Part 11 (1/2)
Ferica was running guidesnaps outside the gate from Sansalibre. Legit, but just his excuse to prowl the concourses.
Wouldn't pay a hundredth of what he got from his real stuff. Snaps gave a full Highport map, quick call up, golden lines to the Heaven concourse. Saved souls from Sansalibre could have called up almost the same thing on the port net. Most didn't have mems, though. Understood that the Imperatior didn't allow them. Didn't even like the angels having a consulate there, but even an Imperatior doesn't buck the angels. Not when a single angelfire scout can take down any other system's dreadnought.
Meant that every so often the angels sent saved souls Heavenward, even from Sansalibre. Some even bought Ferica's guidesnaps.
Saw Ferica's gig, and slowed my pace, waiting until the pilgrims all pa.s.sed him.
”What you got, Snark?”
”Eight prime cubes to Purgatory. Lorico said you might be interested. Also two back to Sansalibre.” Sansalibre was a throwaway. Not that much s.h.i.+pped back from Highport to Sansalibre. Other places, but not there.
”Solid cubes?” Ferica sounded bored.
”Solid. Reserved. Failed transfer, non seeking clause.”
”Can take five. Em cred a cube.”
”They want two em creds. Might be able to get you one and a half for five.”
”Try for one and a third.”
I backed off and ran the inquiry through. ”One point four and you pay clearances.”
”Done.” Ferica smiled. Teeth looked steel, too. ”Pa.s.s me the codes.”
Raised my eyebrows.
”Two hundred creds for you. And something else.”
Would have liked more than two hundred, but I'd been running close to margin. Did owe Moyra a good dinner, up level in town. ”Codes... blue.” Used the remote to trigger the transfer.
”Some hotware there, Snark. Careful who knows you're packing it.”
”Loaner,” I said. ”Repaying a favor. Won't have it long.” One way or another, I wouldn't. Snark with an Oligari would be a target if it got around, but things had been thin, and the multiple access had already netted me more options than I'd had in months. ”Know anyone else who's looking?”
”Galusi-bulk cubes for Clarkburg. Can't pay more than half an em-cred per cube.”
”You said...”
”Oh... something you need to watch. Someone knows you got hotware. Snoop look on you.”
”Thanks.” All I needed. Suspected something like that might happen. Headed farther out on the concourse. Galusi called himself a cargo broker. Had a real office. Small-less than three meters on a side. Real business, but not how or where he made most of his creds. Did removals-usually pilgrims who'd gone to the angels to escape. Folks who used Galusi didn't want recovery-wanted the word spread that even the permanent pilgrimage to Heaven wasn't certain if you cheated them. Never quite understood why the angels didn't shut him down. They could have. Hadn't, though. Not yet.
Ran a few more inquiries on the Oligari as I hustled outbound. Put in an inquiry for Clarkburg. Nothing on regular transit, but thirty bulk cubes on lowlight-take two years. Kept looking. Didn't find much, even with the Oligari, except some cubes available on a semi-level return run to D'Ahoud and hot-s.p.a.ce to Alpha Felini Hot-s.p.a.ce-didn't touch that. No one I knew could spring a hundred em-creds a cube. Not even the diablos.
Diablos-they wanted a way around Highport to Heaven. Always had. No one knew where Heaven was. Anyone, anything, going to Heaven went on an angel-s.h.i.+p with an angel crew. Only angels came back from Heaven-except once a decade-when they'd bring back a hundred pilgrims, turn them over to the lower worlds' techs for mem-testing. Supposed to prove that the stories about Heaven were all true. Hel! What did that prove? Angels could doctor anything, even minds.
Only thing it all proved was that they got better s.h.i.+ps, better weapons, and better ways of twisting the truth. If you believe such a thing as truth.
Got a bad feeling as I neared the portals for Xianth, but kept going. Shouldn't have.
Three Angels. Beyond the Xianth portals. Waiting. For me.
You can avoid Angels, go around'em. Don't buck'em or try to run. Did what I had to. Walked straight to them.
Angel in the center stepped forward. ”Mario.”
Could tell she was an angel, even without looking. No one calls me Mario.
”Yes.” I bowed. No sense in being stupid.
One of their gold-green screens dropped around us. Left me alone with the angel.
”We have a favor to ask. An angel's missing. Somewhere here in Highport. We'd like to find her. Quickly. She's beyond scanners and screens.”
”What kind of angel?”
”Does it matter?”
Did to me, but the tall angel wasn't going to tell.
”I haven't heard anything.” That was true. Nothing except Moyra's fears I was being set up. ”Haven't seen anything.”
”If you do...” The angel beamed an access code into the Oligari. The hidden Oligari. Didn't ask. just beamed. ”You'll know what to do, Mario.”
The gold-screen curtain went down, and I kept moving toward Galusi's office. Could feel her eyes on my back. Creepy.
Anyone trying anything on the angels, might be Galusi. Stopped for a moment, and took out the Oligari. Snapped up a search and trace routine that would go off when I got inside Galusi's place.
Galusi surprised me. He was there. ”You'd better have something good, Snark.”
”Heard you were looking for bulk cubes to Clarkburg. How many?”
”I could use twenty. I'll take fifteen.”
”You're lucky. Twenty at a tenth of an em-cred.”
”I'll take it. Hundred creds for you, and you pa.s.s the access codes over now.”
Before I had the codes, he'd made the transfer to my links.
”Codes coming.''
”Hotware for a snark,” Galusi said.
”Loaner. Favor. Got to get what I can now.”
Galusi snorted. Understood loaners. Better'n I did. ”Later, Snark.”
He was nervous. Would have bargained for a lower cubage rate. Didn't. Decided to push. ”Saw three angels. Questioning people on the concourse.”