Free Partnership by Anne McCaffrey, Margaret Ball Page B

"He's heard our plans. If he doesn't join us, he could have some idea of informing...."

    Alpha leaned forward, smiling sweetly. Her teeth looked long and very white against her dark skin. "Oh, you wouldn't do that, would you, Blaize dear?"

    "I wouldn't even think about it," Darnell put in, tapping one pudgy fist against his open palm.

    Fassa licked her lips and smiled like a child anticipat-ing a treat. "This could be interesting" she murmured to no one in particular.

    Blaize glanced around the circle of faces, then looked towards Nancia's titanium column. She kept her silence.
    Nothing had actually happened yet; if these brats attempted violence, she could stop it in seconds with a flood of sleepgas. And Blaize knew that as well as she did. Nancia saw no reason to give up her anonymity just to reassure him. He'd been brave enough when he was picking on Polyon alone; why, for heaven's sake, couldn't he stand up to the rest of them?

    "But then, Blaize never did have the guts to do something as decisive as telling" Polyon dismissed his cousin with a brief nod. "We'll let him think it over...
    all the way to Angalia. It'll be a long couple of weeks, little cousin, with nobody to talk to. And a much longer five years on Angalia. Hope you enjoy life among the veggie-heads. 1 shouldn't think anybody else in the Nyota system will have much to do with you." He swiveled to face the SPACED OUT display, and the other three turned with him.

    "Oh — don't leap to assumptions so fast. I'm with 62

    AnmeMcCaffrey & Margaret Ball

    you, definitely with," Blaize babbled. "There are possibilities — I just haven't had time to think them over yet The coryrium mine, for instance — it hasn't been properly developed — maybe I could get a part interest in that. And PTA makes regular food drops to Angalia, who's to say how much of the food gets distributed to the natives and how much gets transshipped to some place that can pay for it..." He spread his hands and shrugged jerkily. "I'll think of something. You'll see. I'll do as well as any of you!"

    Polyon nodded again. His fist closed over the joyball and Thingberry's jeweled web spiraled down to enclose Asteroidland, trapping the others' play icons in a tissue of glittering strands. "Done, then. Five of us together. Here, we'd better each have a record." He drew a handful of minihedra from the pocket of his Academy grays and dropped them into the datareader. One by one, Alpha, Fassa, Darnell and Blaize identified themselves by hand and retina print and spoke aloud the terms and conditions of the wager they'd agreed to. Polyon retrieved the minihedra after the recording was over and handed one faceted black polyhedron to each of them, keeping the last for himself "Better store them someplace safe," he suggested.
    Fassa clipped her minihedron inside a silver wire cage that hung from her charm bracelet among tinkling bells and glittering bits of carved prismawood.
    She alone seemed in no particular hurry to escape Polyon's influence; while the others jostled to reach the exit door, Fassa fiddled with her charm bracelet and tried out the shining black minihedron in various places, as if her only concern was to see where it would show to best advantage.

    As Alpha, Darnell and Blaize left the central cabin, Nancia wondered whether Polyon's quick actions and mesmerizing personality had made them forget that he alone, of the five, had not recorded his intentions PARTNERSHIP

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    on the minihedra. Or were they simply afraid to challenge him?

    that it mattered. She had the entire scene recorded. From several angles.

    "You'll see," Blaize repeated over his shoulder as he left. TH do better than any of you."

    "Small time, little man," Alpha sneered on her way down the corridor, "small-time plans for a small person. You'll be the loser, but who cares? Somebody has to lose."

    "She's wrong, you know," Polyon commented to Fassa. "Four of you have to lose. There'll be only one winner in this