years old," Jimson said. "It's by a painter from Old Terra, named Vermeer. But the original is supposed to be in the Kaolin Collection, on New Terra."
"Well, it isn't," said Russell. "De Vala has it. And it looked as if it had been there for a long time."
Ysao said, "Talk about the job."
Russell said, "I don't know the details. I know the drift. He wants me to—shall we say, obtain something for him?"
"Steal," said Ysao.
"Yes. A necklace, a rare book, once it was an old map."
"Of course," Jimson said. "Morgan the Pirate."
Russell swept a bow. "Except by tradition a ship is always she, even the Sigurd, and so my ship is Morgana ."
Leiko asked: "How will you find out?"
Russell held out a small box. Leiko took it, and pulled off the top. In the cotton nestled a pair of pearl earrings. Leiko regarded them dubiously. She picked one up, turned it over. "This means something?"
Russell was pulling the green gems from his ears. "There's a signal in the earrings, and a scanner picks it up. I expect they change the scanner setting often. With these on, I walk up to De Vala's house and open the door. Without them, I can pound on the door till doomsday. The guards come out when I get inside."
"Huh." Ysao reached for the box. "I don't suppose you could arrange to walk out wearing them."
"I doubt it," Russell said. "What could I tell them? I have a friend who's an engineer. Do you mind if I borrow these for a little while? I'll bring them right back. " He took the box back and put the earrings in his ears. "They're too big," he remarked. "I like small earrings. I'm going there now. If you're interested, I'll meet you at the Field Gate in an hour."
"I think they look good," said Leiko. "All right. I'm interested. An hour at the Field Gate."
"We'll go out to Morgana. Jim, you want to come see my ship?"
"I won't know what I'm seeing," Jimson said. "But if I won't be in the way...."
"You won't be in my way," said Russell. "Here." He handed Jimson a square of clear plastic. "This'll get you onto the Flight Field."
Leiko glanced at it. "It looks like a navigator's I-disc," she said.
"It is," Russell said. "It's mine. But all I need is this." He touched the Starcaptain's medallion. "An hour, then." He opened the door and was gone through it, leaving a breeze and the smell of the city streets hanging in the room.
Ysao stood up. "I think I'll see you later," he remarked. He left. Leiko looked at Jimson.
"How's your head?"
Jimson felt it carefully. "I believe I'll keep it."
* * *
When Leiko and Jimson arrived at the Field Gate, Russell and Ysao were waiting for them. The green gems were back in Russell's ears. "I've got a bubble," he told them. "Leiko, would you like to take it?"
"Would I!" Leiko was sparkling. She had put on her purple coveralls, neon-bright, and masked her eyes with gold-flecked glitter. "I haven't flown a thing in months!" The bubble looked like one of the city's swinging bubbles, but colorless: round, transparent, and alarming. Jimson used the ceiling bar to pull himself into one of the low and narrow seats. Ysao crammed in beside him. Russell took a front seat.
Leiko swung in last, and settled herself at the pilot's board with a sigh of delight. "Here goes!" Jimson clutched the seat. The little craft shivered and rose straight up in the air.
"Where to, Captain?" Russell reeled off a string of numbers, and the bubble swooped buoyantly away. Jimson clamped his teeth together to keep his insides from getting out. He had a mercifully vague memory of another such ride, on Epsilon Moon—but he'd been drugged, and the damn bubble had been opaque, not clear as a lens! He hoped that no one would suggest he look down.
The bubble dropped to earth. Leiko hopped out. Jimson came out very slowly, feeling as if everything inside had come unstuck. "You get used to it," Russell said compassionately. "This is Morgana ." Jimson surveyed the round pewter-colored thing. Ysao, normally imperturbable, was impatient
"Well, it isn't," said Russell. "De Vala has it. And it looked as if it had been there for a long time."
Ysao said, "Talk about the job."
Russell said, "I don't know the details. I know the drift. He wants me to—shall we say, obtain something for him?"
"Steal," said Ysao.
"Yes. A necklace, a rare book, once it was an old map."
"Of course," Jimson said. "Morgan the Pirate."
Russell swept a bow. "Except by tradition a ship is always she, even the Sigurd, and so my ship is Morgana ."
Leiko asked: "How will you find out?"
Russell held out a small box. Leiko took it, and pulled off the top. In the cotton nestled a pair of pearl earrings. Leiko regarded them dubiously. She picked one up, turned it over. "This means something?"
Russell was pulling the green gems from his ears. "There's a signal in the earrings, and a scanner picks it up. I expect they change the scanner setting often. With these on, I walk up to De Vala's house and open the door. Without them, I can pound on the door till doomsday. The guards come out when I get inside."
"Huh." Ysao reached for the box. "I don't suppose you could arrange to walk out wearing them."
"I doubt it," Russell said. "What could I tell them? I have a friend who's an engineer. Do you mind if I borrow these for a little while? I'll bring them right back. " He took the box back and put the earrings in his ears. "They're too big," he remarked. "I like small earrings. I'm going there now. If you're interested, I'll meet you at the Field Gate in an hour."
"I think they look good," said Leiko. "All right. I'm interested. An hour at the Field Gate."
"We'll go out to Morgana. Jim, you want to come see my ship?"
"I won't know what I'm seeing," Jimson said. "But if I won't be in the way...."
"You won't be in my way," said Russell. "Here." He handed Jimson a square of clear plastic. "This'll get you onto the Flight Field."
Leiko glanced at it. "It looks like a navigator's I-disc," she said.
"It is," Russell said. "It's mine. But all I need is this." He touched the Starcaptain's medallion. "An hour, then." He opened the door and was gone through it, leaving a breeze and the smell of the city streets hanging in the room.
Ysao stood up. "I think I'll see you later," he remarked. He left. Leiko looked at Jimson.
"How's your head?"
Jimson felt it carefully. "I believe I'll keep it."
* * *
When Leiko and Jimson arrived at the Field Gate, Russell and Ysao were waiting for them. The green gems were back in Russell's ears. "I've got a bubble," he told them. "Leiko, would you like to take it?"
"Would I!" Leiko was sparkling. She had put on her purple coveralls, neon-bright, and masked her eyes with gold-flecked glitter. "I haven't flown a thing in months!" The bubble looked like one of the city's swinging bubbles, but colorless: round, transparent, and alarming. Jimson used the ceiling bar to pull himself into one of the low and narrow seats. Ysao crammed in beside him. Russell took a front seat.
Leiko swung in last, and settled herself at the pilot's board with a sigh of delight. "Here goes!" Jimson clutched the seat. The little craft shivered and rose straight up in the air.
"Where to, Captain?" Russell reeled off a string of numbers, and the bubble swooped buoyantly away. Jimson clamped his teeth together to keep his insides from getting out. He had a mercifully vague memory of another such ride, on Epsilon Moon—but he'd been drugged, and the damn bubble had been opaque, not clear as a lens! He hoped that no one would suggest he look down.
The bubble dropped to earth. Leiko hopped out. Jimson came out very slowly, feeling as if everything inside had come unstuck. "You get used to it," Russell said compassionately. "This is Morgana ." Jimson surveyed the round pewter-colored thing. Ysao, normally imperturbable, was impatient
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