It wasn't something he'd considered. Another mistake, he thought.
'Just help her, Stubsy said brokenly.
'I cheated, the Cat said, and rested a finger on her lips. 'Bad lady that I am. I used a small insert' She grinned at the companions who glared back at her through clenched teeth. 'And it was quite difficult to insert, wasn't it, girls? You know, I actually had to hold them down to do it there was so much girly squealing and wiggling. And look at them now, happy to do as they're told.
Troblum thought he might be sick. His biononics had to work hard at keeping his hormone glands suppressed. And finally he didn't need any programs to interpret the expression both Simonie and Alcinda registered, their fear and loathing. Simonie had a tear squeezing out of her right eye.
'The girls are going to hold you down now for me, Troblum, the Cat said. 'Even their silly little weapons enrichments can overcome your pitiful force field. Higher culture, she said with a shake of her head. 'Where do you people get off calling yourselves that? Talk about insecurities. And you think I've got psychological flaws.
The two companions started to walk towards Troblum. He ordered the shields on all the cases to switch off, as well as his own integral force field. The Cat's response was instantaneous. She vanished inside a silver glow, as though she'd been encased in moon-washed silk.
'Stop, Troblum told the companions.
They hesitated, looking at the Cat's glowing shape for instruction.
'Troblum? the Cat's smooth voice issued out of the protective aurora. 'What are you doing? You haven't got any defences now.
'Remember this? he asked and pointed at a grey ovoid on a table close to the door.
'No, the Cat said. Her tone was one of dangerous boredom.