to ask."
"No, it's too
damned much." Kole jumped up and marched into the other room.
Tarl looked
confused. "Did you two...?"
"No. But Kole
would have liked to."
"Ah, I see.
Then I agree with him. You can't expect him to -"
"All right!"
Tassin flung up her hands. "Let's just forget it."
Tarl nodded and
sipped his drink.
Chapter Five
Sabre
scrutinised the new clothes he had just donned in the bathroom's
full-length mirror. The pair of stretchy black trousers was similar
to standard cyber issue, and silver shin guards clad his calves
above narrow boots. A silver-studded belt encircled his waist, and
the vest clung to the contours of his chest. Two slim daggers were
secreted in the silver wrist guards that covered his forearms, and
a pair of lasers was strapped to his thighs. He thought the outfit
was too flashy, and avoided the reflection of his face, unable to
bring himself to look at the brow band. Glancing at the clock on
the bedroom wall, he discovered that he only had two minutes left
and cursed.
Kole stood
frowning at a painting in the lounge, holding a drink. The blond
man's brows rose when he glanced at Sabre.
"Well, the
Overlord's got you dressed like a dandy, doesn't he?"
"Dandy?"
"Fop.
Overdressed playboy. Rich idiot trying to impress -"
"I get the
picture."
Kole sipped his
drink. "Where are you rushing off to?"
"Overlord
Ravian asked me to meet him. I don't know why."
"Asked? Or
ordered?"
"I'm working
for him now."
"Wow, really?
What's the pay like?"
Sabre frowned.
"Pay?"
"Remuneration,
salary, lolly, boodle, dosh... money."
"That wasn't
mentioned."
"Well perhaps
you should mention it, then. If he's not paying you, that makes you
a slave."
"No it doesn't.
I'm free to leave whenever I wish."
"Are you?" Kole
strolled closer. "Be careful that you haven't escaped one prison
only to put yourself in another."
"That will
never happen."
"Sometimes
these things can just sneak up on you."
Sabre swung
away and headed for the door, finding a crewman waiting outside to
guide him to the Overlord's apartments.
A veiled,
black-clad man awaited him in a black room hung with swathes of
artistically draped white silk. Circular windows on one side gave a
view of stars, and glowing light spheres hovered under the ceiling.
Several tasselled rugs appeared to be woven from genuine
grey-striped white traba-hair, a rare yak-like beast that dwelt
only on a remote moon orbiting a dead, formally inhabited planet
whose star was on the verge of going supernova. The beasts had
adapted to the extreme cold of their almost airless world, and the
rugs were priceless. Sabre approached the man, glancing around for
Ravian.
"Where's
Overlord Ravian?"
"I am he," the
veiled man said in a strange, sexless voice.
Sabre stopped
in surprise, realising that Tassin and the others had only seen
this disguise, and that was why they had assumed Ravian was a man.
A glance at the scanner information confirmed that Ravian was, in
fact, female. Ravian faced Sabre for several seconds, apparently
studying him, then nodded.
"You look very
fine."
"Why am I here,
dressed like this?"
"You'll see."
Ravian gestured, and the curtains on the far side of the room
parted. A short, balding middle-aged man with pudgy features and
slanted brown eyes entered, glancing around with a tense, uncertain
expression. He wore a pale grey, seamless suit with a flame-like
red insignia on the right side of his chest. Sabre frowned at the
sight of it, but assumed a guard stance beside Ravian, clasping his
hands behind his back. The man approached her, his eyes darting to
Sabre and widening a fraction before he hid his surprise. He
stopped a metre away and bowed.
"Overlord
Ravian; I am honoured to meet you."
"Chief
Executive Atrashka. The feeling is not mutual."
Atrashka
shifted, looking uncomfortable, and, after several pregnant
moments, forced a stiff smile. "I see you have the benefit of one
of our products, grade A, of course. Had you asked, I
"No, it's too
damned much." Kole jumped up and marched into the other room.
Tarl looked
confused. "Did you two...?"
"No. But Kole
would have liked to."
"Ah, I see.
Then I agree with him. You can't expect him to -"
"All right!"
Tassin flung up her hands. "Let's just forget it."
Tarl nodded and
sipped his drink.
Chapter Five
Sabre
scrutinised the new clothes he had just donned in the bathroom's
full-length mirror. The pair of stretchy black trousers was similar
to standard cyber issue, and silver shin guards clad his calves
above narrow boots. A silver-studded belt encircled his waist, and
the vest clung to the contours of his chest. Two slim daggers were
secreted in the silver wrist guards that covered his forearms, and
a pair of lasers was strapped to his thighs. He thought the outfit
was too flashy, and avoided the reflection of his face, unable to
bring himself to look at the brow band. Glancing at the clock on
the bedroom wall, he discovered that he only had two minutes left
and cursed.
Kole stood
frowning at a painting in the lounge, holding a drink. The blond
man's brows rose when he glanced at Sabre.
"Well, the
Overlord's got you dressed like a dandy, doesn't he?"
"Dandy?"
"Fop.
Overdressed playboy. Rich idiot trying to impress -"
"I get the
picture."
Kole sipped his
drink. "Where are you rushing off to?"
"Overlord
Ravian asked me to meet him. I don't know why."
"Asked? Or
ordered?"
"I'm working
for him now."
"Wow, really?
What's the pay like?"
Sabre frowned.
"Pay?"
"Remuneration,
salary, lolly, boodle, dosh... money."
"That wasn't
mentioned."
"Well perhaps
you should mention it, then. If he's not paying you, that makes you
a slave."
"No it doesn't.
I'm free to leave whenever I wish."
"Are you?" Kole
strolled closer. "Be careful that you haven't escaped one prison
only to put yourself in another."
"That will
never happen."
"Sometimes
these things can just sneak up on you."
Sabre swung
away and headed for the door, finding a crewman waiting outside to
guide him to the Overlord's apartments.
A veiled,
black-clad man awaited him in a black room hung with swathes of
artistically draped white silk. Circular windows on one side gave a
view of stars, and glowing light spheres hovered under the ceiling.
Several tasselled rugs appeared to be woven from genuine
grey-striped white traba-hair, a rare yak-like beast that dwelt
only on a remote moon orbiting a dead, formally inhabited planet
whose star was on the verge of going supernova. The beasts had
adapted to the extreme cold of their almost airless world, and the
rugs were priceless. Sabre approached the man, glancing around for
Ravian.
"Where's
Overlord Ravian?"
"I am he," the
veiled man said in a strange, sexless voice.
Sabre stopped
in surprise, realising that Tassin and the others had only seen
this disguise, and that was why they had assumed Ravian was a man.
A glance at the scanner information confirmed that Ravian was, in
fact, female. Ravian faced Sabre for several seconds, apparently
studying him, then nodded.
"You look very
fine."
"Why am I here,
dressed like this?"
"You'll see."
Ravian gestured, and the curtains on the far side of the room
parted. A short, balding middle-aged man with pudgy features and
slanted brown eyes entered, glancing around with a tense, uncertain
expression. He wore a pale grey, seamless suit with a flame-like
red insignia on the right side of his chest. Sabre frowned at the
sight of it, but assumed a guard stance beside Ravian, clasping his
hands behind his back. The man approached her, his eyes darting to
Sabre and widening a fraction before he hid his surprise. He
stopped a metre away and bowed.
"Overlord
Ravian; I am honoured to meet you."
"Chief
Executive Atrashka. The feeling is not mutual."
Atrashka
shifted, looking uncomfortable, and, after several pregnant
moments, forced a stiff smile. "I see you have the benefit of one
of our products, grade A, of course. Had you asked, I
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