Sweet Starfire (18 page)

“How long will you be here on Renaissance?” she inquired politely during a short break in the conversation.

“I’ll be leaving soon. Got a run for
QED
. Is it true you’re on crew contract with Severance?”

“Quite true.”

“Mind my asking exactly what you do for him? I mean, I have a ship the same size and class as Severance Pay, and to be honest, they’re a one-man operation.”

Desma spoke coolly. “The nature of her work on board is hardly any of your business, Racer.”

Racer shrugged. “Just curious.”

“It’s all right,” Cidra said quickly, sensing the tension in Desma. “I’m doing some programming work for him. In return he’s providing me with free passage.”

“Ah, I get it,” Racer said easily. “A business arrangement.”

“Exactly.”

Desma made another attempt to take hold of the conversation. “Cidra, it’s getting late. We should probably be heading home.”

“You’re staying with Desma?” Racer asked, ignoring the older woman.

Cidra nodded, smiling. “That’s right. She’s been most gracious. I’ll be at her place for the next few days while Severance picks up some mail and arranges some delivery contracts.”

“Desma, here, is a very nice lady,” Racer said agreeably.

“Desma,” announced Desma in tones of foreboding as she looked over Racer’s shoulder, “may have just made her worst mistake of the season.” She smiled weakly. “Hi, Severance. Cidra and I were just about to leave.”

“I know.” Severance sounded very sure of that fact. He arrived at the table and stood looking down at Cidra. He didn’t even glance at Racer. “I came to escort you home. Let’s go.” He reached out to put his large hand under Cidra’s arm and hauled her unceremoniously to her feet.

“Severance, please!” Cidra was mortified by the rudeness.

“Take it easy, Severance,” Racer said coolly, climbing out of the chair he’d been straddling. “Maybe the lady isn’t ready to leave yet.”

Desma got uneasily out of her seat, paying the tab quickly with a credit slip.

“The lady works for me,” Severance said, still not bothering to look at Racer. “And I say she’s ready to leave. Aren’t you, Cidra?”

“There is no need to be so impatient,” Cidra hissed, aware of his fingers digging into her arm. “What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were going to spend the night on board the ship.”

“I came to tell you that there’s been a change in plans. I’ll explain outside.” He flicked a glance at Desma. “Are you coming?”

“I’m coming.” Desma stifled a groan as she saw the embarrassment on Cidra’s face. “You could be a little less heavy-handed, Teague.”

“And you could use a little more judgment, Desma.”

“Severance!” Cidra was more than embarrassed now. She was shocked. “This is my hostess. You will not talk to her in this way.”

“Forget it,” Desma advised. “I’ve heard worse. Let’s get going.”

Racer stepped closer to Cidra, his blue-green eyes concerned. “Are you sure you want to go with him, Cidra? Just because you’re under contract doesn’t mean you have to let him ride you this way.”

“Stay out of this, Racer.” Severance finally deigned to glance at Racer. His eyes were full of warning, and something else. Something that might have been contempt.

“If the lady wants my assistance, she’s got it.” Racer returned the contempt with a rough hostility.

Cidra realized immediately that she was not the issue. She was the catalyst both men were using to confront each other. The tension in the air was almost palpable. The two Wolves were circling each other, searching for openings and excuses for battle. She had to put a stop to it at once. She smiled tentatively. “It’s all right, Racer. I really must be going. It’s been pleasant chatting with you. Perhaps some other time?”

“Any other time,” Racer stressed, his eyes locked with Severance’s. “Any other time you want.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” Severance advised. He turned away, more or less dragging Cidra with him. Desma followed without further demur.

Cidra waited until the three of them were out on the street before she gave way to her feelings of humiliation and anger. Then she rounded on Severance. “I have never been so thoroughly embarrassed in my entire life, Teague Severance. You have the manners of a torla. You should be ashamed of yourself, and if you’re not, it’s only because you don’t have the sensitivity to manage it! How can you possibly excuse such ill-mannered behavior?”

“I won’t bother to find any excuses. I don’t have to find any excuses. I’m your employer, remember? And this is a direct order: Stay clear of Racer.”

“You’ll have to provide a reasonable explanation for such a ridiculous order.”

“As long as you’re oh crew contract I don’t owe you any explanations. Want to terminate the contract right now? Your option.”

“Easy, Severance,” Desma advised softly.

Cidra threw herself back into the argument. A temper she had never dreamed existed seemed to be bubbling alive inside her. It was as if the hot, humid air of the planet had stirred the heat in her veins. “Don’t you dare threaten me, Severance. I demand a full apology for the scene you created in that tavern.”

“You’re not going to get one. Make up your mind, Cidra. Are you under contract or not?”

“You’re not going to get rid of me this easily! I won’t let you use a stupid argument like this one to force me to terminate the contract.”

“Fine. Then you’ll follow orders.”

Desma tried again, saying mildly, “Why did you come looking for us in the first place, Severance?”

He glared at Desma and then at Cidra as they arrived at the Kadys’ octagonal home. Cidra thought he hesitated for an instant before dropping his bombshell. “ExcellEx has moved its main operations to a field camp upriver. They want the sensors delivered there. I’ve made the arrangements. We’re leaving the day after tomorrow. I’ve contracted with a guide who’s taking some other supplies to the camp.”

Cidra blinked, realizing what that meant. “But my research! I haven’t even started. Severance, I’m not ready to leave Try Again yet. I have so much to do.”

“Then you shouldn’t have wasted an entire evening in a place like the Bloodsucker, should you?”

Desma moved toward the door. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said dryly, “I’m going inside. I’ve got a squeamish stomach.” The deflectors hissed behind her, leaving Severance and Cidra alone on the membrane.

“Severance, is this really necessary, or are you concocting some excuse to leave town because that man Racer is here?”

“Racer is strictly second-class postage. I wouldn’t let him affect anything I do. We’re leaving at dawn the day after tomorrow because I’m running a business. I’ve contracted to deliver the sensors, and that’s what I’m going to do. As long as you choose to work for me you stay with me. Understood?”

“Oh, you’re doing an excellent job of making yourself clear.”

He closed his eyes in brief disgust. “I’m sorry, Cidra. This can’t be helped. The potential of more work for ExcellEx is too good to pass up. There’ll be other opportunities here for you to search the Try Again files.”

She considered the matter. “You could leave me behind while you make the run to the field camp.”

Severance’s eyes were very steady. “Not a chance. I’m not leaving you alone here. As long as you work for me I’m responsible for you. I want you where I can keep an eye on you.”

“It is Racer, isn’t it? You don’t want me left here near him. Why do you hate him so much, Severance?”

“That subject isn’t open to discussion. Good night, Cidra.”

“Good night, Severance.” She turned stiffly, the hem of her gown swirling around her. “I hope you enjoy what’s left of the night.”

He caught her arm, spinning her around to face him. She sucked in her breath as she saw the glittering intensity in his eyes. Before she could say anything, he was kissing her, his mouth hard and possessive on hers. She shivered in his grasp, a soft moan echoing far back in her throat. When he lifted his head, Cidra had to put out a hand to steady herself. Wide-eyed, she stared at him.

“I won’t, you know,” Severance said too calmly.

“W-won’t what?”

“Enjoy what’s left of the night.”

“What’s the matter?” she flung back. “Didn’t your arrangements for a little special handling work out?”

“No. Fred doesn’t take to strangers on board.” He released her and pushed her gently toward the door panels. “Go inside, Cidra. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Cidra was safely through the panels when she realized with a secret satisfaction that Fred had never seriously objected to her presence on board Severance Pay.

A muted but nerve-rasping whistle woke Cidra several hours later. The sound seemed to pierce right through her mind, bringing her to a sitting position in bed with a pounding heart. She was gazing at the door to her room, trying to remember where she was when it opened. Desma Kady stood there, struggling into a white lab suit.

“Don’t worry, Cidra. It’s just an equipment alarm from the lab. Probably means the air filtration system has gone down again. I didn’t see any lights when I looked out the window, so it could be that the lighting timer has failed too. Damn. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. You have no idea how hard it is to keep machinery in good repair here on Renaissance. The last time this happened we found several kilos of swarming doomlizards tangled in the filtration fans. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Can I help?”

“Don’t worry. This will only take a little while, I’m sure. Stay where you are and get some sleep.” She waved absently and left.

Wide-awake now, Cidra went over to the diazite window and watched Desma hurry toward the long lab building. Nights on Renaissance were a couple of hours longer than on Lovelady. She estimated it must be about three hours from dawn. Through the gloom Cidra saw Desma disappear into the lab. She leaned on the windowsill and waited. The thought of going into that long, dark building full of bugs was not a pleasant one, but she supposed Desma was accustomed to her “pets.”

Cidra didn’t know when or exactly why she began to worry. When the low level illumination she had noticed earlier that evening in the lab didn’t come back on soon after Desma disappeared inside, she began to get nervous. Desma had seemed to think the problem was a minor one that could be easily solved.

Minutes ticked past and there was still no sign of her hostess returning from the lab. Perhaps she could use some assistance after all. Cidra put on her delicate emerald-floss slippers and walked down the hall and out into the night. Her black-and-silver gown made her almost invisible in the shadows. The company that had the current contract for street lighting here in Try Again didn’t believe in importing top much heavy, expensive fluoroquartz. Most of the buildings on the street were shrouded in darkness, including the lab.

Visions of a long barn full of horrific insectoid creatures were very bright in Cidra’s mind when she tentatively opened the door Desma had already unlocked. The fetid smell from the interior assailed her as soon as she stepped inside. It seemed somehow worse in the oppressive darkness. The small, scurrying, screeching, and clacking noises were at full volume as the creatures in the cages went about their shadowy night business.

“Desma? ‘

There was no response. Cidra took another step inside. Tiny pinpoints of light darted about in the cage to her left. Up ahead she could see another faint, phosphorescent flicker. The natural luminescence of some of the inhabitants wasn’t nearly enough to light the aisles in front of the cages. Cidra took another cautious step, letting her eyes adjust to the deep shadows. She could barely make out the entrance to the first aisle.

“Desma? Where are you? Did you find the problem? Want me to get a quartzflash?”

Still no answer. Perhaps Desma was working on the machinery at the rear of the building. Slowly, not wanting to touch the cages she was passing, Cidra moved down the aisle. She knew that if she kept going straight, she would wind up at the back of the room where the control panels were installed. The fact that Desma was not responding was really beginning to alarm her.

When her foot caught on an object in the middle of the aisle, Cidra’s first thought was that one of the caged horrors had escaped and she had just become its prey. Her startled, panicked scream was muffled as she lost her balance and sprawled facedown on the metal floor. Frantically she twisted, intent only on getting away from whatever had tripped her. Her hand lashed out to ward off the unseen attacker and came into contact with fabric. Lab-tech uniform fabric. A small object rolled free of the fabric, clattering softly on the floor. It was gone before Cidra could reach for it, disappearing into the thick darkness under the cages.

“Desma!” A new kind of fear assailed her. Cidra groped about, swearing with words she must have learned from Severance. “Desma, what’s wrong?” The woman’s body was limp, but when she found a throat pulse, Cidra breathed a sigh of shaky relief. Almost at once the fear returned, however. Whichever of the lab creatures had done this was still about, skulking in the shadows under the cages. She had to get herself and Desma out of the building. There was no telling what had bitten or stung Desma, and there was no telling how much time she had left.

Cidra awkwardly found the woman’s wrists and was getting to her feet when she realized that there was someone else in the lab. For an instant she froze as she heard the gliding footstep.

There was no possibility of the sound belonging to someone who would offer help. If that had been the case, whoever it was would have responded to her call for Desma. Cidra knew with absolute certainty that whoever was moving down the aisle toward her was the one responsible for whatever had happened to Desma.

Instinct prompted her to release her grip on the unconscious woman. The human hunter was now intent on new prey. Cidra crouched motionlessly, wondering why he didn’t simply flick on a quartzflash and pin her in the light. And then she realized what the object was that had rolled under the cages. Desma must have fought back briefly, knocking the flash free from her attacker’s hand.

Cidra strained to hear the next footfall above the soft, ominous cluttering and chattering. It came after several excruciating heartbeats. She had to get away. Like any wild creature seeking safety, Cidra slipped to one side on her hands and knees, searching for the dark shadows under the cages. She was able to perceive a faint movement in the aisle as she stared out from under a cage. The clicking sound grew stronger, coming from directly overhead now as the creatures above her also sensed movement. There was a flurry of scratching sounds on the diazite, and then, whoever was in the aisle moved on. The insects above settled back down to a normal hum of activity.