Fool Me Once (Privateer Tales) Read Online Free PDF

Benny’s description was, if anything, too modest. Where it had been mostly empty the night before, now there were tables and tents neatly arranged up and down the entire street. The spectacle continued as far as I could see.
    The light filtering through the colored tent awnings was beautiful. There was a cart loaded with flowers of every possible size and shape. Children were running down the street wearing shorts and t-shirts, and women were in dresses and skirts. Men wore jeans and suits, and though a few people wore their vac-suits, we were very much in the minority. I needed to fix that. I didn't want to stand out.
    I chastised myself for getting lost in it all. I was carrying more wealth than I'd ever owned and hoped I could use it to find my sister. I needed to focus. I wasn’t safe and didn’t know where danger would come from first.
    My reading pad gave me directions to my first stop - Punjay’s Pawn. It didn’t sound like a place that would buy platinum, but they might bite on the gold coins. The pawn shop was cleaner than I’d expected. The tables outside were filled with displays of jewelry, knives, small electronic devices, and some real books.
    Inside the store, a young, dark-skinned man with black, loose curly hair stood behind a glass counter containing more expensive looking jewelry on one side and a handful of pistols on the other. He offered a quick smile as I approached.
    “Welcome to Punjay’s. What can I help you find? Perhaps a beautiful ring for your long, lovely fingers?”
    “Are you Punjay?” I asked.
    “Oh no, but I am his nephew, Samsir. Whatever you need, I will help you.”
    “Okay, Samsir. What can you tell me about this?” I handed him one of the twelve gold coins I carried, already fully aware that the value was close to five hundred m-creds.
    Samsir placed the coin on a soft gray scan pad on the counter. He turned a reading pad around so I could see what it had gleaned.
    “Very nice. It is a gold dollar coin from early Earth history. I will give you two hundred creds for this.”
    “If I sold you that coin for two hundred it would be the last coin you would see. We both know it’s worth at least six hundred.”
    “No, Punjay would fire poor Samsir if I gave away so much of his money. But you seem to be an educated woman and maybe Samsir has underestimated the value of your coin. Perhaps you would consider two hundred fifty?”
    “Well Samsir, I guess Punjay will not need to be upset with you. I will take no less than five hundred for my coin and it seems you aren't interested. I appreciate your time.”
    I picked up the coin and slid it into a small pouch on my suit and turned to walk out. The coins were worth five hundred, but even though I couldn’t expect someone to give me full retail, I wasn’t ready to take a fifty percent loss. There was time to visit a few more shops.
    I was barely outside when I heard the baritone voice of an older man behind me. “Young lady, please come back and visit with me. My boy, Samsir, is under a lot of pressure.”
    A man in a long, off-white robe stood in the doorway. The dark skin of his face was framed by a neatly trimmed grey beard and a necklace of satiny black rocks hung from his neck. He wore a gentle smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
    “With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?” I asked.
    “Punjay Gowda, and this is my humble establishment.” He spread out his hands to indicate the store.
    I followed him back inside and Samsir was nowhere to be seen. We didn’t stop at the front counter, but walked past into an office overlooking the main room of his shop. He motioned for me to sit in one of two ornate red high-backed chairs.
    “May I see the coin?” he asked.
    I handed it to him.
    “It is a beauty. My best number is three hundred fifty. I must have room to make a profit.” He sounded very convincing.
    “We’re getting closer, Mr. Gowda, but you need to know I’m looking for a business partner, not a one