"What makes you think I'm going to tell you anything?" the zelenca asked as he warily let go of Calen. You're a long way from home and from the looks of it a little too young to be doing the job of an experienced assassin."
"I'm not as inexperienced as you think. It's not every day that I'm asked to infiltrated an underwater city."
"I suppose you have a point there."
"I've been watching you at your bar. I think you and I have some common ground."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't play stupid with me. As I said, I'm an experienced hunter. I may be hampered in this environmental suit but I can still read the signs. You're working with a resistance movement."
It was difficult to read a zelenca's facial expressions, but the man's body language told Calen that her guess had been correct. "So what if I am?" he asked, casually. "Do you know how easy it would be for me to kill you and no one would even know?"
"Probably quite easy. But you don't want to do that."
"I don't?"
"I'm on your side. I've been hired by a member of your government to... shall we say... find proof of Imperium spies on your planet. Something tells me that this would be an appealing prospect for you."
The zelenca was silent for long moments, only the slight opening and closing of his gills moved. Finally he said, "My race is an old one. But our leaders our fools. They fail to see the danger we face. What do you want from me?"
Calen shrugged. "Nothing much. Food and supplies. A corner to sleep in. Your silence and discretion."
The bartender's eyes gleamed. He was becoming excited. For years this resistance had been trying to think of ways to penetrate Shawm's spy network and here this young assassin was the solution to all of their problems and with almost no risk to their movement. "I think I can help you."
No comments:
Post a Comment