That had to refer to Admiral Coromell. She opened

r mouth to say something, but found herself confronted with a crystal sphere slightly larger than she tioukt have held in one hand. The assistant had two hands under it. The crystal gleamed.

“The star you follow,” the assistant was saying in a lone that Sassinak would have assumed meant drunk, if one of her crew had used it. “It is dimly seen, in dark places, and often occluded by maleficent planets.”

“You have a message for me?” prompted Sassinak when a long silence had followed that after the crystal globe had vanished again into the dimness.

“That was your message.” A quizzical expression crossed that face, followed by: “You are familiar with Ifae local bars, aren’t you? You are a sailor?”

Behind her, Aygar choked and Sassinak barely man-id not to gulp herself.

No,” she said gently. “I’m not any more familiar with local bars than with ... uh ... costumes.”

“Oh.” Another long silence, during which Sassinak realized that the assistant’s pupils were elliptical, and that the dark costume was actually for. “I thought you would be. Try the Eclipse, two blocks down, and order « Planetwiper.”

-,. That was clear enough, but Sassinak wasn’t sure she believed it was genuine.

*^ou ...” she began.

Ine assistant withdrew behind the billowing blue Mttn skirt, and opened its mouth fully, revealing a double row of pointed teeth.

“I’m an orphan, too,” it said, and vanished.

Sassinak shook her head.

“What was (hat?” breathed Aygar.

208  

“I don’t know. Let’s go.”

She didn’t like admitting she’d never seen an alien like that before. She didn’t like this whole setup.

The Eclipse displayed a violently pink and yellow sign, which at night must have made sleep difficult for anyone across the street. Sassinak glanced that way and saw only blank walls above the street-level shops. No beaded curtain here but a heavy door that opened to a hard shove and closed solidly behind them. A heavy-worlder in gleaming gray plastic armor stood at one side—evidence of potential trouble, and its cure, all in one. A glance around showed Sassinak that her clothes did not quite fit in. Except for the overdressed trio at one table, clearly there to prey on customers, the women wore merchant-spacers’ coveralls, good quality but not stylish. Most of the men wore the same, although two men had on business clothes, one with the crumpled gown of an attorney at court piled on the seat beside him. Sassinak supposed the little gray coil atop it was his ceremonial wig.

She was aware of sideways glances, but conversation did not stop. These people were too experienced for that. She led Aygar to one of the booths and dialled their order. Planetwipers had never been her favorite but, of course, she didn’t have to drink the thing. Aygar leaned massive elbows on the table.