Free Poisoned Pawn by Jaleta Clegg Page A

that,” he protested. “Standard contract. Just sign it.”
    I shifted away from him and continued reading. It was much more than a standard contract. I was basically agreeing to haul his ceramics until the universe ended if I signed it as written. For the same price forever. I picked up the pen. He quivered, eager to see me sign. I crossed out several chunks of small text. His nose twitched.
    “What are you doing?” he demanded.
    “Trial contract,” I answered, writing in additional clauses. “I’ll deliver the three cargoes you currently have in storage, over the next three weeks, and then I’ll contact you to decide if I want to sign something more permanent.”
    He spluttered, outraged to the point where he couldn’t talk. It was an improvement.
    “I’ll charge you the standard delivery fees,” I added, writing a list of charges below the clauses I’d added. “Payable either up front or on delivery, whichever you have arranged.” I signed my name and ship name and put the pen down. “Failure to pay will result in legal action taken on my behalf by the Guild.” Which also meant he’d be blacklisted by the Guild, I could tell he knew that by his sudden gulp.
    “I pay a deposit up front, the rest you collect on delivery,” he said reaching for the contract.
    He took the paper and read through it, especially the parts I’d added. He frowned over the charges. I’d listed them by distance and time as well as cargo weight, since I had no idea where the planets were located, it was the safest way to guarantee I was fair to both of us. He opened his mouth to protest. I just looked at him. He snapped his mouth shut and signed.
    “I’ll expect delivery of the cargo this afternoon,” I said taking my copy of the contract. “The ship is in berth five twenty two. Nice doing business with you.”
    His thin face twitched, his mouth stretched out into something that was almost pleasant. “I admire a sharp dealer, captain, but the contract stipulates that you will arrange for delivery of the cargo from my warehouse to your ship.”
    “It said nothing of the kind,” I answered with my own smile. “But I’ll do it anyway, this once. Good day, Hom Shoot. And thanks for the lunch.” I left him with the bill. He didn’t seem to mind.
    I walked outside the restaurant and called Jasyn. Her com wasn’t answering; I got the out of range message. I tried Clark and got a busy signal. It wasn’t important. I headed back to the ship.
    The streets were crowded, it was lunch time and most of the population seemed to be outside enjoying the sunshine. I picked my way through the crowds, not in any particular hurry. It shouldn’t take long to find a cargo hauler and pick up the ceramics.
    The streets were wide, but designed more for walking than vehicles. Flitters passed constantly overhead. The wide streets had plenty of landing pads as well as low planters full of blooming plants. It was a very pleasant planet.
    I stopped to admire a particularly eye-catching blue flower. Something zinged past my hand. A chip of plascrete snapped off the planter and flipped away. I froze in place. Another chip snapped off and clipped my hand, drawing blood. I stepped to the side, looking for cover. Someone grabbed me in arms hard with muscle and shoved me into an alleyway. He pinned me against the wall. All I could see was green fabric, the same color as my own suit.
    “Stay still,” Clark muttered.
    “I can’t breathe,” I muttered back. He let me go, barely. I slid to the side, staying close to the wall.
    He had his back to me and a small gun in his hand, watching the street beyond the alley. I shifted farther into the shadows. I watched the street, past the blue flowers. I caught sight of two men in dark outfits moving purposefully towards us.
    “We’ve got company,” I said.
    “I see them,” Clark answered. He’d transformed into a cold professional, voice precise and eyes hard as stone. He handled his gun with a very