Dynasty of Evil by Drew Karpyshyn Read Free Book Online Page A

are reluctant to let friends and family know of their interest in the dark side.”
    Dealing with Argel always left a sour taste in Bane’s mouth, but for this there was no one else he could turn to. The portly dealer was the sector’s leading procurer of banned Sith manuscripts; he had built a small fortune by discreetly seeking them out, purchasing them, and delivering them in person to his clients while keeping their names from ever being linked to the transaction.
    Of course most of his clients were nothing but collectors or Sith fetishists who simply longed to possess a work that had been officially banned by the Jedi Council. They had no real understanding of the dark side or its power. They bought and sold the manuscripts in blissful ignorance, unaware of what they were truly dealing with.
    This, more than anything, was what brought the bile to Bane’s throat each time he met with Argel. The man portrayed himself as an expert in the dark side. He bartered and traded the secrets of the ancient Sith like cheap rugs at an open-air bazaar. It galled Bane to think of what treasures had passed through his hands into the possession of those too weak and common to ever make use of them.
    He had occasionally fantasized about revealing his true identity to Argel, just to see his terrified reaction. Bane wanted to watch him grovel, begging for mercy at the feet of a real Sith. But petty revenge against an insignificant speck of a man was beneath him. Argel was useful, and so Bane would continue to play the part of a Sith-obsessed merchant.
    “I hope you were able to find what I was looking for,” he muttered. “The details you provided were rather vague.”
    “I promise you this, Sepp,” the other man replied with a cunning smile. “You will not be disappointed.
    “But you have no idea how hard this was,” Argel added, throwing in an exaggerated sigh. “What you’re after is illegal. Banned by the Jedi Council.”
    “Everything you deal in is banned by the Jedi Council.”
    “This was different. I’d never even heard the name Darth Andeddu before. None of my suppliers had. I had to go outside the normal channels. But I came through, like I always do in the end.”
    Bane scowled. “I trust you were careful. I wouldn’t want word of this to make its way back to the Jedi.”
    Argel laughed. “What’s the matter, Sepp? Some of your business practices not quite on the up-and-up? Afraid the Council will come after you for cheating on your taxes?”
    “Something like that.”
    “Don’t worry, nobody will ever know you were involved. I only brought it up because I may have to renegotiate our original price.”
    “We had a deal.”
    “Now, now—you know my initial quote is only an estimate,” Argel reminded him. “I had to outlay triple my normal expenses to track this particular item down.
    “But I’m willing to give you a bargain and only charge you double my original offer.”
    Bane gritted his teeth, knowing his hopes of a quick end to their conversation would remain unfulfilled. He had the funds to simply pay, of course. But this would arouse suspicion. He had a role to play: that of a savvy merchant. If he didn’t negotiate down to the last credit, it would seem strange.
    “I’ll give you a ten percent bonus. Nothing more.”
    For the next twenty minutes they haggled back and forth, finally settling on 40 percent above the starting price.
    “A pleasure doing business with you, as always,” Argel said once payment was agreed upon.
    From inside his vest he produced a long, thin tube roughly thirty centimeters long. The tube was sealed at one end, and the other was capped with a tightly screwed-on lid.
    “If the item proves unsatisfactory,” he noted as he handed it over, “I will be happy to take it back and return your funds … less a reasonable commission of course.”
    “I highly doubt that will be necessary,” Bane replied as he wrapped his fingers tightly around the tube.
    With the