Prince of Luster Read Online Free PDF

they did. She was one of hundreds of victims who all looked the same now. That was one of two sad advantages to have come from the fire
plasma. Not many people were recognizable if they survived exposure. And she’d feign her usual slow limp so no one would ever think her capable of thievery. The one
other
good thing the burning substance had done was render her so hideous that even the pirates who lurked near the market wouldn’t touch her. There were now too many willing and
unscarred
prostitutes present.
    As beautiful as the prostitutes were, they were no more than slaves. They’d been originally brought in to service Forrell’s butchers, but were now unable to leave Delta Seven except by permission. And that would never come. She knew it even if the whores didn’t. In fact, no one who came was ever allowed to leave unless there was a suspicion their presence would be missed elsewhere. And until each visitor’s purpose could be determined, the governor kept travelers isolated. These days, the only new people to arrive were those down on their luck seeking a few low-grade gems, or those looking to barter for supplies. The real booty that might have drawn fortune and given every citizen on Delta Seven a chance at prosperity was in the hands of the pirates and Forrell. No one would ever know what they’d done. No one cared. Least of all the king of Luster and his elite enforcers from the Constellation League. Unlike the lesser trained, underpaid, and easily bribed local enforcers, they were supposed to have been Delta Seven’s next line of protection in the event anything ever went wrong. Where were they now?
    She wondered, as she had for the thousandth time, whether the king himself wasn’t in on the lucrative secret Forrell and his henchmen hid on the little, backwater mining colony.
    She also wondered if she’d ever see her real face under all the scar tissue. If she’d ever get to a planet where a medical incubation unit wouldn’t be ransomed for only those who could pay the exorbitant prices the pirates and Adaman Forrell demanded.
    “I hate this place!” she bitterly spat out. “And we’ll leave it one day, Una. You’ll see. But we can’t depend upon anyone but ourselves. Even that person I saw in the window could be an enemy. We can’t trust anyone.”
    • • •
    After eating a hasty breakfast, Marcos decided to head to the center of town and visit the merchant district.
    Attempts at friendly conversation with the inn’s staff had been met with dour nods or curt answers. People who were living under normal circumstances didn’t behave in such a way. Not if they expected repeat business or a good recommendation. In fact, the innkeeper and his staff acted as though they didn’t care if he was present or not. That and the lack of citizenry on the street the afternoon before added to his growing sense of trepidation.
    Remembering the careful research he’d done on where gem sales were held, Marcos donned the brown cape and cloak that seemed part of a merchant’s garb everywhere, and made his way to the center of the market. There were more people out there, but they hurried and avoided making eye contact. He presumed they were busy getting their business and errands done before the night’s curfew. But he couldn’t help smiling when he remembered one little denizen that had obviously found a way to defeat that ban and the brawny looking constables who might have captured her.
    Turning a corner and heading west, he found the larger, gray stone building that should house the gem sellers. His research consisted of out-of-date records, but what knowledge he had from Lusterian records of this small planet still held true. At least so far.
    Again, he was struck by the difference between the browns and grays of this dismal planet and the colors, smells, and beauty of Luster. As he approached the building he sought, men and women stood in small groups and haggled over goods and raw, uncut gems. He