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〃At a hundred marks a crack？〃 Fulbright scoffed。 〃Who cares？〃
I frowned。 〃A hundred？ The flyer says five thousand。〃
〃That's the finder's fee；〃 Fulbright said。 〃The guy's been handing out a hundred with each flyer。 Just to make sure it gets read； I guess。〃
I felt cold all over。 Five thousand marks to find me…that could be anything； from anywhere。 But for the hunter to be passing out additional thousands of marks in cash just to generate interest meant something very big indeed was going on。
And the only thing that had saved me so far was that abominably poor photo in my Mercantile file。 That； and the fact that the one person here who did recognize me was angling for a higher bounty。 〃Okay；〃 I said to Fulbright。 〃Ten thousand it is。 But I don't have it on me。 We'll have to go back to the ship。〃
His eyes narrowed； and in the twitching of his eyebrows and lips I could practically read his line of reasoning： that if he was able to get a good look at the Icarus； he might be able to peddle the description for another few thousand from the unidentified accountant type。 〃Okay；〃 he said； unzipping his jacket and stuffing the flyer into an inside pocket。 He stood up； giving me a glimpse of a gray handgun holstered at the left side of his belt； and nodded toward the door。 〃Sure。 Let's go。〃
We headed out of the taverno； crossed the lobby； and out the Starrm…building door。 Halfway across the lobby he surreptitiously pulled his gun from its holster and stuffed it and his right hand into his side jacket pocket。 Former drinking buddies or not； he obviously didn't trust me very far。 〃Which landing cradle are you in？〃 he asked as I headed toward the nearest slideway； which happened to be headed north。
〃You can read the number for yourself when we get there；〃 I grunted； looking surreptitiously around for inspiration。 This particular slideway didn't seem well populated； and it didn't take a genius to see why： instead of being taken to the main bulk of the docking squares； we were headed toward what appeared to be a maintenance area。
A fact which wasn't lost on Fulbright。 〃I hope you're not trying to pull something on your old pal； Jordie；〃 he warned； stepping up close behind me and pressing the muzzle of his gun into my back。 Even through the concealing jacket material I imagined it felt very cold。 〃Because I wouldn't like that。 I wouldn't like that at all。〃
〃You don't think I'd put a hot ship down in one of the regular cradles； do you？〃 I countered； looking down at my feet。 The slideway was mainly solid； but just ahead on our right was one of a number of holes where small patches of the material had worn off or torn away at the edge of the moving belt。 This particular tear was roughly triangular； leaving a gap about ten centimeters long and five wide through which I could see the grillwork of the underlying support and drive system zipping past。 Every half second or so a bright blue light winked past； probably a glow that helped mark the edge of the slideway at night。 〃So where is it？〃 Fulbright demanded。
〃Patience； James； patience；〃 I said； gazing down at the triangular tear and the grillwork underneath and doing a quick mental calculation。 It would be tight； not to mention destructive； but it should work。
I half turned my head and gestured toward my jacket。 〃My phone's vibing；〃 I told him。 〃Okay if I answer it？〃
Out of the corner of my eye I caught his frown。 〃Leave it；〃 he ordered。
〃Not remended；〃 I told him mildly。 〃My partner will e looking for me if I don't answer。 You don't want to mess with him。 Certainly not for a measly five thousand marks。〃
Once again； I could almost watch the gears turning in his head。 He'd never actually met Ixil…we'd always been careful to keep Ixil in a low…profile position when dealing with gangs and their antialien biases…but I'd planted enough hints with Fulbright that he had a pretty good idea of my partner's capabilities。 I waited patiently； letting him work it out for himself； not in any particular hurry。 We were starting to get into the maintenance and supply areas now； where the only people around were generally working inside the various buildings。 Working； moreover； with the kind of heavy machinery that would effectively drown out the sounds of trouble； up to and including gunshots。 The deeper we got into this area； the better I liked it。
〃All right；〃 he said suddenly； stepping close behind me and getting a grip on my jacket collar as he again jammed his gun warningly into my kidney。 〃Take it out slow…two fingers； left hand。〃
Carefully； I eased my jacket open and just as carefully pulled out my phone。 〃Okay？〃 I asked； holding it up for his approval。 Without waiting for an answer； I shifted my grip on the phone and brought it to my ear。
Or rather； tried to do so。 Somewhere along the way my fingers suddenly fumbled and the phone squirted out of my hand to clatter onto the slideway in front of me。
〃Damn！〃 I muttered； taking a long step forward。
If I'd given Fulbright half a second to think； he probably wouldn't have fallen for it。 But I didn't； and he did。 Just as it was perfectly natural for me to try to retrieve my phone； so； too； was it perfectly natural for him to courteously let go of my jacket to enable me to do so。 I dropped to one knee and snagged the phone just as it was about to skitter off the edge of the slideway； and with a quick jerk I jammed the lower end through the hole in the belt and into the gridwork beneath。
For a split second the slideway faltered； just a brief instant before the sheer inertia of the system overcame the slender piece of plastic and metal and tore the phone to shreds。 But it was enough。 Caught pletely flatfooted； Fulbright lost his balance and stumbled forward； his knees ing up short against my side； the impact sending him tumbling helplessly over my back to sprawl on the slideway。
I was on him in an instant； locking his right wrist in place with one hand and trying to get a clear shot at his neck or stomach with the other。 He struggled furiously； mouthing curses that would have frosted glass； but he didn't have a chance and he knew it。 He was lying on his free left arm； and with me keeping his right hand trapped in his pocket he couldn't even bring his gun to bear on me。 Besides all of which； I was bigger than he was。
I got an opening and slammed my fist into his neck just behind his ear。 He twitched and gave a weak roar that was more than half whimper。 I hit him again； and he collapsed and lay still。
I took a few seconds to catch my breath and take a quick look around。 No one was visible。 Keeping a cautious hold on his gun hand； I worked the weapon out of his grip and pulled it out of the pocket。 It was a Kochran…Uzi pact three…millimeter semiautomatic； a nasty enough weapon in a taverno fight but an extremely stupid thing to carry aboard a starship； where a bullet can go through machinery and hulls with all sorts of unpleasant consequences。 Dropping the gun into my pocket； I hauled the unconscious man half to his feet and half leaped； half fell off the slideway。
About ten meters to my right was a stack of empty forklift pallets piled up against the corner of one of the buildings。 Getting a grip under Fulbright's arms； I dragged him over and laid him down on the ground facing them。 His jacket； like mine； was leather； but his shirt was made of a thick but more pliable cloth。 I pulled his right arm out of the jacket sleeve； carefully sliced off the exposed shirtsleeve with my pocketknife； put the jacket back on him； and cut the sleeve into thick strips。 Two minutes later； his hands were tied securely behind him and he had a gag in his mouth。 Another three minutes' work and I had manhandled one of the pallets down off the top of the stack and had the edge of it resting more or less fortably across his legs； with most of the weight being supported by the stiff soles of his boots。
Fulbright wasn't going anywhere for a while； and for a long moment I was tempted to leave it at that and get out while I could。 But that five…thousand…mark reward meant that someone out there had upped the ante on this game； and I still didn't have the foggiest idea what the stakes were or even what the game was。
But with a little luck； maybe I could at least find out who some of the other players were。
Fulbright's phone was in the same pocket as the flyer。 I pulled out both； consulted the flyer； then punched in the local number it listed。 A voice answered on the second vibe； a voice； I decided； that definitely fit with the wimpish accountant description。 〃Thompson；〃 he said briskly。
〃My name's James；〃 I said； imitating Fulbright's voice as best I could。 Odds were Thompson wouldn't even remember James Fulbright； let alone his voice； but I'd already taken more chances than I cared to for one day。 〃That guy you're looking for…Jordan McKell？ You said five thousand for finding him。 How much for delivering him all trussed up？〃
He didn't hesitate。 〃Ten thousand；〃 he said。 〃Do you have him there now？〃
I felt my throat tighten； my somewhat snide preconception of the man vanishing in a puff of unpleasant smoke。 No accountant I'd ever met was anywhere near that quick and free with the money they handled。 Whoever Thompson was； he