the night’s occupations, and his hair was hanging down around his face in your basic tousled mop.
I wondered who he was when he was to home. He hadn’t chatted much to the Justiciary computer. Despite all we’d meant to each other, I still didn’t even know his name. On the plus side, he didn’t look any toodamn bent out of shape with me. It’d be a real shame if something that decorative bought real estate, and Paladin would sign Tiggy’s lease for sure if he iced me.
Try breathing sometime in a ship with the lock jammed open and the atmosphere venting. It’s nice to have friends.
"Hey, hellflower," I said, breaking the seal on the box. "You got a name? T’name-je, bai? Namaste’amo?"
Tiggy stood up. You got the impression he’d just been waiting to be asked. "I am the Honorable Puer Walks-by-Night Kennor’s-son Starbringer Amrath Valijon of Chernbereth-Molkath."
"Butterfly, we are in very deep trouble." Paladin could see and hear Tiggy now the same way he could me-through the pickups in Firecat’s hull.
"Fung wa?" I said. "Would you mind repeating that?" I said carefully to the hellflower in my best Interphon. He did. It came out the same way it had before: Honorable walks by night and the whole rest of it. My little hole card was more than just a problem. He was more than just any old poor little rich killer.
"Valijon Starbringer is cousin to the alMayne king, Amrath Starborn, and son of the alMayne delegate to the Court of the TwiceBorn, Kennor Starbringer. Kennor Starbringer is also the president of the Azarine Coalition."
Thank you, Paladin. That pedigree made Tiggy bad news. Daddy Starbringer was the law west of the Chullite Stars, the heat, the fuzz, the legitimates, the galactic agent of His Imperial Majesty (Entropy bless and keep him far away from me). In short, Tiggy was nobody and the son of nobody this simple ‘legger, dicty-barb, and companion to Libraries wanted to have to do with.
"Not?" I said hopefully.
"I am the Third Person of House Starborn. My father is the Delegate to the Imperium. His sister’s bond-sister’s son is Amrath Starborn, FirstLeader of the Gentle People. The alMayne consular ship Pledge Of Honor," Tiggy went on in mildly conversational tones, "is currently orbiting the chaudatu -planet. I am a member of the Delegate-my-father’s staff. And my people are looking for me, chaudatu-Captain."
3
Third Person Peculiar
Tiggy Stardust nee Valijon Starbringer looked at me. I looked at him. He showed me his teeth, and I remembered for how many human races a smile wasn’t a smile.
So I had a drink. Then I had another drink. Tiggy had a drink too, and said I should call him "Honored One."
I wondered why t’hell he hadn’t mentioned his interesting family to Wanderweb Justiciary when they’d brought him in, and said so. He said it was a matter of honor.
Honor. Hah. I knew for damn sure the alMayne would of fried Wanderweb to bare rock once they found Tiggy dead and I bet Tiggy would of thought the joke was worth it.
I took another hit off the box of burntwine and left it with him, since he seemed to appreciate the bennies of a fine vintage neurotoxin, and tottered back up to the mercy seat. When I lowered the cockpit through the hull again Wanderweb was still down there, looking peaceful.
I could tell Pally was just waiting to have words with me, which was damn considerate since he could have any words he wanted and I couldn’t say no never-you-mind. I put my Best Girl’s extra ears on and started listening for ID beacons. Tiggy’d been downside in a shuttle, and it had to come from somewhere. Maybe somewhere’d be glad to have him back.
"The authorities will call it kidnapping, you know," Paladin said in my ear. Considerate of him not to use the bulkhead speakers. I looked around. Tiggy was sitting in the back of the hold with burntwine and blaster looking as stubborn and patient as a cat I’d used to have. "What authorities?" I finally said.
I wondered who he was when he was to home. He hadn’t chatted much to the Justiciary computer. Despite all we’d meant to each other, I still didn’t even know his name. On the plus side, he didn’t look any toodamn bent out of shape with me. It’d be a real shame if something that decorative bought real estate, and Paladin would sign Tiggy’s lease for sure if he iced me.
Try breathing sometime in a ship with the lock jammed open and the atmosphere venting. It’s nice to have friends.
"Hey, hellflower," I said, breaking the seal on the box. "You got a name? T’name-je, bai? Namaste’amo?"
Tiggy stood up. You got the impression he’d just been waiting to be asked. "I am the Honorable Puer Walks-by-Night Kennor’s-son Starbringer Amrath Valijon of Chernbereth-Molkath."
"Butterfly, we are in very deep trouble." Paladin could see and hear Tiggy now the same way he could me-through the pickups in Firecat’s hull.
"Fung wa?" I said. "Would you mind repeating that?" I said carefully to the hellflower in my best Interphon. He did. It came out the same way it had before: Honorable walks by night and the whole rest of it. My little hole card was more than just a problem. He was more than just any old poor little rich killer.
"Valijon Starbringer is cousin to the alMayne king, Amrath Starborn, and son of the alMayne delegate to the Court of the TwiceBorn, Kennor Starbringer. Kennor Starbringer is also the president of the Azarine Coalition."
Thank you, Paladin. That pedigree made Tiggy bad news. Daddy Starbringer was the law west of the Chullite Stars, the heat, the fuzz, the legitimates, the galactic agent of His Imperial Majesty (Entropy bless and keep him far away from me). In short, Tiggy was nobody and the son of nobody this simple ‘legger, dicty-barb, and companion to Libraries wanted to have to do with.
"Not?" I said hopefully.
"I am the Third Person of House Starborn. My father is the Delegate to the Imperium. His sister’s bond-sister’s son is Amrath Starborn, FirstLeader of the Gentle People. The alMayne consular ship Pledge Of Honor," Tiggy went on in mildly conversational tones, "is currently orbiting the chaudatu -planet. I am a member of the Delegate-my-father’s staff. And my people are looking for me, chaudatu-Captain."
3
Third Person Peculiar
Tiggy Stardust nee Valijon Starbringer looked at me. I looked at him. He showed me his teeth, and I remembered for how many human races a smile wasn’t a smile.
So I had a drink. Then I had another drink. Tiggy had a drink too, and said I should call him "Honored One."
I wondered why t’hell he hadn’t mentioned his interesting family to Wanderweb Justiciary when they’d brought him in, and said so. He said it was a matter of honor.
Honor. Hah. I knew for damn sure the alMayne would of fried Wanderweb to bare rock once they found Tiggy dead and I bet Tiggy would of thought the joke was worth it.
I took another hit off the box of burntwine and left it with him, since he seemed to appreciate the bennies of a fine vintage neurotoxin, and tottered back up to the mercy seat. When I lowered the cockpit through the hull again Wanderweb was still down there, looking peaceful.
I could tell Pally was just waiting to have words with me, which was damn considerate since he could have any words he wanted and I couldn’t say no never-you-mind. I put my Best Girl’s extra ears on and started listening for ID beacons. Tiggy’d been downside in a shuttle, and it had to come from somewhere. Maybe somewhere’d be glad to have him back.
"The authorities will call it kidnapping, you know," Paladin said in my ear. Considerate of him not to use the bulkhead speakers. I looked around. Tiggy was sitting in the back of the hold with burntwine and blaster looking as stubborn and patient as a cat I’d used to have. "What authorities?" I finally said.
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