Sweet Starfire

lip. “I hope this was just a lone ship, t would hate to think of facing a large number of those blue monsters.”
    “The hatchling’s behavior when it emerged from the egg seemed entirely instinctive?”
    “Oh, yes. All it wanted to do was eat. I think there was some kind of homing device built into the shell. Probably designed to lead it back to the ship eventually. Who knows what’s stored in that ship? Perhaps the equivalent of an Archive. Perhaps once led back to the ship, the young would discover their heritage. I imagine Renaissance looked like paradise to whatever piloted them here.”
    “Well, it didn’t prove to be a paradise,” Desma observed coolly. “The machinery broke down and the hatchlings fell victim to the first intelligent predators who found them.”
    Cidra swallowed uncomfortably. “Don’t remind me. Do you have any idea what it’s like to know you’ve wiped out the five surviving members of an intelligent race?”
    “Don’t start feeling guilty. From what you’ve told me the first hatchling was going to eat Severance for lunch. Probably would have turned on you next.”
    Cidra nodded gloomily. “You know, it was strange, Desma. There’s no sense of alienness about the Ghosts. They’re different from us and we’re fascinated by them, but we’re more or less comfortable with the idea that they belonged in this system. It wasn’t the same with the blue creatures. They felt wrong, somehow. I hated that hatchling on sight.”
    “Small wonder. You’ve still got your primitive human instincts, Cidra, even if you have been reared in Clementia. I’m sure those instincts were working at full strength when you saw the egg crack. Your primary reaction was to protect Severance.”
    “And a brilliant reaction it was too,” declared a new voice. Cidra glanced up in surprise as Severance grabbed a vacant chair, shoved it near hers, and sank down onto it in his usual sprawl. He looked extraordinarily pleased with himself. He signaled for a mug of Renaissance Rose ale and leaned back to smile smugly at the two women.
    “I take it,” Desma said, “that you have concluded a successful negotiating session?”
    “Right. And you’ll be happy to know that your firm coughed up the necessary credit to get first crack at the ship.”
    Desma’s eyes gleamed. “Fantastic. Who got the safehold?”
    “Vinton Archaeology.”
    Demsa nodded. “They’ll do a first-class job. When do you show them their new finds?”
    “We leave at dawn tomorrow. It’s a big event. Four skimmers and two research crews. After I’ve helped them locate the safehold and the ship, I’m going to take one of the skimmers on up the river to the ExcellEx camp. I’ve still got those reeting sensors to deliver. You don’t mind if Cidra stays with you for a few days?”
    “Of course not.”
    “She’ll be returning to Lovelady on the next commercial freighter. But it doesn’t leave until the end of the week.”
    Cidra cut savagely into another tuber. “How much, Severance?”
    He gave her a sidelong glance. “How much what?”
    “Credit. How much did you get in exchange for the locations of the safehold and the ship?” She didn’t look at him. Her whole attention was on her meal.
    “Five hundred thousand.”
    Cidra nearly dropped her knife. “Five hundred thousand? Sweet Harmony, that’s a fortune.”
    “I know.” The ale arrived, and Severance took a healthy swallow. His eyes were glittering over the rim. “A very nice stake.”
    “Five hundred thousand.” Desma’s tone was awed. “Congratulations, Severance.”
    “I’ll want a recorded contract for my share, naturally,” Cidra said. “Two hundred and fifty thousand.”
    Severance set down his mug with great care. “I beg your pardon?”
    “You heard me.” She continued eating the remains of the tuber. “I’ll want a contract. Properly sealed and recorded. And I’ll want it before you leave tomorrow morning. We’d better find a contract office tonight.”
    Severance’s gray eyes slitted. “Why do you want a recorded contract?”
    “You know the answer to that. Remember all those games of Free Market, Severance? The one lesson you drilled into me was that you can’t trust a Wolf. Always count the cubes before you start play. In the case of a two-way split of five hundred thousand, I’ll want to get it on tape and get it recorded.”
    The frozen silence at the table was broken only by die sound of Cidra continuing to eat the tuber.