“The environmental lobbies already know your name, Mr. Holloway,” Landon said. “Their discussion forums are full of outrage that you’ve trained your dog to detonate explosives.”

“There’s no proof of that,” Holloway said.

“Proof is not something that is of great concern to these people, Mr. Holloway,” Landon said.

“Where are the two of you going with this?” Holloway asked. “Because if you don’t mind, I’d rather we just cut to the chase.”

“Fine,” Aubrey said. “Here it is. I think you’ll be a public relations disaster that ZaraCorp doesn’t need. I think it’d be better for all of us, including you, if you just went away. So I want to buy you out.”

“Really,” Holloway said. “And I suppose it would be too much to assume you want to buy me out for what my percentage of this sunstone seam is actually worth.”

“We don’t know what it’s worth,” Aubrey said.

“Your Director of Exploitation estimated eight hundred billion to one-point-two trillion credits,” Holloway said. “I remember those sums quite clearly. I’m sure you do, too.”

“Be that as it may, there are any number of variables,” Landon said. “Sunstone density. Environmental challenges to exploiting the seam. Market forces.”

“ZaraCorp has spent decades building up sunstones as the rarest gem in the universe,” Holloway said. “I think we can assume it’s done its job, marketwise.”

“The sheer size of this find could create a glut,” Aubrey said.

Holloway looked over at Aubrey. “Let’s you and I pretend that we both know what the phrase monopoly on distribution means in this context,” he said. “So. What are you offering?”

Aubrey looked over at Landon. “Three hundred fifty million credits,” Landon said.

“All at once?” Holloway said.

“Over ten years,” Landon said.

“You’ve got to be joking,” Holloway said. “You want me to sell out for less than ten percent of what my claim is worth, and you won’t even give it to me all at once?”

“Thirty-five million a year is not an insignificant amount of money,” Landon observed. “Especially for someone like you, who has grossed twenty-one thousand credits in the last year.”

“I agree,” Holloway said. “But a hundred million a year or so is an even less insignificant amount of money, isn’t it.”

“We’d also offer you warrants on ZaraCorp stock,” Landon said.

“Voting stock?” Holloway asked.

“Of course not,” Landon said, annoyed. Only Aubrey family members received voting stock. “Class B.”

“With my hundred million a year, I could buy as much Class B ZaraCorp stock as I want,” Holloway said. “And maybe some BlueSky stock, too. To diversify my E and E sector portfolio.”

“Christ,” Aubrey said. The mention of BlueSky appeared to have pinked him a bit. “Let’s get this over with. Five hundred million credits, Holloway, in your account, right now. Take it, jump the next ship off Zara Twenty-three with your dog, and be the single richest contractor in the history of ZaraCorp.”

“What’s the catch?” Holloway said.

“No catch,” Aubrey said. “Landon here can call up the amount and we can do it right here on this rockpile. But you have to give up all rights and claims. And then you have to leave.”

“How much time do I have to think about this?” Holloway asked.

“Until I get bored with you and walk away,” Aubrey said.

“Well, in that case, I’ll give you my answer now,” Holloway said. “Which is that you can take your offer and jam it sideways. I don’t like being pressured into making deals, and I don’t give a damn whether you’re going to run the company one day or not. I have legal rights to this claim. I’m going to exercise them, and profit from them, and I’m not going to be bought off for less than what I’m rightfully owed, simply because it’ll be convenient for you.” He jerked his thumb at Landon. “And though it clearly pains Landon here when someone speaks to you in less than a groveling tone, I’ll tell you this right now, and this is a promise: Try to cut me out or shut me down one more time, and you’ll see just how big a public relations nightmare I can be. Fact is, right now you need my cooperation more than I need your money. You need to remember that.”

Aubrey looked over at Landon. “Told you,” he said.

“Yes, quite,” Landon said, looking at Holloway. Then he pulled out his infopanel and pressed it. “And since we were in fact prepared for the quite dramatic pissing all over our offer, Mr. Holloway, I’ve just sent you our surveying requests, which you’ll find waiting for you when you get back to your skimmer. There seems to be a large tributary branch running off the main sunstone seam. We could have had some of our other surveyors map it, of course, but we were aware you might have concerns vis-à-vis Teppo, and we wouldn’t want you to think you were intentionally being left with nothing to do. As a warning, it requires jungle floor mapping, so do watch out for predators.”

“And try to avoid any other major ecological disasters, if you can manage that,” Aubrey said.

“I think I can manage,” Holloway said.

“We’ll see,” Aubrey said. Holloway turned to go.

“One other thing, Holloway,” Aubrey said.

Holloway turned. “Yes?”

“You have rights to this seam and you can be sure you’ll get every last thing that’s coming to you, while you’re here and after you’re gone,” Aubrey said. “But your contract runs out in five months. When that happens, your time really is up. You’re getting a ride home and after that, no amount of money will ever get you another contract with this company. Hell, once you get home, you won’t even be able to book passage on another ZaraCorp ship. Every subsidiary we own will automatically bounce you back. That’s my promise to you. Just so you know.”

“Seems a bit drastic,” Holloway said.

“It probably is,” Aubrey said.

“Do you do this with everyone who annoys you?” Holloway asked.

“No,” Aubrey said. “Just you. You inspire that reaction in people, Holloway.”

“It’s a gift,” Holloway said. “But as long as we’re talking promises, now that you’ve had your strong-arm attempt, are you going to release the compensation you’ve been illegally withholding from me? The cost of the initial exploration of the seam came out of my own pocket. Now that you’re exploiting it, you’re obliged to pay me back. And my dog is out of explosives.”

“Lovely,” Aubrey said. He nodded to Landon. Landon fiddled with his infopanel.

“Done,” Landon said. “Enjoy your eight thousand two hundred sixteen credits, Mr. Holloway. Don’t spend it all in one place.”

Holloway smiled in spite of himself as he walked away.

Joe DeLise was waiting at Holloway’s skimmer. “You didn’t steal anything, did you?” Holloway asked.

DeLise smiled. “I’m sure going to miss you, Jack,” he said.

“Don’t get mushy, Joe,” Holloway said. “I’m not going anywhere just yet.”

Chapter Ten

Isabel came up to the skimmer as soon as it landed. “We need to talk,” she said.

“Yeah, we do,” Holloway said, exiting the vehicle. “You think you could stop telling people that I let Carl detonate explosives?”

“What?” Isabel said.

“Stop telling people I let Carl set off explosives,” Holloway said.

“You do let Carl set off explosives,” Isabel said.

“Yes, but you don’t have to tell people about it,” Holloway said. By this time the topic of conversation had come over, tail wagging. Holloway petted him. “I’m apparently becoming famous galaxy-wide for it. I’d rather not be.”

“When you train your dog to blow things up, it tends to be noted,” Isabel said. “And for the record, I don’t talk about it. The only time I did talk about it was at that inquest, which I will remind you, Jack, was caused by your own procedural shortcuts.”