“So that’s it?” he says. “You’re not giving her another thought?”
“I just didn’t think you ever gave up on people you love, that’s all.”
“Hey, Ira! How’s it going? How’ve you been?”
“Uhm. Okay.” He pauses with an expression of what I take to be perpetual confusion. “Do I know you?”
“Absolutely,” March assures him. “We have no plans to leave the city.”
“Who’re you anyway?” he asks March.
Who flashes his saturnine smile. “I’m the guy who kills anyone that messes with the ambassador.”
There’s nothing like riding a Skimmer, even when it’s
this cold.
He sighs as if I’m mentally defective. “I’ll send someone.”
“By looking up my account information,” I say, as she leads us toward her workstation.
“Not a problem.” I let her zap me with her wand.
Ms. Kuyeidi bites her lip. Uh-oh. I know that look.
“Which means . . . ?” I don’t really need her to say it. I’m broke.
“Of course they do,” I mutter.
“So what now?” he asks, as we climb back on the Skimmer.
“Back to headquarters, I guess.”
“You think Tarn can help you?” he calls over the roaring wind.
Mouth compressed to a white line, he shakes his head. “Slim to none.”
I snort. “That’d take more than a bunged-up Skimmer, at this point.”