Moonbeams and magic by Janelle Taylor Read Free Book Online Page B

She opened her eyes, took a deep breath, stepped onto the sensor pad, and told Cypher she was ready to depart. "Wish me luck."
    The android did just before her presence shimmered and vanished. He checked the scanners to make certain she reached her destination without discovery. He remained in

    the transporter room to be ready to retrieve her in a hurry if necessary, monitoring her words via a device in a neck ring of plantinien and fake jewels. He did not Hke to depend upon the wrist and neck devices to stay in contact with and to monitor her, since they could be removed or broken. Until this mission, a tiny unit had been implanted under the skin of her right forearm, one which had to be removed because of the shapeshifting process. It was at times like this that his emotions chip was a disadvantage, because it permitted him to experience worry.
    In her Yana form, Staria left the women's chamber and strolled into the large dome, the exterior of which, with its strange shape and many openings, resembled a skull. It was filled with people from many worids and reverberated with a variety of noises: voices, laughter, music, and the clatter of glasses. She walked to the long bar and ordered a drink.
    The owner smiled. "Haven't seen you for a while, Yana. It's good to have you back; you give this place a glow with your beauty."
    "Your tongue is smooth and your words are pleasing to hear, Radu. I have been in my abode; I was in need for a few deegas' rest and quiet."
    As he drew her drink from one of the large kegs in a row on the wall, he said, "I was afraid you had started visiting another location."
    Yana's gaze drifted over the rotund alien with gray hair and eyes, a Ceyxan of at least sixty yings. His rippled forehead and the countless solid gray circles on his pale skin, were traits of those of his race of a certain age. He was always genial to her and to most of his customers. One of a few men who did not have a criminal past, she could not imagine why he would want to live in Tochara and serve such evil. "There is no place in the settlement as nice as yours, Radu. The others are too rough and crowded for a

    gentle woman of my tastes. The Skull's Den is clean and safe and serves the best quality drinks and refreshments."
    Radu pushed the plantinien chip back to her "Those words and your adornment of my place earned you a free drink."
    "You are a kind and generous man, a good friend. Thank you."
    After the owner excused himself to serve others, Yana turned and glanced around the location that was separated into three areas. In one, games of various types were being played and enjoyed. In another, a few pairs danced, some of them doing little more than rubbing their bodies together in time to the music. Men outnumbered women; and most females present were either visitors to Tochara, or were mates or lovers of villites who lived in the settlement. When Pleasure Givers were not sating men's desires—which was rare—they served drinks for Radu. But most customers had to go to the bar for their needs, where two men assisted the owner. The third area was for drinkers and talkers, her location.
    Yana recognized familiar faces, whether or not she knew their names and foul deeds. Many of them sold stolen goods to Tochar and paid him a yearly fee for the privilege of existing in this rugged haven; others were buyers of those goods or had stopped by for rest and diversions. She didn't see any of the leader's thirty Enforcers and assumed they were on guard at the defense sites and water sources or patrolling the settlement. Nor did she see Auken, Sach, or Moig and surmised they were secluded with Pleasure Givers on the next level. She had learned that a few of those desire-saters were males who dressed and looked like females, as some men preferred that type of erotic satisfaction. Also on the upper level were small chambers where patrons could indulge in various drugs, alone or with a partner. Virtual reality devices were located