‘Fiske, you two-timing maggoty imbecile. You set me up.’
‘I don't believe I've had the honour,' Torkel said in his stiffest military manner.
‘This is Louchard speaking, Onidi Louchard. Ring a bell?’
No wonder the pirate sent Dinah O'Neill to negotiate for him! She was a damned sight easier to look at and more discreet as well. She'd know better than to try to contact clients in their own homes. This was a definite breach of professional etiquette and he didn't intend to stand for it.
‘Not here, it damn sure doesn't. I'm ending this trans’
‘I. Would. Not.' The Aurelian said, and Torkel remembered that the pirate was reputed to have an efficient complement of skilled assassins who 'eliminated' those dissatisfied with Louchardian arrangements. 'Now listen to me, Fiske. You completely neglected to mention the Gentlepersons' Agreement regarding abductions when you suggested I kidnap the Algemeine woman. You knew that ransoms are never paid by people of that ilk…’
‘Your emissary', and Torkel managed a sneer,' should have been aware of it, since the Agreement's a long-standing one. So that's your error, not mine! I'm ending now.’
‘No, you're not. You would scarcely care to entertain a visit from my termination specialists, now would you? And you will, unless you see to it that we're compensated for our trouble in her case.’
‘Compensation is your business, not mine. Why should I pay for her return?’
The pirate did something most unusual with his head, eyes and tentacles that made Torkel's stomach heave and the noise it made was even more ghastly. Aurelian laughter? Then Louchard said, 'There's also the matter of Colonel Maddock-Shongili. She says…’
‘I don't care what she says. I was led to believe you were competent at what you do. Obviously I was misinformed. If you can't get your ransoms, then kill both of them for all I care. If you were as professional as you were said to be, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Out.’
And he clicked the corn-control with great satisfaction, feeling that he'd definitely had the best of that exchange. The best of that bitch, Yanaba Maddock! And nothing to link him with her demise.
Matthew Luzon received the call from the Aurelian as he was engaged in assisting with the enlightenment of the people of Potala, who had, before Company renovations, been so wasteful as to have nearly seventy per cent of their populace serving as celibate clerics. Potala had set up a theocracy until the Company put a stop to it, reminding the little planet that, while it might believe that killing animals was wrong and certain places were sacred, the planet was, in fact, entirely and in all respects the property of Intergal. Fortunately, so far, Potala had showed no outward inclination to join in personally on the side of its inhabitants, despite the claims of certain tenets of their religion.
Matthew was busily reinterpreting those tenets when his comunit signalled for his attention on the Company's priority channel. A hideous Aurelian face and waving tentacles filled the screen.
‘Luzon, you've been cutting in on enterprises that were guaranteed to us as part of our deal with you and Fiske.’
‘And who might you be, brother?' Luzon asked.
‘I am Louchard, Captain of the Pirate Jenny. I have taken receipt of certain live cargo whose possession was supposed to guarantee me the right to exploit the assets of the world known as Petaybee, formerly an Intergal installation.’
‘Ah, and how is the good Colonel Maddock?’
Louchard paused to indulge in a deep and nasty chuckle. 'As you wished, her days are numbered. As to those associates of yours from the Asian Esoteric and Exotic Company, were you aware that they have denuded vast areas of resources that should be used for her ransom? Really, Doctor Luzon, that was not well done. Tsck, tsck. I am not at all pleased to learn that you enticed other companies and individuals to move in where I believed I had been guaranteed a monopoly on such resources, poor and insufficient as they appear to be.' Louchard chidingly waggled lateral tentacles. 'Not the way to play the game with Captain Louchard, I assure you.’
‘My dear Captain, I implied nothing. Your dealings, I believe, were with Captain Fiske. Any disparity in what you were promised and what you eventually obtain should be discussed with him.’
‘You will not attempt to confuse the issue, Luzon. I have spoken to Fiske. He says you encouraged him to employ me to… entertain Colonel Maddock and Madame Algemeine, misleading both him and myself as to their actual value in order to indulge a personal grudge.’
‘I deny that. There was never any personal feeling of animosity towards either lady on my part, despite the physical and professional injuries they caused me.
I have simply been using rather unorthodox contacts to force an issue on which I feel the Company has prematurely relinquished their rights. You understand, dear Captain, that the harvesters from the Asian Esoteric and Exotic Company, the shuttle service and other fruits of the publicity I have arranged for Terraform B have simply been in the nature of covering my bets, you might say, in case you failed, as you obviously have.’
‘That's a double-cross in my book, Luzon. I'm going to have to dispose of my passengers.’
No more interfering Algemeine? No more self-righteous Yanaba Maddock? Matthew couldn't conceal his smile as he said, 'You must do as you see fit, Captain.’
Ending the transmission, Yana switched off the shuttle's comunit and the holo-image of Louchard. Sean had stationed himself with the other witnesses beyond the viewfield of the screen and now stepped forward. He put his hand on her shoulder, then leaned down to gently kiss her cheek. Marmion Algemeine and Farringer Ball, only just graduated from the hover-chair, looked extremely grim. Even Dr von Clough appeared vastly upset.
Whittaker Fiske, whom Johnny Greene had summoned from Intergal Station to witness the transmission, was terribly shaken. Clodagh, uncomfortable in the shuttle's space-conserving seat, sat between Whit and Farringer Ball. She handed Whit a square of cloth and he mopped his eyes and blew his nose before speaking in a choked voice.
‘I knew Torkel was wrong-headed about Petaybee and had a grudge against Yana, but I would never have believed this of him if I hadn't heard it for myself.' He turned tormented eyes to Clodagh. 'I wish the planet had done to him what it did to those pirates and Metaxos before he debased himself in this fashion. Deliberately contacting a pirate to abduct all of you!' Whittaker shook his head, unable to look the victims in the eye as he waved at the empty comscreen.
Clodagh patted his hand. 'Your son's been a grown man for years, Whit. You can only raise 'em, not straitjacket them. As far as his initiation to Petaybee, Sean and I shielded you both then because we didn't want you to be blasted like those others. We were wrong, I guess, but we knew you were off-worlders and you didn't understand. We wanted you to have as gentle a conversion as possible so you'd understand how it could be. We didn't want you, or him, to get culled. We should have just let Petaybee sort him out.’
‘I guess so,' Whit said. 'Though that should have been my responsibility. I should have pulled Torkel up about some of his earlier escapades. If he hadn't got away with them he'd never have tried something of this magnitude. But I felt there was good stuff in the boy. I never thought…' He sighed, resigned, his normal ebullience dead.
The others were quiet for a moment, then there was a knock at the open hatch and Adak stood there with Faber Nike.