Sweet Starfire

impatient.”
    “I’ll just bet they are,” Severance murmured. “You’ve missed twice so far. What makes you think you’re going to have any more luck this time around?”
    “In case you haven’t noticed, Severance, my luck is running very high today. Thanks to some advance planning.” Racer spoke over his shoulder to Overcash. “Is the skimmer I brought ready?”
    “All set. I’ll take the deflectors.”
    “No, we’ll leave those behind along with the tents. The screens have already been used all night, haven’t they?”
    “Sure, but…”
    “Then they haven’t got more than a few hours’ charge left. Without the skimmer’s fuel cells there’s no way to recharge them.”

    “What are you going to do with the skimmer I brought?” Overcash demanded.

    “It’s going to be in a severe accident. And that’s what this whole scene will look like in a couple of days. An unfortunate, but not untypical, Renaissance river accident. Skimmer sinks and the crew is left on shore with failing equipment. By the time another skimmer heads up this far, there won’t be much left. Renaissance will see to that for us.”
    “You’re a fool, Racer,” Severance said wearily.
    Overcash moved uneasily, his hard face knotting into a frown. “I don’t know, Racer. Might be better to make sure of ‘em before we leave.”
    Racer shook his head. ‘Too much chance another skimmer will be along in a couple of days. If we use the pulser, there’ll be evidence. I’ve heard too much lately about that renegade named Quench who runs ExcellEx. He’s trying to build a reputation as a company owner who looks after his own. If he hears that his handpicked mail pilot got shot trying to deliver the sensors, he’ll demand an investigation. And he’s getting big enough to force one. Hell, he’ll pay for it out of his own pocket if he gets really mad. No, this has to look like an accident.” A terrifying screech sounded from the jungle followed by a bitten-off scream. Racer smiled. “Come on, Overcash. We’re not leaving anything to chance. No one spends a night in a Renaissance jungle without equipment and lives to tell about it. Everything will be over by morning.”
    Overcash looked unconvinced, but he obviously wasn’t going to argue. He turned and jumped on board the second skimmer and made ready to loosen the moorings. Twin dracon eyes emerged briefly in the river as if curious. They disappeared again with barely a ripple.
    Severance studied Racer as if he were looking at the man through a microscope and didn’t like, what he saw. “Think it will work this time?”
    “It’ll work,” Racer said roughly.
    “Maybe. Maybe not.” Severance gave every appearance of being only mildly interested.
    “Tell you what,” Racer said, glancing at Cidra, who was still standing motionless in front of the tent. “I’ll do you a favor. I’ll take Cidra with me.”
    Cidra started, growing cold inside. “No.”
    Severance was watching Racer. “And do what? Throw her in the river when you’ve finished with her? She might as well stay with me.”
    Racer grinned, sensing that for the first time he had a handle on the situation. He seized it, motioning at Cidra with the pulser. “Get on board the skimmer, Cidra. You don’t want to stay behind. Something in this jungle is going to have your shipmaster for dinner tonight, and you’ll be dessert if you’re hanging around.”
    “No,” Cidra said again. She looked to Severance for some support, but he was quiet, almost thoughtful. “I’m staying here.”
    “She’s a Harmonic, Racer. If the right people find out you’ve hurt her, there’ll be a reckoning. You know that.”
    “I might not have to get rid of her,” Racer temporized, “if she has the sense to keep her mouth shut. Do you, Otanna?” He made the formal title a mockery.
    “I don’t understand.” Cidra’s tone was aloof, but her heart was beating much too quickly, and the palms of her hands, folded serenely in front of her, were damp. This was as bad as facing the intruder in the lab had been.
    “Sure, you understand. Harmonics are real good at understanding, aren’t they? They’re also real good at keeping their promises. I’m going to take you with me. At the end of the trip you’ll have a choice. Give me your word as a Harmonic that you’ll keep quiet about what happened here this morning and I’ll put you on the next freighter to Clementia. Refuse and I’ll feed you to a