The Dark Lady

years,” said Heath.
    Peres shook his head. “He'll show up either today or tomorrow,” he said confidently.
    “What makes you think so?”
    “Because we transmitted a message over all our radio bands that she's being executed tomorrow night.”
    “Why should he believe you?” asked Heath.
    “No reason,” admitted Peres. “But I didn't send it. She did.” He paused. “In fact, the whole thing was her idea.”
    “She wants him to walk into a trap?”
    “Evidently,” said Peres. He couldn't hide a look of bewilderment. “Doesn't make much sense, does it?”
    “Not unless she thinks he can live through it,” agreed Heath.
    “Not a chance,” said Peres. “There must be a dozen bounty hunters stationed around the town. Word about Mallachi's killing went out, and they swarmed down on Acheron like locusts.” He sighed. “There's still ore to be mined here. I've got a feeling it's going to be a little harder to interest investors in Acheron after a couple of killings— the one we've had, and the one we're going to have.”
    “Perhaps you should try selling it as a tourist attraction, with monuments on the spots where Mallachi and his killer died,” suggested Heath. “In fact,” he added thoughtfully, “it's not inconceivable that the Kid will take a couple of bounty hunters with him and give you a couple of more monuments.”
    “Would you come all the way out here to see where a bunch of killers died?” asked Peres skeptically.
    “No,” admitted Heath. “But... ”
    “But what?”
    “But I abhor all forms of crime and violence. People without my scruples might very well be fascinated.”
    “Maybe,” said Peres without much conviction.
    There was a momentary silence, as each man finished his drink.
    “What will happen to the woman after this young man is killed?” asked Heath at last.
    “We'll let her go.”
    “I wonder if I might see her before we leave,” said Heath.
    “Why?” asked Peres suspiciously.
    “She lived with him,” replied Heath. “She might be able to tell me if he's got any heirs, and where I can find them. Also,” he added confidentially, “I'm curious to meet a woman who is so intent on summoning her lover to his death.”
    “How do I know the Kid didn't send you to help her escape?”
    “You can check my ship's flight log,” said Heath. “We've been in space for three weeks, and you tell me Mallachi was killed two weeks ago.”
    “I just don't know... ” said Peres meaningfully.
    “I'd be very grateful,” said Heath.
    “ How grateful?”
    Heath pulled out a billfold and counted out three hundred credits.
    “Is the alien coming too?” asked Peres.
    “Yes,” said Heath, adding two more fifty-credit notes to the pile of bills on the table.
    Peres stared at the money for a moment, then took it and stuffed it into a pocket.
    “Let's go,” he said, getting to his feet.
    I joined them as they walked to the door and up the ramp onto the hot, dusty street.
    “This way,” said Peres, turning to his left.
    We walked about fifty feet and stopped.
    “That's it,” he said, indicating a low light-colored structure. “It used to be an office building, but we haven't had any businesses here in close to twenty years, and we needed a jail, so we appropriated the place and rigged the doors and windows with an electronic force field.”
    I looked where he was pointing, and suddenly I saw her. Her features were in such exquisite proportion that she appeared beautiful even to a member of a different race. She was clad totally in black, her dark eyes seemed sad and brooding, her hair looked exactly as it had been portrayed in all the paintings and holograms. She stood motionless before a window, staring beyond us to the far end of the street.
    “I knew she existed!” exclaimed Heath.
    “Whoever said she didn't?” asked Peres, puzzled.
    “Oh, some art dealer who should have known better,” replied Heath with a smile.
    “By the way,” said Peres, pausing to light a small cigar, “I ought to warn you that she's not much of a talker. Any conversation you might have with her is likely to be pretty one-sided.”
    “That's quite all right,” said Heath, staring at her intently.
    “Well,” said Peres, stepping forward again. “We might as well get this over with.”
    Suddenly a door opened a few feet ahead of us, and a tall, burly, dark-skinned man emerged.
    “You'd better get off the street,” he said softly, his gaze fixed on a spot somewhere behind