Quiet Knives by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller Read Free Book Online Page B

too.
    "I'm a courier pilot," he said, keeping a
visible lid on most of his frustration; "not a big ship pilot. I
fly courier work, small traders, that kind of thing. I stay here,
in case I'm needed."
    She hesitated; he could almost taste her
weighing the question of the rest of the household's whereabouts
against his own actions. Questions regarding his actions won
out.
    "You went to the courier shed this
afternoon, is that correct?"
    "Yes," he said, a little snappish.
    "Why?" Getting a little snappish,
herself.
    "I had a 'beam from the Judge, with
instructions."
    "Instructions to lift?"
    "Yes."
    "And yet you didn't lift, Mr. Zar. I wonder
why not."
    He shrugged, taking it careful here. "There
was a guard on the door. It smelled wrong, so I went back to the
house and sent a 'beam to the Judge."
    "I see. Which guard?"
    He had no reason to protect the woman who'd
been waiting for him. On the other hand, he had no reason to tell
this woman the truth.
    "Nobody I'd seen before."
    She shook her head, but let that line go,
too. Time enough to ask the question again, later.
    "Once more, Mr. Zar--where is the High
Judge?"
    "I told you--on evaluation tour."
    "Where is Natesa the Assassin?"
    She was trying to throw him off. He gave an
irritable shrug. "How the hell do I know? You think a courier
assigns Judges?"
    "Hm. What was the destination of the lift
you did not make?"
    He shook his head. "High Judge's business,
ma'am. I'm not to disclose that without his say. If you want to
'beam him and get his OK...."
    She laughed, very softly, and leaned back in
her chair, sliding her dark glasses off and holding them lightly
between the first and middle fingers of her right hand. Her eyes
were large and pale gray, pupils shrinking to pinpoints in the dim
light.
    "You are good , Mr. Zar--my
compliments. Unfortunately, I think you are not quite the dull
fellow you play so well. We both know what happens next, I think?
Unless there is something you wish to tell me?"
    He waited, a beat, two....
    She shook her head--regretfully, he thought,
and extended a long hand to touch a button on her side of the
table. The door behind her slid open, admitting two men, one
carrying a case, the other a gun.
    The woman rose, languidly, and motioned them
forward. Kore felt his stomach tighten.
    "Mr. Zar has decided that a dose of the drug
is required to aid his memory, gentlemen. I'll be back in ten
minutes."
    * * *
    DON'T COME....
    Midj stared at the message, then
laughed--the first real laugh she had in--gods, a Standard.
    "Don't come," she snorted, leaning back in
the chair in the aftermath of her laugh. "Tell me another one,
Kore."
    Shaking her head, she got up, went down the
short hall to the galley and drew herself a cup of 'toot, black and
sweet.
    Sipping, she walked back to the pilot's
chamber and stood behind the chair, looking down at the message on
the screen.
    "Now, of all the things he
might've expected me to remember, wouldn't that have been one of
'em?" She asked her ship. There was no answer except for the smooth
hum of the air filtering system. But, then, what other answer was
needed? Skeedaddle knew Kore as well as she did.
    As well as she had .
    Twenty-six years ago, Midj Rolanni had been
taken up as trader by Amin Zar, and working beside the least of
Amin's sons, one Korelan, who also had a head for trade. Their
eighth or ninth stop, they were set to meet with one of the Zar
cousins, who was a merchant on the port. Taking orbit, they
collected their messages, including one from the cousin: "Don't
come."
    Amin Zar, he took a look at that message,
nodded, broke open the weapons locker and issued arms. They went
down on schedule, whereupon Amin and the elder sibs disembarked,
leaving Kore, Midj, and young Berta in care of the ship.
    Several hours later, they were back, Amin
carrying the cousin, and a few of the sibs bloodied--and Midj still
had bad dreams about the lift outta there.
    After it all calmed down, she'd asked Kore
why they'd gone in,