‘Will you listen to the lady officer and her list of demands?' sneered Megenda, his expression vicious as he took another step into the room, and drew one hand back, ready to pound it into Yana's midsection.
Yana did not so much as bat an eyelid as she shifted to the side to take the blow with her braced forearms, at the same time balancing herself- somewhat wobbily - to deliver a karate kick. She firmly intended to deal her own blow to the big man where it would do him the most harm, even if her weakness caused her to fall on her ass afterwards. She was not about to let him kill her baby without a fight.
Neither was Marmion, who stepped determinedly between her and Megenda's fist. Yana relaxed, but remained watchful.
‘Touch any of them and you won't even get what I had already decided to give you,' Marmie said in a silky voice that carried both promise and threat.
Dinah swatted at Megenda's fist and he lowered it as she said, with just a touch more irritation and calculation in her own voice now, 'But Madame Algemeine, your people haven't responded to the ransom demands either.’
Marmion shrugged. 'Nor will they,' she said with a smile that was just the right side of smugness. 'You can't imagine that I would leave my organization vulnerable to this son of thing, can you?' A wave of her elegant hand dismissed the ship, the pirates and her situation. 'My people have orders to ignore extortions…’
‘Even when we start returning you to them a piece at a time?' asked Megenda with a leer.
Dinah O'Neill's voice was casual and professional as she replied. 'Naturally, I have counselled Captain Louchard that you should be returned undamaged, but he's getting a little put out by the delays.’
‘Gee, that's tough,' Bunny said.
This time, before Dinah could move, Megenda lashed out and knocked Bunny flat with a backhanded blow that spun her back against the bunk-frame. Roaring, Diego lunged at Megenda but Namid and Marmion caught him because the brawny crewman had his laser pistol aimed right at the boy's forehead.
‘My, the natives are restless,' Dinah said, with a sigh. 'I'm sorry but I can't restrain them…’
‘That's nonsense, Dinah, and you know it,' Namid said, as if the words had been forced out of him. 'What's the matter with you? Have you finally gotten so greedy you've lost your own survival instinct? You know damn good and well those men don't go to the head without your approval so stop this stupid game and tell them to quit beating innocent children or I'll - I'll’
‘You'll what, Namid?' she asked coldly. 'Leave me? A hollow threat, darling.’
‘This isn't about us - it's about what you call business,' Namid said, still struggling to hold Diego back. 'You used to pride yourself that you'd listen to reasonable arguments.’
‘And?' Dinah's expression dared him to present one.
‘I could have told you that people in Marmion's level of society have strictly adhered to an enforced no-ransom policy. Or don't you remember the case of the Amber Unicorn? Of those who were held for ransom, two died under torture begging their organizations to break through the restrictions put on them, to cut the red tape to save them, but the organizations were absolutely prohibited by law which tied up all the assets in legalities so that they couldn't be liquidated. The families pleaded and offered all sorts of personal assurances, but in the end the two captives died and no ransom was ever paid. The others suicided, apparently also by pre-arrangement. I suspect Marmion is prepared to take similar… measures… to ensure that her capture or death will profit no-one.' When Namid looked in her direction, Marmion nodded, a faint proud smile on her lips.
‘There's no way at all that any funds will be released before I am,' Marmion agreed. 'However, I am prepared to offer - let us call it "passage money" - for a safe return, and I'm quite willing to make the "fare" a substantial amount…' and she gracefully gestured to include everyone in the cabin, Namid too, 'but there is no way that my people will liquidate holdings on my signature,' - and she drawled the next few phrases in the most resolute of soft voices Yana had ever heard this formidable woman use - 'even if I had to hold the stylus with my teeth to sign.’
‘Damn that Fiske!' Dinah said in the first unrehearsed and spontaneous utterance Yana had heard from her so far. Somehow or other, Yana was not totally surprised to learn that Torkel was involved in this fiasco. 'He said this was a sure thing.’
‘And I thought you were cynical enough to realize there's no such commodity as a sure thing.' Namid regarded her sardonically. 'You didn't do enough homework on this batch of victims, Dinah. Maybe it's time you gave it up if you're getting careless.’
‘Well, I certainly wish you'd have told me all this sooner before I wasted so much time. That's it, isn't it?' she asked with a wounded expression, scanning the faces of her captives and her ex-husband. 'You were stalling for time! Oh, really! Just because you're in legitimate business instead of a marginalized one like us, you think our time is not as valuable as yours. I knew I should have stuck with cargo and not branched out into passengers but… But there is gold on that wretched ice-world,' she insisted, her fists clenching at her sides. 'There are gemstones, this is germaniun, gengesite…’
‘In small quantities,' Yana said. 'Just what sort of deposits were you shown?' she added, wonderingly.
Dinah O'Neill said nothing but kept eye contact with Yana, as if hoping to penetrate to the truth.
‘Have you ever been on the surface of Petaybee?' Yana asked.
A flicker in the privateer's eyes and a slight smile indicated that she had.
‘In the winter or what passes for summer there?' Yana said, keeping up the pressure.
‘Both.’
‘And just what did you report to Captain Louchard that has made him so determined to strip that poor world?’
For just a second O'Neill's eyes flickered again, doubtfully this time.
‘I'm sure you've heard this one before,' Yana began, taking a deep breath, 'but if you let us go, we will not press charges…' and she glanced at Marmion who nodded. Dinah's expression was contemptuous, Megenda's the epitome of cynical amusement. 'I really do think you've been misled. Something Satok was good at…’
‘He was Petaybean and he knew…"
‘He knew doodly,' Bunny said, still nursing her face with one hand while blood from the cut that Megenda's finger ring had made on her cheek trickled through her fingers. 'He hasn't been on the planet since he signed on to the Company and he got discharged from that right smart. He wasn't even very useful when he was growing up. He just talked big.’
Dinah smiled as she turned her eyes on Bunny, a sort of half-congratulatory smile that Bunny was spunky enough to contradict her.
‘You tell that Captain of yours that he won't get anywhere threatening Yana or Sean, or me or Diego here,' Bunny went on in a level voice. 'He wants to make a deal involving Petaybee, he comes to Petaybee and talks it over with the planet.’
‘Talks it over with the planet?' Namid's astonishment was complete and, open-mouthed, he looked from Bunny to Dinah and back again to Bunny.
Dinah gave her a pitying look. 'Talk to the planet?’