sake. He couldn't enjoy his evening if he had Marines hulking over him. "I suppose I can contact Ricki. Tell her that General Fitz McLane insists I bring his thugs with me. Ah. My apology. I have problem with English. I mean bodyguard."
"Can it, Valdoria." Fitz sounded as irritated as Del felt with him. It just annoyed Del more. Fitz could have activated the visual. Leaving Del staring at nothing was another way of Fitz asserting his authority.
After a while, Del said, "General?"
"I'm sending Mac Tyler to meet you," Fitz said. "With the flycar and guards."
Del blinked. "All right." Mac he could deal with.
* * *
"That isn't the point!" Mac looked as if he wanted to shake Del. They were sitting in the back seat of the flycar. The night sped by outside the window behind Mac, sparkling with gold and white lights as they soared over the city.
"I don't care about the damn guards," Mac said. "They can't protect you from the real danger. She's a barracuda, Del. She'll devour you."
Del smiled. "I have no idea what is barracuda."
"It's a vicious fish with big jaws that eats little fish."
Del was relaxed on the other end of the seat. It was a nice car, upholstered in ruddy colors with comfortable cushions. The pilot and a Marine were up front, pretending they couldn't hear every word Mac and Del said.
"Ricki," Del told him, "is definitely not a fish."
"Quit smirking like a tomcat licking his chops," Mac told him. "And don't say you don't know what that means. You figured it out the first time you saw one of those cats prowling around the base. You've been on a farm your whole life, Del, surrounded by sweet country girls. You have no idea what you're letting yourself in for if you meet Ricki tonight."
Del couldn't help but laugh. "If anyone but you say that to me, I probably sock him in the face. What, you think I am some innocent she can shred? I have a flash for you. Us farm folk are not so naive as you think." In a less amused voice, he added, "And I was never sweet."
Mac let out a breath. "If I gave insult, I apologize. But I would tell anyone this. Stay away from her."
"Why?" Del asked, genuinely curious. "What you think she will do to me?"
"She'll use you like a new toy," Mac said. "When she gets tired of you, she'll drop you faster than a child drops a glass vase. She won't care what breaks."
Del shrugged. "I'm going to meet a beautiful, intriguing woman for a night. Nothing more. I don't want anything more." After a moment, he said, "I am not capable of more."
Mac answered quietly. "You're capable of a great deal."
Del didn't want to talk about it. "Maybe she really just want to talk business."
"Yeah, right."
"You never know."
"Del, listen. She moves in a crowd you want to stay away from. They're beautiful, fast-living, wealthy--and toxic. The drugs alone will scorch your brain, and that doesn't touch the other bizarre stuff they're into."
Del's good mood faded. "The drugs don't matter. Not the alcohol, either. Neither affects me."
Mac didn't look the least convinced. "I don't care how high your tolerance is. Anyone can get drilled."
Del really didn't want to go into this. But he owed it to Mac, who had changed his life today and agreed to negotiate for him despite how much he wanted Del to refuse that contract. Del knew. Mac's apprehension had been so strong, it had come through even when Del had his empathic shields at full force.
Del switched into the Skolian Flag so he wouldn't struggle as much just to speak. "I don't have a high tolerance. I can't get drunk, and certain drugs don't affect me, particularly Metropoli-line hallucinogens and neuro-psillic amphetamines. I carry several nanomed series in my body that deactivate drugs and alcohol."
Mac stared at him. "Is that why you didn't want our doctors examining you more?"
Del shifted his weight. "Yes, partly."
"Aren't those treatments dangerous? They might deactivate a chemical your body needs." Mac hesitated. "I thought it was only done for drug
"Can it, Valdoria." Fitz sounded as irritated as Del felt with him. It just annoyed Del more. Fitz could have activated the visual. Leaving Del staring at nothing was another way of Fitz asserting his authority.
After a while, Del said, "General?"
"I'm sending Mac Tyler to meet you," Fitz said. "With the flycar and guards."
Del blinked. "All right." Mac he could deal with.
* * *
"That isn't the point!" Mac looked as if he wanted to shake Del. They were sitting in the back seat of the flycar. The night sped by outside the window behind Mac, sparkling with gold and white lights as they soared over the city.
"I don't care about the damn guards," Mac said. "They can't protect you from the real danger. She's a barracuda, Del. She'll devour you."
Del smiled. "I have no idea what is barracuda."
"It's a vicious fish with big jaws that eats little fish."
Del was relaxed on the other end of the seat. It was a nice car, upholstered in ruddy colors with comfortable cushions. The pilot and a Marine were up front, pretending they couldn't hear every word Mac and Del said.
"Ricki," Del told him, "is definitely not a fish."
"Quit smirking like a tomcat licking his chops," Mac told him. "And don't say you don't know what that means. You figured it out the first time you saw one of those cats prowling around the base. You've been on a farm your whole life, Del, surrounded by sweet country girls. You have no idea what you're letting yourself in for if you meet Ricki tonight."
Del couldn't help but laugh. "If anyone but you say that to me, I probably sock him in the face. What, you think I am some innocent she can shred? I have a flash for you. Us farm folk are not so naive as you think." In a less amused voice, he added, "And I was never sweet."
Mac let out a breath. "If I gave insult, I apologize. But I would tell anyone this. Stay away from her."
"Why?" Del asked, genuinely curious. "What you think she will do to me?"
"She'll use you like a new toy," Mac said. "When she gets tired of you, she'll drop you faster than a child drops a glass vase. She won't care what breaks."
Del shrugged. "I'm going to meet a beautiful, intriguing woman for a night. Nothing more. I don't want anything more." After a moment, he said, "I am not capable of more."
Mac answered quietly. "You're capable of a great deal."
Del didn't want to talk about it. "Maybe she really just want to talk business."
"Yeah, right."
"You never know."
"Del, listen. She moves in a crowd you want to stay away from. They're beautiful, fast-living, wealthy--and toxic. The drugs alone will scorch your brain, and that doesn't touch the other bizarre stuff they're into."
Del's good mood faded. "The drugs don't matter. Not the alcohol, either. Neither affects me."
Mac didn't look the least convinced. "I don't care how high your tolerance is. Anyone can get drilled."
Del really didn't want to go into this. But he owed it to Mac, who had changed his life today and agreed to negotiate for him despite how much he wanted Del to refuse that contract. Del knew. Mac's apprehension had been so strong, it had come through even when Del had his empathic shields at full force.
Del switched into the Skolian Flag so he wouldn't struggle as much just to speak. "I don't have a high tolerance. I can't get drunk, and certain drugs don't affect me, particularly Metropoli-line hallucinogens and neuro-psillic amphetamines. I carry several nanomed series in my body that deactivate drugs and alcohol."
Mac stared at him. "Is that why you didn't want our doctors examining you more?"
Del shifted his weight. "Yes, partly."
"Aren't those treatments dangerous? They might deactivate a chemical your body needs." Mac hesitated. "I thought it was only done for drug
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