Part 29 (1/2)
Determined to put the incident out of his mind, he entered the spa. It offered specific creature comforts to a huge variety of human, humanoid, and nonhumanoid species. There were zero-gee ma.s.sagers, ozone chambers, effluvial rinses, and many other options for humans; mud tanks for visiting Draflago; dermal autostrippers to service a Lisst'n or Pui-Ui; gill-flushes for any of a number of piscine or amphibian life forms; and as many other ablutive and restorative amenities as could be packed into the huge complex.
Inquiring at the central information area, Han discovered that Chewbacca was still enjoying the pleasures of a full-service grooming. Han himself had meant to take a leisurely cycle of soaking, sauna, ma.s.sage, and pore cleansing, followed by a visit to the tonsorial center. But his encounter with Badure and Hasti left him feeling in need of a more active and distracting program.
He undressed in a private booth, storing gun and other valuables in a lockbox and feeding his pleated dress s.h.i.+rt, clothes, and boots to an autovalet. Then he dropped several coins into the slot of an omniron and stepped inside, keying it for maximum treatment.
In fifteen-second cycles icy water sprayed at him, sonics vibrated his skin and flesh, waves of heat lashed and nearly seared him, needle-streams of biodetergents lathered him, walls of swirling foam broke and surged through the cubicle, air nozzles hosed their blasts, and emollients were rubbed on him by vigorous autoapplicators.
He withstood the brunt of these processes and took on more cycles, finding he couldn't shake the image of Badure. Telling himself he had done the shrewd thing did no more to improve his state of mind than did the elaborate bubble bath he was taking, he concluded. So he terminated the omniron's program short of its allotted time, recovered his cleaned clothing and s.h.i.+ned boots from the autovalet, donned his blaster, and resettled his vest. Then he set off to find his partner.
Chewbacca was in the portion of the spa reserved for its more hirsute clientele. Following the light-strip directory system helpfully placed along the floors, Han found his friend's treatment room. Checking the room's monitoring screen, he saw the Wookiee floating in a zero-gee field, arms and legs splayed. He was near the end of his session; every individual hair had been given a light mutual-repulsion charge to separate it while dirt, particulate matter, and old oils were removed. Now new oils and conditioners were being gently applied. Chewbacca wore a toothy grin, luxuriating in the treatment as he floated like a tremendous stuffed toy, his billowing pelt making him seem twice his normal girth.
Turning from the screen, Han noticed two very appealing young human females who were also waiting. One, a tall blond in an expensive jumpsuit, spoke into the ear of her companion, a shorter girl with ringlets of brown hair. The second girl wore a sportier outfit of shorts and singlet; she eyed Han speculatively. ”Are you here to meet Captain Chewbacca, sir?”
Mystified, Han repeated, ”Captain ...”
”Chewbacca. We saw him walking across campus and we had to stop him and talk. We're both taking courses in nonhuman ethnology, and we couldn't pa.s.s up the chance. We've studied the Wookiee language tapes a little, so we understood a bit. Captain Chewbacca told us his copilot would be coming by to meet him. He invited us to go with you on a groundcoach ride.”
Han smiled in spite of himself. ”Fine with me. I'm Captain Chewbacca's first mate, Han Solo.”
He had just established that the brunette's name was Viurre and her blond girlfriend's Kiili when Chewbacca emerged from the treatment room. The Wookiee, settling his admiral's hat on his head at a rakish angle, wore a beatific grin; his s.h.a.ggy coat, now glistening and l.u.s.trous, floated lightly on stray air currents.
Han sketched a sarcastic salute. ”Captain Chewbacca, sir, I've got the whole crew standing by for orders.”
The Wookiee wuffed in confusion, then, remembering his a.s.sumed role, rumbled a vague reply that none of them understood. The girls promptly forgot Han and closed in on the Wookiee, complimenting him on his appearance. ”I believe you ordered a groundcoach, Skipper?” hinted Han.
His partner awooed confirmation, and they all set off. ”What have you found to be the essential differences in the life-experience on Wookiee worlds?” Viurre asked Han earnestly.
”The tables are higher off the floor,” the pilot replied without expression.
When they arrived at the carport, Han goggled and shouted, ”Tell me this is the wrong slip!” Kiili and Viurre ”oohed” in delight, while Chewbacca beamed fondly at the vehicle he had selected.
It was over eight meters long, wide and low to the ground. The groundcoach's sides, rear deck, and hood were paneled in dazzling scarlet greel wood that had been lacquered and polished and lacquered over and over until its metallic gleam seemed to go on forever through the fine grain. The coach's trim, b.u.mpers, door hinges, latches, and handles were of silver alloy. It boasted an outlandish crystal hood ornament-frolicking nymphs in a swirl of gauzy, windblown veil-dresses.
The driver's seat was open to the weather, but just behind it and a luggage well was an enclosed pa.s.senger cab, also paneled in greel wood, complete with elaborate, hanging road lamps, ta.s.seled bunting, and running boards and handrails on either side for footmen. Astern the cab was another luggage well between a pair of ludicrous meter-high tail fins bejeweled with all manner of signaling and warning lights. From the coach's primary and secondary antenna whips fluttered two pennants, several streamers, and the furry tail of some small, luckless animal.
”Too austere,” Han muttered sarcastically, but he couldn't resist popping the coach's hood. A ma.s.sive, fiendishly complicated engine squatted there. But Chewbacca quickly silenced Han's denunciations and amazed the two girls by throwing open the cover of the mids.h.i.+p luggage well. It contained, due to his thoughtful arrangement, a heroic picnic lunch.
Kiili and Viurre had piled into the driver's compartment, investigating controls, dials, the sound system, and stowage drawers. Chewbacca was running an adoring palm over a quarter-panel when Han blurted out, ”I b.u.mped into Badure today, just as I was coming into the spa.”
Forgetting everything else, Chewbacca barked a question. Han glanced away. ”He wanted to hire us, but I told him we didn't need the work.” Then he felt compelled to add, ”Well, we don't, do we?”
Chewbacca howled furiously. The two girls studiously ignored the argument. ”What do we owe Badure?” Han hollered back. ”He made a business offer, Chewie.” But he knew better. Wookiees will honor a Life-Debt over anything else; he'll never walk away from it, Han thought. Chewbacca growled another angry comment.
”What if I don't want to? Are you going to go after him without me?” Han asked, knowing what the answer would be.
The Wookiee regarded him for a long moment, then uttered a deep Uurrr?
Han opened his mouth, closed it, then finally answered. ”No, you won't have to. Get in the bus.”
Chewbacca yipped, knuckled Han's shoulder, ambled off around the coach's stern, and climbed in. Han slid into the driver's seat and swung his door shut.
”Captain Chewbacca and I have to go track down a pal,” he told Kiili and Viurre brusquely. Then to himself he added, I knew this would happen; I never should have told Chewie. So why did I?
Kiili, twirling blond hair around one finger, smiled. ”First Mate Solo, what should we talk to the captain about?”
”Anything. He just likes to listen to people talk.” Han gunned the engine and expertly pulled the powerful coach out of its parking slip. ”Tell him how he's ruining a great afternoon,” Han encouraged her, then smiled. ”Or sing some off-color ditties, if you know any.”
Kiili eyed the contented Wookiee uncertainly. ”He likes those?”
Han smiled engagingly. ”No. I do.”
IV.
REMEMBERING that Hasti, the young woman with Badure, had mentioned the district hostelry, Han zoomed off in that direction. The scarlet monstrosity of a coach, riding its low ground-effect cus.h.i.+on, handled smoothly and responded well for its size.
One long arm along the back of the driver's seat, Chewbacca tilted his admiral's cap down and listened while Kiili and Viurre described the life of an undergraduate student of nonhuman ethnography.
They didn't have to enter the hostelry. Badure and Hasti were waiting at an intercampus shuttleskimmer stop near the building. Han pulled over to the curb with a belch of braking thrust, and he and Chewbacca jumped out, followed by the two girls. The Wookiee hugged the old man, giving out joyous sounds. Hasti regarded Han coolly. ”Attack of conscience?”
Han angled a thumb at the Wookiee. ”My partner's a sentimental fellow. Do you feel like telling us what we're getting into?”
Indicating Viurre and Kiili with a slight nod, Badure cleared his throat meaningfully. Viurre took the hint and, dragging the tall blond with her, was suddenly inspired to inspect some nearby foliage. In confidential tones Badure asked Han, ”You must've heard of the s.h.i.+p called the Queen of Ranroon?”
Chewbacca quivered his nose in surprise, and Han's eyebrows shot up. ”The treasure s.h.i.+p? The story they use to put kids to bed?”
”Not story,” Badure corrected, ”history. The Queen of Ranroon was crammed full with spoils from whole solar systems, tribute to Xim the Despot.”
”Listen, Badure, crazies have been hunting that s.h.i.+p for centuries. If she ever existed, she was either destroyed or someone plundered her long ago. You've been watching too many holo-thrillers ”When did I ever go chasing vacuum?” the old man countered.
A good point. ”You know where the Queen is? You've got proof?”
”I know where her log-recorder is,” Badure announced so confidently that Han found himself believing it. The vision of a treasure arose, a treasure so stupendous that it had become a synonym for phenomenal wealth, more than a man might squander in many lifetimes....
”Let's get going,” Han proposed. ”We're not getting any younger.” Hasti's derisive look didn't faze him. Then he noticed that Badure's face was drawn with tension.
Following his gaze, Han turned to see a black groundlimo slowly cruising toward them. Han drew Badure over to the coach, encouraging Hasti to move as well with an inclination of the head. Chewbacca, who had already thrown Badure's and Hasti's light baggage into the pa.s.senger cab, was also on the alert.
Someone in the limo had noticed their reaction. The black groundcar accelerated sharply and veered straight at them.
”Everybody into the coach,” Han yelled as the limo jumped the curb and screeched to a stop, blocking the coach's front cowling. Badure began pus.h.i.+ng Hasti into the coach's front seat as Chewbacca, unable to carry his bowcaster on this peaceful world, glanced around for a makes.h.i.+ft weapon.
Figures tumbled from the limo as Han drew his blaster. The blue concentric rings of a stun charge reached out and caught Badure, who had just propelled Hasti out of the way. She fell backward across the seat; Badure staggered. She managed to grab him and pull him onto the driver's seat just as Han fired an answering shot.