Chapter 15

Benni was surprised when Doyan chose Korba, the family drama queen, to guard the spaceman's back in the corridors. Benni considered protesting the pick but the set features on Doyan's face made it clear that she had made a deliberate choice. Not even trying to pretend that he understood, rubbed his eyelids with impatience and frustration.

Taking point guard, Benni led the little group out into the hallways of Level Eight. Already Benni could see small changes resulting from the embargo. More hawkers were selling trivial or personal items for a slug or two. Some of the family enclaves had added a second or even a third guard at their doorways. He surmised that the feeling on the street was that circumstances would get worse before they got better.

At the entrance to Family Khan, Benni approached slowly with his preferred tab in clear view. A quick glance at Doyan showed that she had a vendor tab like he used to have before his last business deal. The guards spoke to someone on the other side of the door and they waited a moment. A family member came out, gave them a careful scan, and finally pronounced "safe-be."

They walked together into the outer streets of the Khan Enclave. Their escort halted, waiting for an explanation of their business. The residents of the street did not swirl about as they normally did when Benni cut through these streets, usually on his way to Flager's. Something was afoot and it seemed the family members had been warned to stay close to their own doorways.

"Safe-be," Benni declared and asked if his runner had arrived. With the Khan woman's confirmation, Benni asked for a formal parley with Elder Paoli and Benni's partner, Zylis — in private. Another Khan den mate was called from his doorway and sent on the errand. They waited.

Benni saw that waiting was irritating everyone on the street and in their doorways, and that was when Korba stepped forward. He struck up a conversation with the nearest curious onlooker and carried on as if nothing significant was taking place. He gathered in more onlookers and soon everyone was chatting as the minutes ticked past. Benni stared in amazement at Korba's skill at defusing the anxiety in the compound. Looking both ways down the street, he observed small clusters of people suddenly forming to make conversation.

Doyan gave a slight cluck of her tongue, hardly loud enough for Benni to hear, but warning him that someone important was approaching.

Paoli's face was set in a rigid mask. There was nothing friendly about him. "What does the label maker have for me that is so urgent?"

"I have brought with me one of your satisfied customers who wishes to do further business with Khan," Benni said.

Paoli gave Zylis a first and then a second look. "I don't recognize this man and I don't like the look of him."

"Considering what this man does, I appreciate your observation. Nonetheless, he is the recipient of special deliveries through your family and he desires to learn of other promised deliveries that his contact never delivered. He has come here to do business directly with Khan."

Paoli chewed on Benni's words for a moment. What the elder was weighing in his head Benni couldn't guess, but the man seemed torn. "In private. Just him."

Benni shook his head. "Both Family Volentin and my master have vested interests and claims to a part of this transaction. I must accompany him." Benni lifted his shirt to show his kit strapped to his waist. "I have come prepared to complete this business this shift."

"Agreed." Paoli turned on his heel and began to walk. With a shrug to Zylis, Benni motioned with his hand for the spaceman to follow Paoli deeper into the Khan enclave. At the gate to the inner compound, Paoli had them halt and wait for a few moments. There was an awkward silence as none of the three men wished to make conversation. Finally the gate opened from the inside and the three were ushered into the inner courtyard, which was empty.

Paoli was anxious and jumped to his first question without observing the usual protocol. "What packages did you receive?"

Benni nearly panicked when Zylis opened his mouth to say something. Benni stepped slightly in front of Zylis. "This man is Zylis. He found me through the three special delivery labels you recently commissioned from me. He paid for and was promised more of those special packages."

"Those special packages," Paoli responded. "You want your cursed bio-chem that nearly killed all of the people on the lower levels and a number of Khan. If they are your packages, then you owe Khan for 65 dead. Do you carry enough slugs for that, Upsider?"

The hurt and anger seethed in every word that Paoli spoke. Family Khan had lost far more than Benni could have guessed. He feared that Paoli wanted blood for blood.

"I'm not an upsider," Zylis replied much to Benni's surprise. Zylis had been warned to keep his origin secret.

"You're not of the Temperdis," Paoli said.

"No, I'm not of the Temperdis, nor am I of its making."

Zylis's obtuse answer only seemed to make Paoli angrier. He accused the two of them of lying, of laying a trap to snare Family Khan, and of endangering all of the Temperdis. The man would not be placated no matter what soothing interjections Benni offered. Two other elders of Khan stepped out of the holding room where Benni had once visited and stood behind Paoli. One of them placed a hand on Paoli's shoulder but he shook it off.

Zylis gave Benni a questioning look with a raised eyebrow. Benni, figuring that whatever rules of negotiation and decorum they had expected no longer applied, gave Zylis the nod. What else was there left to salvage their mission?

Zylis cleared his throat. "I am Commander Zylis of the Spaceship Hephaestus. I am seeking those responsible for the manufacture of that special package."

Paoli openly sneered. "Spaceman?" Paoli reached under his blouse and pulled out a needle gun. "If you are a spaceman, then you are worth more than those three packages from Hell. If you are not, a slug's worth of needles will solve the problem. Khan will be repaid."

The elders behind him stepped back as if to permit Paoli's gambit. Zylis reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a gleaming silver marble.

"I have an item to trade. This is an enzyme-based memory/information module. It responds only to human enzymes. It can even be keyed to specific individuals." Zylis rolled the marble from one hand to the other, keeping it in constant motion. "Would you like to try it?"