“What if you implant it in one of our team members, and that member leaves the team?” Quasar asked, probably thinking about Druck.

  “No problem,” Miklas replied. “Use the control center to disconnect and reconnect comms to the mesh network or delete them permanently.”

  Shaq remained out of sight, but his hand scraped against my chest in what felt like a knock. “Can you implant them in non-humans?” I asked. He stopped immediately.

  “As long as their ear is large enough to house the device, we can put it in anyone or anything.”

  “How much?”

  “A set of six is eighteen thousand electro.”

  “Three thousand each?” Alter said. “Forget it.”

  “A little too rich for you. Understood. But, let me just remind you that these are custom built. No one else in the Spiral has this technology in their ear.”

  “Probably because they know three thousand is a rip-off,” Alter answered. “A regular twelve-sixty goes for eight hundred.”

  Miklos did his best to smile. “Well, you know your comm devices. Lovely. A lot of work went into the creation, including the additional software functionality, which I wrote myself. Surely that has some value to you.”

  “Eighteen hundred,” Alter said. “Take it or leave it.”

  Miklos grimaced. “Two thousand.”

  “Bye,” she replied, turning around. “Ben, we should go.”

  “Wait!” Miklos said. “I could be convinced to lower the price further depending on the total size of your purchase. Is there anything else I have that might interest you?”

  “What’s that disc thing the Niflin was looking at?” I asked.

  “I’m glad you asked,” Miklos replied, returning to the other table to retrieve the disc. He held it out to me. “This is an undetectable tracking device that connects securely through the hypernet, allowing you to find anything you attach it to anywhere there’s a hypernet link.”

  “You’re lying,” Alter said. “No such thing exists.”

  “Of course it does. The hypernet exists, doesn’t it? The problem, before now I should say, is that basic antennas are too big for a package this size.”

  “They also draw too much power. You said yours is undetectable.”

  “Correct. My assistant and I have trimmed the power consumption by ninety percent, while also shrinking a standard hypercom antenna by about the same amount.”

  “Why didn’t you sell that to one of the Duchy then? If it does what you say, it would be worth a fortune.”

  “The Hegemony has no love of Miklos ever since that fateful day when I was transformed.” He waved his hand in front of his face again. “I stay away from the light for my safety. But of course, you benefit. Each disc is only three thousand. I have twelve available.”

  “You told the Niflin two thousand,” I said.

  “Did I?” Miklos said, feigning surprise.

  “You were only standing a few feet away. I could hear you.”

  He tried to smile again. “Two thousand each then, if you’re interested.”

  “Eighteen hundred each for four of them,” Alter said. “Eighteen hundred each for the comms. Plus implantation.”

  “Is there anything else you need?”

  “What about security bypass devices?” I suggested. “Something to get around biometric scanning, or to open sealed doors. That kind of thing.”

  He put up his finger. “Hold that thought, I think I have what you need.” Moving to another case, he pulled a larger, thicker disc from a case and flipped it at me. I caught it clean. “This won’t bypass software security, but it will short the electronics of the panel plus counter the electromagnetic locking mechanism.”

  “What if the door doesn’t use electromagnetic locks?”

  “Then you have a very old door, like the ones upstairs. In which case, if you have any skills at all you should be able to get through it on your own.”

  “Is that the best you can do?”

  “It’s not generally a high-demand piece of kit. Most people who need to get through a door tend to find it simpler to blow it up. Ruffians.”

  “It could still come in handy,” Quasar said. “How about night-vision, or other visual enhancements?”

  “I like the way you think,” Miklos said. “That, I can provide. Look at this.” He danced to another of his cases and removed another display. A pair of contact lenses rested on black velvet. “These provide automated filters based on an artificial intelligence I wrote myself. They’ll adjust to low-light situations, as well as provide targeting assistance if they detect you’re holding a gun. They can also estimate size and weight and aid in visual identification of starships at greater range.”

  “That’s unbelievable,” I said.

  “They are amazing,” Miklos agreed.

  “How much?” Alter asked.

  “Fifty thousand per pair.”

  “What?”

  “They’re the most expensive thing I have. Rare, but also incredibly valuable to certain individuals.”

  “We can’t afford that,” I said, disappointed. “How much for the door things?”

  “Six hundred each. I have fifty in stock.”

  “We’ll take ten of those at five hundred, four trackers for eighteen hundred, and the comms at eighteen hundred.”

  Miklos strummed his fingers together. “Hmm, you drive a hard bargain. But I did come here to make a profit, so you have a deal.”

  “Great!” I said as he picked his PHD out of his robes. I took out the phone and accepted his bill of sale after he input it, transferring the electro. “How will we do the implants?”

  “I can have my assistant install them now, if you’d like?”

  “We’re still waiting on a couple of team members,” Alter said. “And we have some other business. Can we come back?”

  “Of course, of course. A pleasure doing business with you. Shall I hold the rest of your purchase while I wait for your return?”

  “Yes, thank you,” I said, turning to Alter. “You want to go back up and down those steps again?”

  “You should be fit enough to do it by now,” she replied. “Or I can carry you.”

  I stared at her, confused until she cracked a smile. I smiled back. I wasn’t used to her trying to be funny. “You probably could.” I picked up the scent of the meat again. “I’ve got unfinished business back that way. Zar, can you find Matt and Druck and ask them to join us here?”

  “Sure,” she replied. “After you feed me.”

  I grinned and nodded. We were all starting to relax a little bit and enjoy the time off the ship. The closer I got to visiting Gyer, the better I felt too. This was the happiest I had been since Matt and I bought Head Case.

  “Good call,” I said. We headed back to the food stall. The large man behind it glanced up at me. “In the mood for a bit of tasty meat?”

  “Definitely,” I replied.

  “Three electro per cut, my friend.”

  I glanced at Alter. “Do you want one?” I knew she wouldn’t get any sustenance from it, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want a taste, if only to appear normal.

  “No, thank you.”

  “I’ll take two,” I said, pulling out the phone as he retrieved his PHD. A quick request and confirmation passed the money, and he used a piece of paper to snatch the cuts off their spits and wrap them up. “What kind of meat is this, anyway?”

  “Wild borrell,” he answered. “Not the farmed version like you see in the streets.”

  “You mean the lizards?”

  “Borrell. That’s right.” He passed me the cuts. I handed one to Quasar, pulling the wrapper back so I could take a bite.

  “Earthian.”

  The voice behind me was immediately familiar. I turned slowly, one hand holding the meat, the other stretching toward my blaster. “Daft Punk remix,” I said. The Niflin who had confronted Keep right after we bought Head Case. “I thought the galaxy was a lot bigger than this.”

  “It seems we have the same tastes.”

  “You mean the snack?” I asked. “It’s on me, if you want one.”

  His head shifted, eying my blaster. “I wouldn’t. The bazaar is neutral ground. Conflict will be punished swiftly. And severely.” He pointed to one of the furry guards nearby, who was already watching the exchange.

  “Thanks for the advice. What do you want?”

  “From you? Nothing. I’m down here to purchase necessities, just like you. My subordinate told me you were here. I thought I would make myself known to you.”

  “If you’re trying to intimidate me, it’s not working.”

  “Are you sure?”

  That’s what I said, but in reality, he was right. It was working. He wanted me to know he was here because that also meant Sedaya was here, in spirit if not in person. It also implied that he had known we would be here sooner or later.

  I did my best to stay calm, even as panic began setting in. “Well, enjoy your shopping. Are you sure you don’t want some borrell? It’s wild, not that shit they have outside.”

  The seller chuckled roughly behind me.

  “My people don’t eat animals. It’s disgusting,” the Niflin replied.

  “Your loss.” I took a bite of the meat. It was like butter in my mouth. So good. Definitely his loss. “See you around,” I said with my mouth full, turning my back on him.

  “You should watch that,” he said.

  “Watch what?” I asked over my shoulder.

  “Your back, Earthian. I’ll be seeing you. Soon.”

  A fresh shiver ran down my spine, but I refused to let him see how it affected me.

  “We might have a problem,” I whispered to Alter as we walked away.

  “Like he admitted, he can’t touch us here,” she replied. “Not that he’d survive long if he tried.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  “Then what are you talking about, Ben?”

  “He can’t touch us, but what about Gyer?”

  “Why would he bother Gyer? Sedaya doesn’t know your condition.”

  I grimaced, my face flushing. “What if he does?”

  “How would he?”

  “Remember when Matt and I called him to see if he wanted to buy the Star? I might have told him I had cancer.”

  “You what?” she hissed.

  “And now his mercenaries are here, and they were obviously—”

  “We need to get upstairs. Quasar, please find Matt and Druck and meet us outside. Ben, come on!”

  “What about all the stuff we just bought?”

  “Forget about it, let’s go.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Alter grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the bridge. Quasar ran with us, splitting from us when we reached the other side. With a side-glance, I watched her sprint toward the mech, the bazaar’s guards watching her and shifting their rifles to a more ready position.

  We charged to the door leading out of the bazaar. The guard there moved in front of it, blocking us.

  “Why are you running?” he asked, his English thick and hard to understand. It came out more like a long growl than individual words.

  “We need to go topside,” Alter replied. “I’m worried about Gyer.”

  “He is in danger?”

  “He might be. Please, move aside.”

  The guard stepped out of the way, pulling the door open for us as he moved. We raced through and began the long climb at full speed.

  Alter pulled ahead of me immediately, gaining more distance from me as we ascended. By the time I reached the top of the steps, she was leaning against the wall, looking impatient.

  “I—” I panted, so winded from the long climb I couldn’t speak. I had forgotten I wasn’t supposed to anyway.

  Alter went to put her hand over my mouth, stopping when I quit speaking. She shook her head, warning me to keep quiet. I didn’t understand the custom of not talking inside, but it wasn’t my place to question it. I nodded and she moved her hand away.

  Together, we hurried from the excavated apartments and out into the street. I nearly stumbled. “I can’t run anymore,” I said, leaning over to brace my hands on my knees. My head had already started spinning, and I could barely stay upright.

  “I’ll go ahead without you,” she replied.

  “No,” I said. “I know you’re a badass, but Daft Punk knows you’re a badass too. You might be running right into a trap, and you don’t want to do that alone.”

  She surprised me by not arguing. “Okay.” She looked around, spotting something further down the street that caught her attention. “I’ll be right back.”

  Before I could respond, she took off, racing toward a building a few streets down.

  “What is this about Gyer being in trouble?” Gramma’na asked as she emerged from the apartment.

  I turned to her. “Duke Sedaya. He hates me. And he figured out I was coming here to seek treatment. One of his favorite mercenaries is here. He threatened me in the bazaar.”

  Gramma’na’s face hardened. “I see. The Duke should know better than to start trouble this far from his borders. What are you to him, that he’s so desperate to harm you?”

  “I’m nobody,” I answered. “Just a kid who bought a starship.”

  She smiled. “Aren’t those always the ones who get into the most mischief? If Gyer is in trouble, why are you standing here? And where’s Jasana’sa?”

  “I can’t run anymore. Dizzy. She—”

  A cacophony of high-pitched chatter cut me off. Shaq clawed me through my shirt, uncomfortable with the sound. He climbed up my jacket to see what had caused it.

  “A Jagger?” Gramma’na said. “You have a Jagger?”

  I ignored her, transfixed as a line of borell appeared from the general area where Alter had disappeared. They rounded the corner and ran toward us, hissing and gnashing at one another and pulling an open wagon behind them. Alter sat on the driver’s seat next to the apparent owner.

  Gramma’na cackled beside me. “Good old Keith. There’s our ride.”

  “Our ride?” I asked.

  “If Gyer’s in trouble, I aim to help him.” She glared back at my stare. “What? You think I’m too old? I’ll whip your ass all the way back to the spaceport.”

  “No, you definitely aren’t too old.”

  The wagon stopped in front of us at the same time Matt, Druck, and Quasar came running out of the apartments

  “Ben!” Matt said. “What the heck is going on?”

  “No time to explain,” I answered. “Get in the wagon.” They complied.

  I turned to help Gramma’na climb the wooden steps into the wagon behind them, but she shoved me aside with her cane and scrambled up them, as agile as anyone. I wouldn’t make that mistake a second time.

  As soon as I was seated on one of the three benches, Alter signaled the driver. He shouted and snapped the reins on the borell’s rump, sending it scrambling back into motion. It took them half the length of the block to pick up speed, and then we were racing through the streets of Birilli, rocketing around the corner so hard we had to lean to one side to keep the wagon from tipping.

  “Move aside!” the driver roared at the pedestrians crossing the street in front of them. “Move aside!”

  Residents and visitors alike jumped out of the way, barely avoiding the snapping teeth of the borrell. We went a few blocks and turned left again, and then after a few more blocks, we made a right. Most of the streets were relatively quiet, though I could see a lot of activity around some of the domed buildings and storefronts. The patrons stared at us as we hurried past. I could only wonder what they thought of our misfit crew.

  The wagon reached the outskirts of the city, where the buildings were smaller and more spread out. Keeping my eyes peeled for signs of Sedaya’s Neflin, I didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. Neither did anyone else. Our ride slowed to a stop. Alter jumped off the seat before it had fully come to a rest, head whipping around in every direction.

  “Gyer’s place,” Gramma’na said, pointing her cane at a metal door leading into a smaller domed house surrounded by similar buildings. “Everything looks okay.”

  “Maybe the Niflin really did just come to shop,” Quasar suggested.

  I climbed out of the wagon, Matt right behind me.

  “Zar, Druck, wait out here,” he said. “Shout if there’s trouble.”

  “Yes, sir,” they both said.

  “Shaq, why don’t you wait here too? Maybe take a lookout position on the roof.”

  “Yes, sir,” he buzzed, leaping from my shoulder to the building and easily scaling it to the top.

  Alter approached the door with Gramma’na. The older woman used the back of her cane to knock. “Gyer, you in there, boy?”

  No reply.

  “He may be at the saloon,” Gramma’na said. “He goes there a lot. More like, too much.” She knocked again.

  No reply.

  “Do you have a key?” Alter asked.

  “Me? Nope. Gyer doesn’t like me that much.”

  “Shaq,” I called, as quietly as I could. “Do you see a way in? A chimney or something?”

  He put up a hand, asking me to wait while he scampered around the top of the dome, vanishing on the far side. I started to worry about him after almost a minute passed, but then I heard the sound of the door unlocking. Alter pulled it open. Shaq jumped off the end of the counter beside the door and stood on the floor inside.

  “Nice work, buddy,” I said.

  “Anytime,” he buzzed back.

  Alter went in first. The dome had been split into at least three rooms. The first, a living area, clean and neat, with a cloth sofa, a chair, and a couple of tables. Nothing special. The second room, through an open doorway on the right, looked like a sterile doctor’s office, with cabinets lining the visible wall. The other room’s door remained closed.