Sweet Starfire

got enough credit to her name to buy a man his own mail ship. If I were you, I wouldn’t wait too long to get back to her, or somebody else will take on the job of keeping her around.’’
    ‘’Cidra’s not naïve enough to fall for some fast talking , renegades line of torla manure.’’ Severence swallowed his ale and hoped to hell he was right.
    ‘’ I don’t know.’’ The other man offered ,’’It’s hard to figure women.’’
    Severence thought about that. He had figured Cidra out almost completely. But he needed her to be sure of herself and she hadn’t the time and the distance to do that. She had been through too much , too quickly , thanks to him. H owed it to her to give hger time and the peacefulness of Clementia in which to make her decision.
    ‘’Hey.’’ Said one of the holotape technicians. ‘’I bought along a Free Market playing field.. Anyone interested.’’
    Severence smiled. ‘’I just happen to have a set of cubes on me.’’
    As he crawled into a lonely sleeper that night Severence was aware of the same sense of heroic martyrdom he had experienced on board ship when he’d managed to refrain from seducing Cidra. He had discovered then that the feeling wasn’t much compensation for denying himself her warm , sweetly willing body. Tonight he decided that heroic martyrdom did’nt improve with practice.
    Fear gnawed at him as he lay staring at the curved ceiling of the tent. What if she was drawn back in to the safe ,secure world of Clementia? He was taking such a stupid tisk by sending her back home.
    But he had to be sure of her.

Chapter Nineteen

    ‘’I’m scared Desma. That’s what the problem is.’’Cidra gazed morosely into her half empty mug of ale.Around her the patrons of the Bloodsuker went about the business of enjoying themselves amid a canopy of smoke and the occasional clatter of Free Market cubes. A big commercial freighter had arrived in port today, and the normal tavern crowd was augumented by the shipload of newcomers. The freighter was due to leave the following afternoon, and Cidra was scheduled to be on it.

    Desma eyed her friend with affection. Cidra was wearing her early evening gown, and her hair was done in its traditional neat coil of braids. Cidra was her old elegant self this evening, except in one thing. She was on her third mug of Renaissance Rose Ale. Desma found the process of watching Cidra drink interesting. Desma kept waiting for the effects to show. Surely the fine manners and the gentlelike grace would start disintegrating at any moment. The fact that neither had faded so far only went to show how strong a force good breeding could be. Desma was fascinated.

    “If you’re really scared, Cidra, you’re certainly using a traditional means of overcoming the fear.”
    Cidra gazed at her mug. “Severance likes this stuff.”
    “I know.”
    “He should have been back yesterday, Desma. He said he’d be back in three days. This is the fourth day.”
    Desma sighed. “I realize that. Renaissance has a way of making folks change their plans in the field. You know he’s all right. He checked in with Security this morning. He’s not in trouble, Cidra.”
    “He’s deliberately delaying his return so he can avoid having to see me again before I leave.”
    “You’re getting paranoid.”
    Cidra considered that. “Do you think so? Harmonics never get paranoid. Everybody likes Harmonics. No reason to be paranoid. But I’m not a Harmonic. So it’s okay for me to be paranoid.”
    “That’s a wonderful string of logic. Have some more ale.”
    “Thank you,” Cidra said with grave politeness. “I will.” She sipped reflectively and then said with an air of great insight, “He’s a loner. That’s the real problem. I think he likes me, but he’s basically a loner. He doesn’t want to allow anyone, especially a woman, into his life on a permanent basis. The cabin of a mail ship is very small, you know.”
    “I know. But the two of you got here from Lovelady without murdering each other.”
    “And now he’s sending me away.”
    “He’s the one who’s scared, Cidra. He knows he can’t offer you the things you’ll have if you go back to Clementia.”
    “Hah. Severance could have used that excuse before he negotiated five hundred thousand in credit for the safehold and the alien ship. It won’t wash now. He’s rich.”
    Desma’s mouth curved wryly. “Don’t forget he’s only got two hundred and fifty