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peculiar laws; and, come to consideration, it was much easier to picture Anne cutting Er Thom's hair. Not, he
assured himself, with an amused glance at his reflection, that one's cha'leket was ever less than impeccably
barbered.
"Very fine, Your Lordship," he told himself, gesturing fluidly with a hand that glittered silver-and-blue. He moved
his head, sending the earring swinging and felt the weight of his hair slide across his shoulder.
"I don't think I shall cut it," he said, giving his reflection serious attention. He shook the lace cuffs out, brushed a
possibly imaginary speck of dust from the soft black trousers and stepped back, making his bow with a bite of irony.
"Have a pleasant evening, sir. And do try to value Pilot tel'Izak as you ought."
Master dea'Cort had said they might sleep in the pilot's dorm off the aux supply room. Accordingly, they had pushed
two cots together, arranged blankets and pillows and discovered that they were neither sleepy nor in the mood for
sport.
"Walk?" Yolan asked, running her hands through her hair and standing it all on end, so she looked like a
Yolan-sized dandyweed. "I'm all over twitches."
"Me, too," Sed Ric admitted. He dug around in his pouch and brought out their carefully hoarded wages. Master
dea'Cort paid generous for grunt-work, though not quite enough to make a four-dex loss into a nothing. Sed Ric
counted the ready and looked up with a sidewise grin.
"Buy us an ice?"
Yolan laughed. "Why not?"
They went out through the main garage, cutting past Master dea'Cort's office.
The old Scout was sitting at his desk, head bent over a eo bound book, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. Sed
Ric looked at Yolan. Yolan cleared her throat.
"Out Port-running, is it?" Jon asked, without bothering to lift his head. "Give Pilot Caylon joy, to find the two of you
turned up dead."
Yolan bit her lip. "We're only gone for an ice, Master. If you think the pilot won't like it "
He did lift his head, then, and considered them out of bland amber eyes. "Young things," he said after a moment, and
waved a broad hand. "Go on and have your sweet Watch yourselves, that's all. I don't want to be the one to explain a
tragedy to the pilot."
"No, Master," Sed Ric said, jerking his head at Yolan. "We just thought to step around to the East Selling."
"We'll be careful," Yolan put in. "Of course we will."
"All right," said Jon, and went back to his book.
Yolan and Sed Ric faded back out of the office and made their way across the garage, through the crew door. Outside,
they went left, aiming to cut a diagonal course across Binjali's Yard and use the utility gate at the eastern corner.
From the gate to the East Selling was a matter of two short blocks, and an ice vendor was among the first of the
kiosks encountered.
"Think the pilot will be needing crew, when she takes herself off-world?" Yolan voice was too casual, as it was when
she wanted to pretend that a burning question was of no moment.
Sed Ric sighed. "Not much crew room on a Class A Jump," he commented. "Her and the captain'll run things snug
between 'em."
"Likely," Yolan allowed and they walked silent awhile, down the long corridor of ships asleep on their cold-pads in
the Port's early evening.
"Maybe they'll take us," Yolan said and it was desperation in her voice.
Sed Ric stopped and looked at her. "Take us where?"
"Offworld," she said and reached for his hand. "Someplace where they don't mind what's our family or how close
we stand cousins. They might take us the pilot would, I'll wager."
"Yes, and her partner's cut from whip-leather."
"Maybe not," she said, clutching his hand feverishly. "Maybe not so much. Who fed us, after all? And the counter
help never blinked, did they, Sed Ric? Runs a chit there, does Captain Daav for all we know, he feeds the Port."
"All of which argues him stupid enough to lift dead weight when cargo is what keeps his ship able. Air dreams,
Yolan. You know it."
Her shoulders sagged. "What will we do, then? Master dea'Cort won't keep us forever he paid us for make-work
today! Who else will have us? Walking the dim side, that's not you heard him: Who will we sell first, you or me? If
it comes to that "
"It won't," Sed Ric said firmly. He chewed his lip, looking into her face. "I've been thinking," he said, slow and
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