The Wind After Time: Book One of the Shadow Warrior Trilogy (13 page)

“I am Candia Hsui,” the woman said. “One-half of the Null-G Duo. I’m afraid, the way I feel at present, I may be all of the troupe. Damn Megaris, anyway!”

“Your partner?”

“At the moment. What a shit! You have no idea, Joshua, what it is like to look for a dance partner. I don’t care that they’re always boy-crazy or that they have the courage of bush babies.

“What I just said is a lie, but I try to be content with what Allah wills. None of them seems to think they have to be strong. I’ve spent more time in clinics getting patched up because some wavy boy dropped me than anything else.” Joshua realized she was babbling, a little shocky from the blow and the blood.

“Shows what happens,” he said, trying a mild joke, “when you take your job home with you. You should’ve left him at the office.”

Candia giggled suddenly. “You have humor in you,” she said. “That is good. That is better than Elois or most of the men I generally choose.”

“Elois is — was, rather — your companion by law?”

“Choice only. I would never contract with anyone. Love does not live as long as lawyers.”

“You have humor, too,” Joshua said.

“I think you must,” Candia said, “especially when you are as long from home as I am. Here. This is my lifter.”

It was a sleek black-silver sporter. She touched the lock, and the bubble opened.

“Let me ask you something,” Joshua said. “Where are you going?”

“Why — ” Candia broke off. “I was going to say back to my apartments. Which I share — shared with Elois. I do not think I am thinking clearly.

“Hell! What a pain that will be. I’ll have to get my cases tomorrow and no doubt have to put up with another session from the bastard. Although he never struck me but once before.”

“If you want to pick them up now, I’ll ride along,” Joshua said, wondering why his tongue was behaving so foolishly. “I’ll help you get a room at whatever hotel you choose. If you’re short on a payday …” He let the suggestion trail into silence.

“No. Money is not something I am short of, but rather common sense. Get in. Let us go, get my things, and be gone before Elois finishes getting his arm sewn up or plassed or whatever they’ll do to him.”

Joshua went to the other side of the lifter and clambered in. Candia touched buttons, and the bubble closed, the drive started, and the vehicle lifted off the ground.

The lifter went through the resort streets swiftly, past the still-raucous bars and restaurants, then into the hills, past the dark, blank-faced palaces of Trinité’s elite. She drove the winding roads fast, skillfully.

“What was it you did to Elois? I thought I saw a knife, but it was black.”

“It was a knife. Of sorts. I’m sorry I had to use it. Usually there’s an easier way.”

“Pah! I hope the pigfutterer bleeds to death!”

Elois’s “apartments” were a rather luxurious town house atop one of Morne-des-Esses’s peaks.

Wolfe looked at it. “Quite a place. What does Elois do to pay for it?”

“Some of this, some of that. Mostly smuggle. Nothing seamy, he swore. Just papers that are worth money on other worlds that people wish to have in other places without handling them themselves. I should have known what he was, seeing his bullies always about him.” She shrugged. “At least he was fun for a while.”

Candia touched the lock, swore when nothing happened. “He already took my porepattern from the lock! Now I will have to come back and listen to his bullshit!”

“Maybe not.”

Joshua touched the tips of his fingers to the sides of the lock and
listened.
The lock clicked, and the door swung open. Candia looked at him in astonishment.

“How did you do that? Elois said this lock was unbreakable! In his trade having a safe place is very important.”

“Perhaps he should complain to the manufacturer,” Joshua suggested.

• • •

Candia’s possessions were indeed no more than three cases. Joshua lifted the last of them into the baggage area of the lifter, slammed the lid closed, and got in the vehicle.

Candia climbed into the driver’s seat. “Now, what hotel would you recommend, my fearless paladin?”

“One with two big doormen,” Joshua suggested. “Elois looks like the type who doesn’t take no for an easy answer.”

“Probably not,” the woman sighed. “In which event I shall have the law take him by the balls and pull hard. Let me think. Perhaps the Diamant Novotel?” She looked at him in a curious manner.

“You know Diamant better than I do,” Wolfe said. “I’ve only been onplanet a day.”

“We’ll go there,” Candia said, giving him the strange look once more.

• • •

There were two doormen at the Novotel even at that late hour, and both of them were very large. They hurried out as the lifter slipped up the drive.

“There is an advantage to an expensive toy like this,” Candia said. “People scrape and bow when they see you come. I could be an ax murderer and no one would notice.” She sighed. “What a bother it will be giving it back to Elois.”

The bubble opened, and the two men bowed Candia and Joshua out, then picked up her luggage.

“I’ll wait until you sign in,” he said, “then let you sort things out in peace.”

“You know,” she murmured, “I am starting to believe you might truly be
sans peur et sans reproche.
”

“Don’t put big money on that,” Joshua said. “Unless you change
reproche
to
raison.
But thanks for the compliment. Why?”

The doormen withdrew discreetly out of hearing.

“You never suggested that a good place to stay might be your hotel and the safest place of all would be your room and your bed. I’ve not known many men who wouldn’t try to take such advantage.”

“But I’m not staying in a hotel.”

“Your villa, then.”

“Nor there.”

Candia glared at him. “I do not know whether to stamp my foot, hit you, or laugh. Very well, then, Joshua Wolfe. Where are you staying?

“My ship’s moored in the harbor. The
Grayle.
”

“Thank you, Joshua. Perhaps your chivalry will be rewarded. We shall see.” She came close, stood on tiptoe, kissed Wolfe on the lips, and went into the hotel without looking back.

Joshua stood, bemused, still feeling that butterfly touch. He realized one of the doormen was grinning at him.

Wolfe licked his lips, tasted something like jasmine, and went down the hill to the harbor.

There were two scribed messages on the com when Joshua awoke:

and:

Joshua looked at them and grimaced. “So the tiger gets his innings first.” He yawned and went to the workout room.

• • •

Falster Samothrake was the bullet-headed man Joshua had taken for a security thug.

“Mister Wolfe,” he said in a flat voice, expressionless. “Please sit down.”

Joshua obeyed. “I suppose I owe you an apology,” he said.

“No. I’ve never minded being thought stupid. You should know what an excellent tool that becomes.”

“I’ve been told that.”

“You made quite a stir in my casino last night,” Samothrake said.

“I didn’t figure that you’d want one of your performers messed up.”

“We have security for problems like that.”

“I didn’t see any around. So I did what I thought was necessary.”

“Wouldn’t you say you might have been a little excessive? There are three men in the hospital this morning. One will need extensive plastic surgery before he’ll be happy looking at his face in the morning, the second has a shattered humerus, and the third will probably lose about thirty percent of the use of his hand.”

“They brought the guns to the party,” Joshua said. “What do you propose to do about what happened?”

“I wasn’t sure, which was why I asked you to come here. I decided if you failed to show up, then my course of action would be clear. But you did.

“Mister Wolfe, I now plan to do exactly nothing. Let me explain, so you may choose to regulate your actions here on Trinité accordingly.

“First is I watched your baccarat dealings yesterday. Very professional, sir. I like having a freelance such as yourself at my tables. It encourages others to play against you, since all wish to tear down the master, and every time the fools bet, the house takes its percentage.

“Second is that I’m familiar with Mister Elois. He is, to put it bluntly, an arrogant pain in the ass. He’s been a problem here before. Perhaps, when and if his hand heals, he will moderate his behavior, although I doubt it.

“Third is I intensely disliked his involvement with Miss Hsui. I would never dream of intervening in one of our performers’ personal lives, but I am most content when
they
are and I knew that to be unlikely with anyone who chooses to company Mister Elois.

“The fourth reason is the most significant, however. You have important friends.”

Joshua raised an eyebrow.

“I refer to the Hofeis. They were happy to tell me just what happened outside the casino last night and wished to make certain I didn’t get any incorrect ideas. Since they are the principal owners of Thule Investments, which owns twelve points in this casino, I was, of course, most interested in what they had to say.”

“The Hofeis?” Joshua was incredulous.

“Indeed. They prefer to travel without fanfare, and their tastes tend toward the commonplace. Perhaps that is why Thule Investments is so successful. I truly believe the Hofeis could almost buy this world if they wished.

“You still appear astonished at who your friends turned out to be, which is another clue I chose the right course to take, since I loathe a gold digger.”

“Thanks,” Joshua said. “But what about the Diamant police?”

“They see and know what certain people in this city, of which I am one, wish them to. No more, no less.

“One other, minor point. You asked me about someone named Edet Sutro. Might I inquire as to your interest? I must add that if you’re planning anything with him such as occurred last night, you will be in serious jeopardy. Mister Sutro is one of the most honored citizens of Diamant and a valued patron of this establishment.”

“Not at all,” Wolfe reassured him. “Before I decided to visit Trinité, I discussed matters with some of my colleagues, particularly as to men they knew on this world who might be fond of some exclusive action. He was but one of the names given me.”

“Exclusive action.” Samothrake mused. “That would mean, to a man in your evident profession, someone who likes a high-stakes game and isn’t that quick at calculating the odds.”

Wolfe inclined his head, said nothing.

“I’ll give you this, Mister Wolfe. Your friends advised you poorly. Mister Sutro is quite a capable sportsman. I can attest to that by personal experience.”

“Thank you for the information. While not questioning your word, I’m well aware each shepherd prefers to have his own flock to shear.”

The two men exchanged wintery smiles.

“Feel free to test the truth of what I said when Mister Sutro returns to Trinité.” Samothrake rose. “Now, I’m afraid I have problems more complicated than yours. Thank you for coming to see me, Mister Wolfe. Please feel free to continue using our facilities, although I will caution you that the next set of unusual events may be seen in a less forgiving light.”

• • •

The
Dolphin
cut its drive, and Thetis tossed a line around a mooring cleat on the
Grayle
’s loading platform. Her only passenger was Candia, who wore a translucent wrap of swirling colors, sandals, and a beach hat. It was exactly one.

“Good afternoon, my brave knight,” she said. “You look rested.”

“Candia. Thetis.”

The girl’s greeting was a bit clipped, and she turned away, busying herself with a rag on the instrument panel’s brasswork.

“Shall we be on our way?” Candia asked. “I have all that could be desired by the hungriest dragon slayer.” She indicated a large cooler behind her seat.

“I didn’t know what you’d planned,” Joshua said. “Am I dressed appropriately?”

Candia eyed his sleeveless cotton vest, shorts, and ankle-strapped sandals.

“You are perfect. Now get in.”

• • •

The
Dolphin
nosed into the beach and grounded with a slight scrape. Joshua leapt over the side. The water was cool, perfectly clear. Candia struggled with the heavy cooler, and Joshua took it from her, waded to the islet’s beach, and came back to help her out of the boat. Candia had a small mesh bag in her hand.

“I’ll be back when you told me to, Miss Hsui,” Thetis said. “I hope you two have fun.”

Without waiting for a response, she moved controls, and water frothed as the
Dolphin
backed off the beach, turned, and headed back toward Morne-des-Esses.

“That one does not like me,” Candia said.

“Why not?”

“Because she sees me as a rival.”

Joshua blinked. “But she’s just a kid.”

“I know some men who would think that an attraction,” Candia said. “And what if she is? When you were young, didn’t you ever wildly love someone who did not know you even breathed?”

Joshua’s face softened. “Yes,” he remembered. “She was nineteen. I was sixteen. She was the daughter of the Federation secretary of state.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing. I was trying to get courage enough to ask her to my academy’s formal ball. Of course she would have laughed. She was a very cool one with an eye for the main chance, and my parents were vastly outranked by those of the boys who usually came calling. But I was lucky, and my father was transferred to a new post, off Earth, so my heart was only chipped a little bit around the edges.”