Part 25 (2/2)

”Binkie!” he shouted. The secretary was talking earnestly to someone with short hair and what looked to be a pressure bandage on one arm. He maneuvered to them.

As he reached them, the stranger -- woman, he thought -- looked at him and melted back into the crowd. Binkie whirled, snarling.

”What the h.e.l.l!”

”Sorry,” Dana said, ”but I have no choice. Zed wants you yesterday.”

Binkie cursed with unmistakable venom. ”Where is he?” he asked, more quietly. Dana pointed. They slogged back, collecting Amri, who was patiently waiting for them. Binkie looked to see what Zed was gazing at. His head went back, and stayed there. He stood, open-mouthed.

Zed said, ”Buy her.”

”But -- ”

”You carry the household credit disc. Buy her.” Fumbling the disc in haste from his pocket, Binkie inserted it in the slot. Zed said, ”Stay here.

Overtop all bids for her. You understand, Binkie?” His fingers curled like claws at his sides.

”Yes, Zed-ka.”

Some of the tension drained from Zed's face and hands. He turned on Dana.

”Where's my sister?”

Dana stammered, and then caught himself. ”Walking -- there.” Through the crush he caught a glimpse of Aliza Kyneth's dress and flying red hair.

Zed squinted into the sunlight. ”Ah. I see. With Aliza. Go to her.”

Dana went to Rhani's side. She had a quizzical look on her face, as if she had just tasted something new and wasn't sure she liked it. ”Aliza, I'll help if I can,” she was saying.

”Thank you,” Aliza said affectionately. ”That's all I ask.” She lifted her chin. ”Now I must find Imre. He will be looking for me.” She strode regally away, a whale among minnows.

”Take my arm,” Rhani said. Dana linked his arm through hers. She was quivering with laughter. She pressed her hip to his; the little joining made him shudder. ”Imagine -- Aliza wants me to help her arrange a surprise party!”

”Why is that funny?” Dana said, puzzled.

”Because I hate parties. Aliza says she wants this one to be a party even I will enjoy. It's for Imre's birthday. Where's my brother got to?”

For a moment Dana had almost forgotten Zed. Bleakly he answered, ”Buying a slave.”

”Buying a slave? For the household?” Rhani frowned. ”Why?”

”Come.” He brought her to the platform on which Darien Riis stood.

”Zed-ka, why are you ...?” The question trailed into silence as Rhani looked up.

Zed said, without turning, ”Her name is Darien.”

A bell rang. The slaves stirred in reflex. The buyers in the square s.h.i.+fted, talking loudly. The bidding on this lot had ended. The slaves moved into line like the figures on an ancient clock. Darien Riis, age twenty-six, property of Family Yago, disappeared through a door. Zed said, ”Let's go.” He took Rhani's hand and drew it through his arm, as had Aliza Kyneth.

Dana said softly to Binkie, ”What happens now?”

The secretary said, ”She'll be tattooed and delivered to the house tomorrow morning.”

Like a package, Dana thought. Zed said, ”Binkie. Call the Barracks when we reach the house. Tell them to keep her until we have left Abanat. I don't want to see her until we're back at the estate.”

”Yes, Zed-ka,” said Binkie.

At the edge of Auction Place, the crowd thinned out. Dana moved up to walk at Rhani's right shoulder. Her arm brushed his, by accident, it seemed. She began, ”Zed-ka, why....”

Zed's left hand sprang upward in an abrupt gesture of denial. It silenced her. The Net commander drew a deep breath. ”Don't ask,” he said.

Rhani bit her lip. The Boulevard was clear before them: they were out of the square. In the distance a bell rang. Dana looked back, but could not see. He held his hands up to s.h.i.+eld out the light.

A new lot of slaves was being shepherded through the vaultlike doors.

*Chapter Twelve*

They were almost to the steps of the house when Dana saw someone he knew.

At first he could not put name to face. She was half-turned away from him....

Then she turned around, and he saw her clearly.

It was Tori Lamonica.

Her brown-gold hair was short; the last time he'd seen her it had been long. Hands in her pockets, moving with graceful strides, she was traveling away from him, walking north. She wore lavender and black, and her Starcaptain's medallion gleamed through the lace of her s.h.i.+rt front. Gold hoops dangled from her ears. She was frowning, not looking his way, and for one wild moment, Dana drew breath to shout at her.... But they had reached the steps, and Rhani was looking at him.

The street was very quiet; most people were still at the Auction. Above, Corrios drew back the doors. Amri, carrying her solar-winged b.u.t.terfly, seemed the only one of them who was not subdued. Binkie went immediately toward the slaves' hall. Rhani went upstairs. Dana went to his room. His head hurt from the glare of the sun -- he could not believe he had actually seen Tori Lamonica out there. What the h.e.l.l was she doing on Chabad? he wondered. She had to have sold his dorazine weeks ago. Had the proximity of A-Rae's cops kept her from getting offplanet? Could she have stayed for other reasons? He tried to remember what he knew about her, her amus.e.m.e.nts and habits -- but Hypers did not talk about each other much. About the only thing he could remember Russell saying of her was that she jacked cargoes, was a superb pilot, and played an ancient Terran game called ”Go.”

Rhani's voice saying his name brought him out of reverie abruptly. ”Dana, come to my room, please.”

”Yes, Rhani-ka.” He went upstairs. She was sitting at the com-unit. Dana glanced at the door to make sure that it was tightly shut, and bending, touched his lips to the crisp, clean silk of her hair.

She said, so softly that he barely heard it, ”Have you ever heard of Cherillys' Law?”

He scowled. The name was familiar....”I think so, but I don't remember what it is,” he said.

”It's also called Bradley's Hypothesis.” She recited, ”_For every bit of organized matter, organic and inorganic, within a given macroscopic universe, there is one exact molecular duplicate within that universe_.”

”Yes,” Dana said. ”Now I remember. It depended on some very theoretical mathematical models, and it was never proved.”

Still softly she said, ”In ancient times on Old Earth they believed it was bad luck to meet your double. It meant you were going to die soon.”

Dana scowled. ”Rhani, you know that's nonsense.” He grabbed the back of the chair and leaned on it until it turned. ”Where did you encounter Bradley's Hypothesis?” She shrugged. Her cheeks were flushed. ”I don't know. I must have read it somewhere.” She stood up suddenly. ”Don't hang over me,” she said sharply, and he gave her room to pace. After a while she said, ”When I came back from Sovka, I was lonely. Zed was on Nexus; I was trapped with Isobel, learning to be Domna Rhani Yago. I read a lot in those months.” She thrust her hands in her pockets and hunched her shoulders. ”Zed and I -- we used to pretend we were twins. When Isobel separated us, I felt as if I were being pulled apart, as if there were two of me, one in here -- ”she tapped her chest -- ”one somewhere else, free. I never thought I'd meet her.”

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