Stardust Dreams Read Online Free PDF

lecherous. Before Cherry
could tell if he was kidding, Dot was back in control.
    "Pay no attention to
him, Cherry. He is only a man and therefore cannot stop himself from behaving
foolishly. We will give you your privacy now."
    Cherry laughed out loud as
Mar-Dot exited the chamber, in a series of rotations, during which Dot waved
good-bye and Mar blew her a kiss. Now that she knew she was on her way home,
she could start enjoying her unexpected adventure. She might have liked getting
better acquainted with Voyager, too, if he wasn't such a prig. His superior
attitude and general unfriendliness completely negated how wickedly attractive
he was.
    A few minutes later she
discovered just how limited her selection of fresh clothing really was. The
choice of styles was between a pair of slacks and a vest, both black leather,
in a large mans size; or a one-size-fits-all jumpsuit like Mar-Dot's, with or
without an extra pair of sleeves. No shoes or underclothing were available. At
least the second selection was offered in either olive green or white.
    Since she wouldn't be
caught dead in either black leather or olive green, she opted for a white
jumpsuit and got ready to try out the sanitizing beam. Even if it wasn't a real
shower, she felt certain freshening up would greatly improve her present
condition and disposition.
    "Shall I plot a return
to Earth, Captain?" Mar asked after he returned to his place behind the
control panel.
    "No. Keep following
Frezlo's trail," Gallant replied without looking up from what he was
reading on the monitor before him.
    "But, Captain,"
Dot said, "you promised Cherry you would return her to Innerworld."
    "And I will, right
after I deal with Frezlo."
    Dot started to say
something else, but Mar took over. "My guess is he will head for
Zoenid."
    "That's better than a
guess. He's going to have to lay low for quite a while after pulling two
incinerations so close together."
    On Zoenid, the only law was
that there was no law, including no extradition treaties. Frezlo undoubtedly
intended to seek shelter in that planet's southwestern quartersphere, where he
could blend right in with the transient inhabitants—not because they looked
like him, but because there was such a variety of species residing in that
inhospitable zone. The rest of the planet was a totally barren desert, where
not even the most desperate criminal attempted to carve out a hiding place.
    Tracking Frezlo at a
distance the way they were, it was a simple matter to confirm whether or not he
landed on Zoenid. After that, however, Gallant knew it would take a
considerable amount of ingenuity to find the assassin and even more to get him
to talk.
    Oh, he had his ways, like
any agent worth his credits. His ways just weren't like anyone else's. Gallant
was certain he would be able to learn everything Frezlo knew, if he could find
him. Although, as he had told Cherry, he possessed no telepathic capability,
his special talent was worth a lot more. Only a handful of people knew the
secret, and revealing it would result in dire consequences for everyone
involved, primarily himself.
    "Have you got a plan
to draw Frezlo out?" Mar asked, knowing from experience how his captain's
mind worked. "I doubt he will allow himself to be found once he reaches
Zoenid."
    "Right. I've been
sitting here reviewing his profile. There's only one thing he fears enough for
me to manipulate him with it. He likes to gamble, but how do I get him to my
table? A rumor of a high-stakes game might attract him, but it would also
dredge up every other animal in the area."
    "Excuse me, Captain. This
is not right."
    Gallant looked up to face
Dot. "What?"
    "The trip to Zoenid
will take another five days. Then there is no telling how long it will take to
lure Frezlo to you. You clearly implied that you would return Cherry to Innerworld
immediately after we touched her mind. How do you intend to explain that it
took twenty-four hours to get here, but as much as two weeks to get