NASTRAGULL: Pirates (40 page)

Tota looked suspiciously around the room, then activated an opaque force field, making it impossible for anyone outside to either view or listen in to their conversation. He strolled over and sat down next to Alec, and gestured with his trunk; a small lounge table drifted over to them and hovered in place, extruding a bottle of wine and two crystal tumblers. Alec shook his head slightly, and Tota gave him a sad expression.

The little fellow filled both cups while muttering, "Well, you might change your mind."

After he'd gripped his own cup tightly and taken a quiet sip, Tota focused his eyes on Alec for a long moment and said, "Young master, I regret to inform you that I have been getting numerous inquiries about you from various groups. Most of the time, my staff and I ignore these people. But only a few days ago...well, there was a tragedy. You, see one of the Lady Pulp's girls has gone missing—and the other is dead."

Alec looked at Tota, eyes wide. "The ones I was with that first night I stayed at the Star-Dice?"

Tota stared down at his glass and murmured, "I am afraid so."

Surprised and irritated, Alec snapped, "Are you suggesting that I had anything to do with it?"

"What, me? Do I...? No, of course not! Lady Pulp is very sad over her losses, and frankly so am I, but don't you worry about her—she has many lovelies in her stable, and the police are on the killer's trail. We even have a recording of the incident, I am sad to say, but unfortunately our security didn't get there in time to stop it. But let me show you something, young sir. It has to do with you and your friend the Captain...I think." Tota pushed a button on the hovering table and a holoscreen appeared in front of them. A brief but disturbingly graphic sequence flashed across the screen, showing a huge omanoid and a smaller non-oman interrogating—and then painfully torturing—the orange-furred entertainer he had spent the night with. They were asking about information regarding him and Behl, and she told them all she could—but it wasn't enough, apparently, so they hurt her terribly. Weeping openly, Tota slammed his little fist down on the button. "There is more, but..."

Shaken, Alec demanded, "Who else has seen this?"

"No one but me, young master. I gave the police an edited version. I don't want my best customer to be bothered by the police."

Alec smiled tightly.
Little bastard. It's always about the money.

As if he'd read Alec's mind, Tota said stiffly, "I'm not interested in your money."

"What do you want, then?"

"Let me answer your question with a short story." Tota took a deep breath. He looked down on the floor and then back up at Alec. "For quite a long time, pirates have more or less controlled this sector, despite official protestations to the contrary. Indeed, people of influence from all the larger local organizations and federations, including our Key Administrators, have been involved in their activities. Those who do not cooperate, or pretend to, either die or disappear. So when I heard rumors about your expedition, to go after and seek the pirates who attacked you, I told myself, 'This I must be a part of.'"

"And why is that?" Alec asked, suspicious—but curious despite himself.

"For two reasons, young master. First, I'm tired of paying our Key Administrators their so-called 'security tax.' It's highway robbery. The second reason is..."

Suddenly Tota leaned towards Alec until his trunk almost touched Alec's face, and hissed, "Revenge."

For a moment, Alec was taken aback by Tota's sudden change from a chittering little blob to a very serious individual, and he said, "Revenge? Why?"

"The love of my life," Tota said bitterly. "My love...she was a slave, and I bought her freedom. Later, pirates killed her—I think." he moaned.

"I'm truly sorry, Tota, but do you really think you should involve yourself with me and my crew?" Alec asked.

"I'm already involved. They have killed one of my employees and kidnapped another. Lady Pulp has been with me for years, and she too wants to see justice done. Besides, you and my loved one have something in common."

Surprised, Alec asked, "What do we have in common?"

"That!" Tota pointed at the faint mark that encircled Alec's neck.

"This? My birthmark?" Alec asked, thinking Tota must be mad.

"It is not a birthmark, young master. Like her, it is an indication that you were once a slave."

Alec laughed sharply. "Mr. Tota, I was certainly never a slave. My father is..." Alec stopped himself, realizing he had almost told Tota his true identity. If that were to become known, he would certain be taken into protective custody and shipped home on the next transport back to Nastasturus.

"Master Alec, you are the son of Marshal Guss Villette Hornet, the Supreme Military Commander of the Nastasturus Federation."

Eyes wide, Alec looked bemused at Tota as the little being handed him his glass. As Alec sipped, Tota continued, "I'm well connected, young sir, but by no means a genius. If I figured out your background, then I suspect someone else soon will—or worse, perhaps someone already has. I doubt that would help your endeavor."

Alec nodded. "Assuming you're right, now what?"

"I once told you I could help and serve you..."

"For money, yes," grinned Alec.

"That was then, young sir, before I knew about your expedition. It is, perhaps, the most foolhardy expedition I have ever heard of, but still, you remind me of a Predator I once knew...you do know what a Predator is?"

Alec nodded again.

"Whenever you asked me or anyone else about the pirate activities in this sector, and even when you and Captain Behl tried to report them, you were given the cold shoulder—just as I was when I arrived many years back. My new love and I was supposed to run this place together, but our ship was attacked. Our captain managed to get us to the escape pods. Unfortunately, my love and I were separated; she was in a different pod, and the pirates took hers and a few others. Shortly after, a Predator arrived and gave chase. I was soon brought here, where I started this hotel and casino as a way to salve my emotional wounds. I have wanted payback ever since. For a very long time, I have conducted my own research in secret, and gathered evidence against both Tobbis and Zala—since I soon realized that both of them had to be in on it."

"What gave them away?"

Tota looked at Alec bleakly and said, "Time. Time gave them away—time for me to do my research. I have looked for my love for many years, longer than you have been alive, and have had scores of bounty hunters and detectives search for her. I've had a standing offer on the trading boards at the slave markets for years, to no result. And then I heard about you, about how you have everyone wrapped around your little finger, looking up to you because of your wealth, and about you purchasing an entire Marengan frigate. Then I hear of you buying slaves and setting them free, because you wanted only volunteers to crew your ship. And you a former slave yourself..."

"I told you, Tota," Alec said firmly, "I have never been a slave..." his voice trailed off. "Oh. You're talking about the time I spent as a prisoner of the pirates. I suppose you could say I was a slave then, if very briefly."

Tota shook his head. "No, young master, the evidence is clear. You might not remember being a slave, but that proves that you once were one, probably as a child." Tota pointed again at the odd linear birthmark around Alec's neck. "I am sure you were, in fact, told that was a
birthmark. But birthmarks are never so perfectly straight...and I have never seen one that extends entirely around a person's neck. But I have seen marks like that before, many times."

Alec scowled. "I don't believe it. I've seen the marks left by slave collars—I just freed almost 300 people, after all—and they're thick and obvious. You can barely see my birthmark."

Tota nodded. "Agreed, good sir. Most slave collars will leave a prominent scar if the bearer wears one for more than a few days. But when slaves are freed, they tend to have their collar scars surgically removed. If they are children at the time, no attempt is made to erase the surgical scars using stim technology; it has an adverse effect on their development. Now, it takes a keen eye to note the surgical marks left behind, and mine are keener than most; and seeing as how I operate in a frontier area, I have seen such scars many times. I must say, whoever removed your collar scar must have been an outstanding surgeon, because it is barely noticeable to the naked eye. Of course, my eyesight is extraordinary. But if that is not enough for you, well...look at this."

Tota pushed a button, and metallic shields slid shut over the windows in his office. He stood up in front of Alec, who begun feeling uneasy. He almost stood up himself when Tota's neck, arms and legs started to stretch, his bones creaking and popping as they altered their size and shape. As the trunk retreated into Tota's face, the little man's spine stretched out, snapping and crunching, and he grew several feet taller. Alec's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Never judge the book by its cover," said Tota, as he settled into his new form.

Where before there had stood a short, stubby elephantoid, there was now a tall, slender omanoid with golden skin, very handsome in an elongated way, at least a head higher than Alec himself. The new Tota's limbs were  very thin but well-shaped, his eyes wide, his nose prominent but by no means a trunk, his ears still large, similar to a bat´s but tight to his head. Tota's clothes had pooled on the floor beneath him, but this being was still dressed in some sort of thin bodysuit that clung tight to his body, revealing his wiry musculature.

"Look at my neck," he said now, lifting his head to reveal a thin scar very similar to Alec's, though more obviously visible. "My collar scar might not have been removed with the same skill as yours, young Master Hornet, but it
was
removed. You see, I too was a child slave once, and like you I escaped."

Alec shook his head, grinning. He looked at Tota, impressed. "Do you want to join my crew?"

"No! Well, yes, but I realize that I'm more useful here, gathering information that I can pass on to you, than I would be aboard your ship."

Alec nodded. "Agreed. We can always use a spy...and perhaps your station as a base whenever we need repairs?"

Tota nodded, then smiled at him and said, "Your turn. What was it you wanted to say or ask?"

Alec's face was grim when he asked about Alexa and about the odd art dealer who went by the name "Shadow." As he was explaining that he sought the young female pirate since she was Zuzack's daughter and could lead Alec to her father, Tota interrupted him.

"They are not family," he said decisively. "That would be impossible. Most pirates in the local clan, the Wulsatures, are extremely protective of their families and love them unconditionally. She must have been adopted into the clan, or she would never have been sold. When a pirate clan has internal disputes, they tend to fight to the death when settling their differences. If the woman you seek was Zuzack's real daughter, she would never take part in a mutiny; and if for some reason she did, she would have been executed immediately as an aberration."

He gazed at Alec kindly. "Now, about the things she did to you... please don't take this the wrong way, but from my experience talking to pirates from time to time, I've learned that the youngsters they capture are often forced into piracy before puberty. Neither of us can imagine what they have been through to survive, and certainly that colors their behavior. Take my advice if you want, for what it's worth, but it seems to me that you...have feelings for her." Tota raised his hand to stop Alec's denial and continued, "Give her and yourself a new chance to learn to communicate with each other. Listen to her, and then perhaps the two of you can have what was taken away from me and my love. It's unlikely that she or her friends can help you find Zuzack;
no pirate captain will let anyone but his most trusted officers know where his headquarters is located, or ever let them have a look at their star charts. But there is another way you can attract pirates, to get them to come to you."

"And for me to pick a spot for engagement?"

"Indeed."

"How?"

Tota smiled and said, "Money, what else? Invent a story about moving your fortune, and you'll soon have several shiploads of happy little pirates looking for you. Now, let's work out a plan for you to be found, and for you to find your love."

"I don't love her," Alec insisted.

"Why, of course you don't." Tota rolled his large eyes.

In the following hour, Alec told Tota what he knew and what he thought he knew about the pirates and Alexa both, while Tota listened intently.

"So you've been running around asking questions about her, have you?" Tota mused. "But you didn't get much useful information, and no wonder. From what you've told me, the creature you're looking for must be Lady Zoris Af Sun. She's the only one I know of who fits your description. I'm not surprised to learn she's a cannibal; some of the more sordid rumors insist that it has become a fashion statement among the idle rich to be invited to Gormé dining events, though not, of course, as one of the entrees."

"What does she look like?"

Tota shrugged. "No one I know has ever seen Zoris's face, as she always keeps it covered whenever she shows up at an auction. Most of the time she works through representatives; but on occasion, she pops up to view a particularly exceptional piece. She is well known for throwing some of the most lavish parties in the sector aboard her exclusive cruiser, which she has named after herself. Key Administrator Zala and Zoris are personal friends. Give me a bit of time, and I can find out about her stay at the station, and whether she's here to make any purchases—or if in fact she already has.