places it's only two percent."
David Copperfield waddled over and sat uncomfortably on a chair that was made for humans.
"Where have you been?" asked Cole.
"I thought someone ought to find out what's going on in the galaxy," replied the little alien.
"The Republic's still at war with the Teroni Federation," said Cole. "You didn't have to go to a subspace radio for that. It's been going on for twenty-odd years."
"Trivial stuff," said Copperfield with a contemptuous sneer. "Spica II won the divisional murderball title. The Deluros VIII stock market is up three percent. And there are now thirteen books, disks, cubes, and holos about the mutiny aboard the Theodore Roosevelt."
"Each more inaccurate than the last, no doubt," said Cole with no show of interest. "Did you learn anything useful?"
"Not on the radio," admitted Copperfield, "but a cargo ship that just landed reports that the Navy decimated six more worlds on the Inner Frontier."
"Why would a naval commander obey an order to wipe out six neutral Frontier planets?" said Cole disgustedly.
"Not everyone is a mutineer," said the Duke with a smile.
"Oh, well," said Cole, "if they're done, maybe we can clear Four Eyes to make a quick trip over to Braccio II." He got to his feet. "I'm going back to the ship now. David, I'm sure the second I'm gone the Platinum Duke is going to tell you about all the trillions we can make for no effort at all if we accept the assignment he's working on." He paused. "First, you do not have the authority to negotiate or accept it without my approval, and second, you are not subtle enough to slyly introduce it into the next ten conversations we have as if it just came up spontaneously."
"Steerforth, you cut me to the quick."
"Just remember what I said, or I'll take a butcher knife and go hunting for your quick."
"I'll come with you," said Val, getting up and grabbing her bottle.
"I thought you'd want to spend the night celebrating your win," said Cole.
"I do," she said. "But I want to hide half the money first, just in case my luck turns."
"I can hold it for you."
She considered it for a long moment, then thrust a wad of Republic credits, New Stalin rubles, and Maria Theresa dollars into his hand.
"I wouldn't trust anyone else with it," said Val.
"I appreciate that."
"Where will you be if I need it back in a hurry?"
"If you think you'll need it back to cover some losses, why not just keep it?" said Cole.
She shook her head. "I've got to at least go through the motions."
"If you come by for it later, I could just refuse to give it to you."
"No," said Val seriously. "If I'm liquored up and you won't give me my money, I might kill you."
"You won't."
"I don't think I will, but you never know . . ."
"I've never seen you that liquored up," said Cole. "I'll take my chances. You can have the money back when we take off on our next mission, whatever it is."
She stared at him, then nodded and took her bottle back to the Duke's table.
Cole made his way to the Teddy R, where he found Rachel Marcos waiting for him.
"What's up?" he asked.
"We just finished the damage report from the Machtel operation," she replied.
"What damages?" demanded Cole. "Not a shot was fired."
"Some space debris damaged the Longshot and the Penny Dreadful inside one of the wormholes."
"I assume their structural integrity hasn't been compromised, since they made it back to Singapore Station."
"They seem okay," she reported. "But if the abrasions aren't fixed, the ships could begin developing problems."
"It is anything Slick can't handle?" asked Cole.
Slick was the Teddy R's only Tolobite, an alien who along with his symbiote, which acted as a second skin, was able to work long hours in the airless cold of space.
"He's seen the holographs of the damage and thinks he can fix it, sir," said Rachel.
"Okay," said Cole. "Run the reports and holos by Mr. Odom"— Mustapha Odom, the Teddy R's engineer—"and if he agrees, tell Slick to go to work on them."
He
David Copperfield waddled over and sat uncomfortably on a chair that was made for humans.
"Where have you been?" asked Cole.
"I thought someone ought to find out what's going on in the galaxy," replied the little alien.
"The Republic's still at war with the Teroni Federation," said Cole. "You didn't have to go to a subspace radio for that. It's been going on for twenty-odd years."
"Trivial stuff," said Copperfield with a contemptuous sneer. "Spica II won the divisional murderball title. The Deluros VIII stock market is up three percent. And there are now thirteen books, disks, cubes, and holos about the mutiny aboard the Theodore Roosevelt."
"Each more inaccurate than the last, no doubt," said Cole with no show of interest. "Did you learn anything useful?"
"Not on the radio," admitted Copperfield, "but a cargo ship that just landed reports that the Navy decimated six more worlds on the Inner Frontier."
"Why would a naval commander obey an order to wipe out six neutral Frontier planets?" said Cole disgustedly.
"Not everyone is a mutineer," said the Duke with a smile.
"Oh, well," said Cole, "if they're done, maybe we can clear Four Eyes to make a quick trip over to Braccio II." He got to his feet. "I'm going back to the ship now. David, I'm sure the second I'm gone the Platinum Duke is going to tell you about all the trillions we can make for no effort at all if we accept the assignment he's working on." He paused. "First, you do not have the authority to negotiate or accept it without my approval, and second, you are not subtle enough to slyly introduce it into the next ten conversations we have as if it just came up spontaneously."
"Steerforth, you cut me to the quick."
"Just remember what I said, or I'll take a butcher knife and go hunting for your quick."
"I'll come with you," said Val, getting up and grabbing her bottle.
"I thought you'd want to spend the night celebrating your win," said Cole.
"I do," she said. "But I want to hide half the money first, just in case my luck turns."
"I can hold it for you."
She considered it for a long moment, then thrust a wad of Republic credits, New Stalin rubles, and Maria Theresa dollars into his hand.
"I wouldn't trust anyone else with it," said Val.
"I appreciate that."
"Where will you be if I need it back in a hurry?"
"If you think you'll need it back to cover some losses, why not just keep it?" said Cole.
She shook her head. "I've got to at least go through the motions."
"If you come by for it later, I could just refuse to give it to you."
"No," said Val seriously. "If I'm liquored up and you won't give me my money, I might kill you."
"You won't."
"I don't think I will, but you never know . . ."
"I've never seen you that liquored up," said Cole. "I'll take my chances. You can have the money back when we take off on our next mission, whatever it is."
She stared at him, then nodded and took her bottle back to the Duke's table.
Cole made his way to the Teddy R, where he found Rachel Marcos waiting for him.
"What's up?" he asked.
"We just finished the damage report from the Machtel operation," she replied.
"What damages?" demanded Cole. "Not a shot was fired."
"Some space debris damaged the Longshot and the Penny Dreadful inside one of the wormholes."
"I assume their structural integrity hasn't been compromised, since they made it back to Singapore Station."
"They seem okay," she reported. "But if the abrasions aren't fixed, the ships could begin developing problems."
"It is anything Slick can't handle?" asked Cole.
Slick was the Teddy R's only Tolobite, an alien who along with his symbiote, which acted as a second skin, was able to work long hours in the airless cold of space.
"He's seen the holographs of the damage and thinks he can fix it, sir," said Rachel.
"Okay," said Cole. "Run the reports and holos by Mr. Odom"— Mustapha Odom, the Teddy R's engineer—"and if he agrees, tell Slick to go to work on them."
He
Similar Books
Unknown
Unknown
The Eden Series: The Complete Collection
Janelle Stalder
Kilting Me Softly: 1
Persephone Jones
Darkness Under the Sun
Dean Koontz
Sybil
Flora Rheta Schreiber
The Pyramid
William Golding
Nothing is Forever
Grace Thompson
Series of Unfortunate Events: The Grim Grotto
Lemony Snicket
The Tiger's Wife
Tea Obreht