“I can taste it, smell it. I’m going to fuck you.”

“Try it, and I’ll blow your brains out the side of your head.”

The steel teeth released. Tis opened her eyes, felt her knees go weak with relief at the sight of Kelly with a pistol to Blaise’s temple. Logic reasserted itself, and she stooped and snatched up the discarded pistol.

“Now you’ve got a problem, Blaise,” Kelly continued. “She’s got a gun… and I’ve got a gun. I’m a mentat, and I’ve just called for help, and in your case the old clichй applies – you really haven’t got a friend in the world.”

Tis forced herself to take control. “You know what we want, Blaise. What do you want? If it is in my power, by blood and bone, I will give it to you.”

“Get me off Takis with a whole skin, and enough wealth to be set for life.”

“And you will make the jump?”

“I’ll make the jump.”

“You can’t trust him,” Kelly blurted,

“Yes, we can. He knows he is in the stronghold of his enemies. If he betrays us, he will die. And he knows my honor demands that I uphold my part of the bargain. I am a Takisian, and he knows how to turn that to his advantage.”

Blaise gave an ironic little bow. It was a Zabb gesture, but Zabb was dead, and Tis could not take the time to grieve for him. The door to the suite crashed open, and Taj and Mark charged through.

Tis opened her mouth to explain, and then the world tilted, shifted, and Tach found herself looking at the Kelly body. Tis gave a cry of terror as the body collapsed, dropping Illyana. The baby began to scream. Another gut-wrenching twist, and he was back.

Chapter Forty-Four

It was like walking into a familiar house years after you’ve lived there. Warm with old memories and welcoming, but with strange new dents and scratches, and even some new rooms. Tis didn’t take the time to explore all of them. He ran to his daughter and swept her up, feverishly examined her. Nothing but bumps and bruises. He wrapped her close, and his eyes met Kelly’s over the head of the baby.

The girl’s face twisted in an almost comic expression of dismay. She laid a hand on her stomach, looked at Tisianne in wonder and consternation. “It’s a little boy.” Suddenly she laughed. “Doctor, I’m never trusting you with my body again.”

Tis lifted his shoulders ruefully.

Blaise’s voice broke in harshly. “I’ve kept my part of the bargain, Grand-pиre. Now keep yours.”

“This creature nearly destroyed our world! Our House. He did kill Zabb. And you’re going to let him go?”

Tisianne turned from the fury, scorn, and disbelief in his uncle’s voice. “I gave him my word.”

“Fuck your word!” Taj was never crude, so it carried just that much more force.

“No.” Tisianne turned back to face the older man. “Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me?”

“Yes, I want you to formally accept the elevation to the Raiyis’tet.”

“No – ”

“I won’t hear no. You’ve done enough to try to avoid your duty, and you wanted it badly enough a few months ago.”

“Circumstances have changed.”

“Rather dramatically. And for your information I have a personal reason for refusing to shoulder your burdens and responsibilities any longer. No thanks to either you or Zabb, I’ve made it to old age. I intend to sit back and enjoy it.”

Tis stared into that lined and beloved face. Reached out and rested a palm against Taj’s cheek. “You have earned it. And I’m an ungrateful brat. I suppose I must become Raiyis.”

Taj laid a hand on Tisianne’s shoulder. “Someone’s got to bind the wounds.” He started for the door. “And lead the armies.”

“I haven’t forgotten about the Network.”

“Good. I’m sure they haven’t forgotten about you either.”

Tis stared at the door for a long time after Taj had left. Slowly he crossed to the desk and sank into the chair. It still smelled of Zabb’s fragrance, and the memory set tears to pricking at the back of his eyelids. Squaring his shoulders, Tisianne keyed the holostage and requested uplink with the starship Bounty.

A few seconds later, and he had the Master Trader on the stage. “Ah, Prince Tisianne.”

“You keep up with current affairs, don’t you?”

“It’s my business,” the Trader replied with a twinkle. “Ready to turn over my real estate?”

“Not in this or any other lifetime. Face it, you’ve bought the Brooklyn Bridge, swampland in Florida. My grandson offered what he did not possess.”

“Doesn’t matter. I have a contract.”

“You seem to be developing a positive talent for making bad deals.” That reminder of Zabb’s outstanding contract brought a frown to the alien’s brow.

“We’re not giving up.”

“And I’ll reduce Takis to a burned cinder before I will cede one centimeter of my world.”

“You Takisians are all mad,” Bounty complained gently. Tis remained silent. Several minutes elapsed, and the Master Trader shifted uncomfortably. “I can’t let you get away with this. It sets an intolerable precedent.”

Tis steepled his fingers before his mouth. Considered the alien on the stage. “I’m not unreasonable. There is one contract that I believe I can fulfill without undue loss of face or diminishment of virtu.”

“I would suggest you book passage with the Network,” Tis said as Blaise locked down the lid on the time box. It was filled with gold, jewels, and exotic Takisian pharmaceuticals, a fortune by any species’ standards anywhere in the galaxy. “You can certainly afford it,” he added dryly.

They were in the office of the Raiyis.

Blaise threw himself into a chair. “I’ve really fucked your planet,” he said in a pleasant, conversational tone.

Tis just stood, looking down at Zabb’s familiar features. Pondered this creature of his loins. Said very softly, “You know, Blaise, I did love you.”

“I loathe you.” Blaise stretched, smiled, stood. “It’s nice to know you’ll never sleep a quiet night knowing I’m alive somewhere in the universe.”

Tis watched thoughtfully as Blaise left.

Tisianne had insisted that Mark, Jay, and Kelly accompany him to the Network ship. Mark had of course agreed without demur. Jay had to enact an opera for him. “Jesus, that crazy fucker chopped my fingers off. I don’t want to be on the same planet with him, much less in a spaceship.” Tis had cut the detective off by curtly remarking that Jay still worked for him, and this was the final act of his employment. Ackroyd had grumbled that he’d liked Tisianne a lot better female.

So now they were all sitting silently in Baby’s control room, watching the Network vessel draw closer. Blaise stood alone in the center of the room, his strongbox clutched tightly beneath one arm. Tis and Kelly were curled up in the massive canopied bed that was an extrusion of the ship herself. Jay and Mark were pressed against the ship’s walls.

As if he’s diseased, and he can somehow infect us all, Tis thought, then realized Blaise already had. There was not an individual in the room who would emerge unscathed from their contact with the young man.

Gazing at that lean and elegant figure, Tisianne had to remind himself that this was Blaise. Zabb died trying to keep his word to me. Oh, ideal, how I shall miss him.

The Network ship extruded a walkway from its lock to Baby’s.

“Very phallic,” Blaise remarked. He grinned at Tisianne and ran his tongue slowly across his lips.

Like a small animal, the terror uncoiled. Tis sucked in a deep breath and indicated the lock. Blaise walked through, then noticed they were all following.

“A send-off. How touching.”

“I just want to be sure you’re really gone,” Mark said.

The Network had never really achieved the artificial gravity of the Takisian living ships. Walking the length of the walkway was a little like pulling loose from taffy.