Free Third Watch by Anne McCaffrey Page B

the last they’d see of him.
    “He’s following us,” Khorii told Grimalkin. She had decided she really didn’t like Pircifir all that much. For a moment there, she thought he actually might have sold them. And while Grimalkin’s history showed him to be anything but trustworthy, he had been, for the most part, a nice kitty who had been her friend, or at least seemed to be, for a long time.
    For the first time in her life, she was among supposed allies, all of whom had given her reason to mistrust them. It didn’t exactly frighten her, well, not too much, but it annoyed her that they couldn’t be better behaved, and it also made her rather sad and disappointed. Not even Elviiz was smart and invulnerable anymore. Everything had changed far too much lately to suit her.
    “Yes, and so is his trainer, who is actually his partner,” Grimalkin told her. “While they are watching us, they’re leaving the specimen unguarded.”
    “What does that matter? It’s not ours. Ariin and I read the knowledge of where to find their original planet. Let’s just go there instead.”
    “I want that specimen,” Pircifir said.
    “We noticed,” Ariin snapped.
    “Don’t be difficult. I never meant to leave you behind, and you know very well he could never hold you. All you’d have to do is return to your humanoid guise and convince him he’d been hoaxed, and he wouldn’t even want to keep you.”
    Khorii started to tell him that they couldn’t do that, but Ariin stepped on her foot.
    Grimalkin smoothly intervened. “How do we know that, brother? An unsavory character like that would find some way to recoup his investment. Best get the ladies safely stowed aboard the ship before we continue.”
    “Continue what?” Ariin asked suspiciously.
    “Why, our mission, of course,” he replied.
    “This is our mission, you silly cat,” Ariin snapped, but Grimalkin just grinned an amused grin at her.
    “I realize that. But Pirci and I cannot complete our mission with you hampering us.”
    “It was my mission with Pircifir before you two came along,” Ariin said.
    “Please be more cooperative, or none of us will accomplish anything here,” Pircifir told them.
    Much against Ariin’s will and Khorii’s inclination, the girls returned to the ship, whereupon the two Friends left again.
    “When are you coming back?” Ariin demanded.
    Grimalkin waved his hand. “Sooner or later.” Khorii was reminded of the wave of his Khiindi self’s retreating tail as he sauntered off to do exactly as he pleased.
    As soon as they disappeared, Ariin was back out the hatch.
    “What are you doing?” Khorii asked.
    “Following them, of course. This was my idea, and that cat of yours isn’t going to leave me sitting on a spaceship while he steals it to reingratiate himself with his friends.”
    “We can’t follow them. They’re gone.”
    “Yes, but we know exactly where they’re going, don’t we?”
    “I suppose. They’ll be trying to steal that thing as soon as everyone is asleep.”
    “Of course they will. And they’re bound to run into trouble. The man who owned that thing is as shrewd as they are. The Friends always think they’re smarter than everyone else, and really, they can be so transparent because they never ever give anyone else—not even us—credit for having any brains at all.”
    “You can’t go alone,” Khorii said. “Those streets are not safe. Didn’t you feel that stew of greed and anger and violence all around us?”
    “No, but I have not led the sheltered life that some girls have. I don’t expect everyone to like me and admire me and want to be my friend.”
    “That’s a good thing,” Khorii thought, but mostly to herself. “Nevertheless, if you’re going, I’m going, too.”
    Ariin huffed, but then seemed to reconsider. “Come on then.”
    Khorii followed her, but almost at once wished she hadn’t. The market was emptying by the time they walked back through the gates. People crossed in front