Free The Fortress in Orion by Mike Resnick Page B

surprised.
    â€œOn the planet.”
    She shook her head. “No. I heard he was on Belore V last week. I imagine he’s still there.”
    â€œYou’re sure?”
    â€œUnless a countryman has made his bail, and he’s the only one of his kind I’ve ever seen or even heard of.”
    â€œHow many jails has Belore got?”
    â€œJust one,” she replied. “It’s not much more heavily populated than this world.”
    â€œOkay,” he said, getting to his feet. “I’d better get back to the ship and convince them that I actually did come away with information,” he said with a wry smile.
    â€œGood luck,” she said, rising and walking him to the door. “I’ll be watching. So to speak.”
    â€œThanks,” he said. “And I owe you one.”
    â€œMaybe only a half,” she said as he stepped out into the hall.
    He frowned. “A half?”
    â€œHe’s got a shortcoming.”
    Pretorius was about to ask what she was referring to, but the door had already slid shut, and a burly assistant was escorting him to the airlift and then out the door.

9
    Belore V was a dirtball of a planet. Not much grew on it, not many people chose to live on it. The air was a little thin, the gravity a little heavy, the sun a little hot . . . but its location was perfect for a huge gambling emporium that catered to all races. It was almost exactly equidistant between Deluros, Orion, Sett, and the headquarters of four minor alien empires. One had only to look at the spaceport to see the vast array of races that frequented the casino.
    Pretorius set the Goodwill down in that section reserved for ships of its type, about three miles from the small town that encircled the huge building, then had the computer pinpoint the jail.
    â€œYou must be feeling a bit cramped in this ship,” he announced to the others. “Unlike McPherson’s World, there’s actually something for you to do here, so if you want to take a few hours at the casino, grab an upscale meal, or just breathe a little of what passes for fresh air here, go ahead, since I don’t know the next time you’ll have an opportunity to do so.” He turned to Circe. “All except you. I want you with me. And of course Michkag can’t be seen, so you’ll have to stay on the ship.”
    â€œI will remain with him,” announced Djibmet.
    â€œOkay,” said Pandora. “I’ve activated the ship’s security and tied it into the spaceport’s security headquarters, so we’ll be under a double watch while we’re gone—our own and theirs. The password is ‘football.’”
    â€œWhat the hell is football?” asked Snake.
    â€œA human sport from a few thousand years ago,” answered Pandora. “Remember to say it when you touch any part of the ship after we leave it, or you’re going to get one hell of a correction.”
    â€œCorrection?” asked Ortega, frowning.
    â€œShock,” she replied. “Not lethal, but it’ll knock you on your ass for a few minutes.”
    â€œAll right,” said Pretorius as the airlock’s door slid into the hull and a stairway lowered to the ground. “Try not to come back drunk or dead broke.”
    Pandora checked the security one more time, nodded her approval, and Snake and Ortega left the ship. She followed them a moment later, and a driverless vehicle pulled up within seconds, waited for them to enter, and raced off toward the casino.
    â€œYou ready?” asked Pretorius.
    â€œLet’s go,” replied Circe, walking to the airlock.
    They climbed down, and when the ship sensed that they were on the ground the stairway retracted and the airlock was instantly sealed.
    A vehicle appeared almost instantly and paused while they climbed aboard.
    â€œWelcome to Belore V,” it said. “Have you reservations at the hotel?”
    â€œNo,” said