Star Hunter

exotics as Wass provided. This was strictly for crewmen of the star freighters who could be speedily and expertly separated from a voyage'

ce with those vicious whips made from the tail casings of Flangoid flying lizards, an encounter which left both men in ribbons,

e stinking alley outside to lose the meal which was part of his meager day's pay. No

dbare tunic with its house seal. When he leaned his head back against the grime encrusted wall, raising his face to the light, hi

-Lan

hey seemed disproportionately large in his skin and bone face and

ss, idiomatic Basic Space which came strangely from between his yellow lips. A furred hand thrust the handle of a mop-up stick at the young man, a talo

ope of cleaning. But he set to work slapping the fringe of the noisome mop back and forth to sop up what he could.

booth until his mop spattered the ankle of one of the drinking girls. She struck

himself another hand reached up, fingers tightened about his wrist. He flinched, t

nic of a crewman, lighter patches where the ship's badges should have been to show that he was not engaged. But, though his tunic w

the crowd with serene confidence in his own strength, which no one there, unless blind, deaf, and out-of-the

, moments earlier taut and sharp with intelligence, was suddenly slack, his tone slurred as h

the booth, was anything but slack. The Vorm-man glanced from the patron of the Starfall to

ts to drink, you d

betray him again. Apprehensive, he watched the Vorm-man turn away. Only when that broad,

his wrist, but fingers now pu

id in dull despair. Only, instead of bringing nausea with it, the stuff settled his stomach, cleared his head, with a

is was no common crewman, nor was he drunk as he had pretended for the Vorm-man. Now he watched the m

ess that the potion he had just swallowed contained some drug. Only now he did not care at all. Anything which could wipe out in moments all the shame, fear, a

inked by that hold they left the Starfall, came into the cooler, far more pleasant atmosphere of t

es of Dugo

till held. At the moment he was certain nothing could be as bad as the life behind

ar call button, stood waiting until one of

upper city, away from the stews ringing the launch port. He tried to guess their destina

which had this degree of comfort, but so dimly now he could not be sure they did not exist only in his vivid imagination. For Vye's imagination had buoyed him first through the drab existence in a State Child's Crèche, then throu

r planet wherein a creature enveloped in short black and white striped fur crept belly flat, to stalk long-legged, short-winged birds making blood-red sp

are

y to the room but to his own precarious position. He moi

added his other identifi

a refresher cup, then was sipping its contents slowly

r the Five-Hour Fever epidemic. They didn't t

t feeling of only moments earlier. Now the other set down his drink, crossed the room. Cupping his hand under Lansor's chin, he brought

osed his hold on the boy's chin, but he still stood there surveying him from head to foot. Lansor wanted

looked at Vye again as if the younger man did have a brain, emo

seat. "What-what kind?" He was angry and asha

e than a little surprised that the man in the worn space uniform had read hesitancy right. Someone

an crossed to set his refresher cup in

fantastic aura of a dream. The other was eyeing hi

t my credential

ou," Vye fou

to need

r in the Starfall. Things such as this did not happen, except in a thaline dream, and he wasn't

be willing

en out of six would pay a large premium for a chance at such rating. The chill of doubt cut through the

ptly. "I had a bad time myself, years ago. You resemble someone to whom I owe

That would explain everything. If you could not repay a good deed to the one you owed, you must balance t

ill ac

Hunter." He still could not be

time he handed Lansor the brimming cup. "Drink on

cup, and suddenly was aware of being tired. H

nto the Starfall just three nights ago when he had been in quest of his imposter. And Vye Lansor was better than he dared hope to find. The boy had the right coloring, he had bee

e chance he must run in getting Lansor out of this building was small if they went at once. Guiding the younger man with a light hold above the elbow, he walked him out back to the flitte

f names posted in its rack. No occupations attached to those colored streamers Hume noted. This meant either that their owners represented luxury trades, where a name signified the profession or service, or that they were

symbol of admission here. A flicker of light winked below the name, the wall to the right shimmered, and produced a doorway. Steering Vye to it,

as expressionless as his face. There was

, wiping flesh against the coarse stuff of the crew un

own what was going to happen to him, he would have been so willing to volunteer, that he would have dragged Hume here. There was no reason to have any regrets over the boy, he had never had it so good-never! There was only one small period of risk for Vye to face. Those days he would have to spend alone on Jumala between the time Wass' organization would plant him there and the coming