Free A Brother's Debt by Karl Jones

as he had sorted a few other things.
    It didn’t take him long to complete those messages, though it was long enough for him to finish the energy bar he had filled his mouth with. Since his mouth was empty, and he could talk again, he put a call through to Carboni’s local business to arrange collection of the two cargo containers he had brought from Jum Palt.
    The coms unit beeped to indicate he had an incoming transmission as he was dealing with the rest of his cargo, on which he had realised a profit of just over one and a half thousand credits, a much better figure than he had expected. After he had completed the call he was already on Step accepted the incoming call, wondering as he did who could be contacting him; he half expected it to be the BSS again.
    “Good afternoon, Captain Velkin, forgive me for contacting you out of the blue like this, my name is Grange Dollier. I am an acquaintance of Ettore Carboni and would like to discuss some business with you.”
    The mention of business from an acquaintance of Carboni’s didn’t please Step. He was unhappy enough with the job Carboni had given him, and the thought that there would be more before his debt was repaid, without being asked to do jobs for his friends as well. He had enough sense to realise an outright refusal wasn’t a good idea however.
    Until he repaid Carboni he had little choice about certain things in his life, if he wanted to continue having one.
    “How can I help you, Mr Dollier?” Step asked, keeping a lid on his thoughts and schooling his features so they revealed nothing. It was a trick he had learned in the navy to avoid letting superior officers know what he felt about the pointless or dangerous missions they ordered him on.
    “I prefer not to discuss my business over an unsecured coms line; I’m sure a navy man like yourself can appreciate that.” Since a response seemed to be expected of him Step nodded. “Good. Why don’t we meet at my restaurant, we can have a bite to eat while we discuss business.
    “No need for you to worry about trying to find it, I’ve sent a car to pick you up, it should be there shortly.” With that the connection was cut, leaving Step sitting there, feeling a little like the air had been knocked out of him. Even if he had wanted to decline the invitation he had been given no opportunity to do so.
    Once he recovered Step pushed himself up from the pilot’s chair. Based on the clothes worn by Grange Dollier his current outfit wouldn’t be suitable for his restaurant, not that his other clothes were much better, nonetheless he was sure he could find something a little more presentable.
    It didn’t take him long to clean himself up and change into his best outfit, but by the time he had the car Grange Dollier had sent for him was waiting. A little nervous he locked up the ship and settled into the rear of the car, which immediately set off across the spaceport to the exit.

 
    Chapter Sixteen
     
     
     
    The drive lasted for almost thirty minutes, long enough for the car to reach the other side of Barth City by Step’s reckoning, and when it came to a stop he climbed out. Step assumed they had reached the restaurant, though the driver didn’t say; he hadn’t spoken a single word the entire drive. Almost before he had closed the door the car sped away, leaving him in front of what appeared to be a rather seedy diner. It wasn’t anything like he had expected based on Grange Dollier’s appearance on the coms screen.
    Uncertainly Step approached the entrance, and when the doors swung open before him he walked through. On the other side of the doors was a surprise. While the exterior looked like a diner that was in decline, inside was a restaurant whose lobby was decorated richly enough that it was worth more than Gambler’s Luck had been when the ship was new. Step didn’t even want to think what the rest of the furnishings, when he saw them, were worth.
    He mentally calculated that he could have paid