In the Black Read Online Free Page A

shoes dangling from one hand, and waited.
    Sam continued her rant, grateful for the sympathetic audience. “They may bitch about the downtime but they know the rules are laid down by the Guild to make sure everyone stays sane and healthy. You’d think none of them ever read the goddamn contract.”
    Jenny chuckled. A flap of torn fabric on her shoulder waved in the air, sending a pang of guilt through Sam. Here she was, tossing an expensive pair of shoes at the woman and whining about a few rough spots on an expensive leather outfit while Jenny was limited to two, maybe three jumpsuits in her entire year’s wardrobe. Mentally Sam put in a request for a new set of clothing for Jenny, charging it to the Guild. They didn’t flinch at spare parts for the
Belle
. Let them try to justify not giving the best ship’s engineer in known space a decent uniform.
    “Done?” Jenny arched an eyebrow.
    “Yes. Thank you for listening.” Sam laughed. “I needed to get that out of my system.”
    “Anytime. And Bianca’s put in another request for a repaint of her suite. Wants to go super-retro, neon lightning bolts on the walls and ceilings. Again.” Now it was Jenny’s turn to complain. She put in as much time dealing with the women’s redecorating demands as she did keeping the
Belle
running.
    It was the courtesans’ right to decorate their quarters as they saw fit, trying out different designs and arrangements to try to increase their clients’ enjoyment. More enjoyment, more chances to earn a bonus or a fat tip at the end of the appointment. Many of the women kept up with the latest psychological studies on how color could affect a person’s mood or how feng shui was becoming more accepted and popular depending on how far out from civilization you went.
    Sam suspected it was also one way to fight the boredom between landfalls. Two weeks might seem like a short time, but when it came down to it there was little else to do other than research your area of expertise and exchange tips with your fellow courtesans. That and maybe lose your mind staring at the same walls day in and day out.
    When in doubt, redecorate.
    Even if it did push Jenny to the edge at times. Sam suspected they knew exactly how far to push and when to offer the chief mechanic a present to get the job done.
    “Go ahead and charge her the usual.” Sam waved one hand. “If it keeps her happy and shuts her up for a few more days, it’s worth it. Just make sure to keep the paperwork in order and don’t let her short you a single cred. In fact, feel free to add a surcharge if she starts bitching at you. I’ll back you up with the Guild—they won’t risk pissing off both of us.”
    I hope .
    “Right. I’ll be back to turn the gravity on and set up the chairs. Got to make sure the Guild records the exact moment so no one in accounting gets pissy about swallowing the extra charge for full gravity. Sort of a necessary evil—don’t want the customers floating around with their boxes of sex toys.” Jenny opened up a hatch near her feet, leading to the
Belle’s
underworld. The narrow passages ran the length of the ship, allowing her access to the many systems that kept the
Belle
running. The access hatches were everywhere, over their heads and under their feet, set into the walls.
    Everywhere but the private quarters.
    Sam only knew of them from talking with Jenny; she’d never dared to go down the slender tunnels herself for fear of getting lost or worse, stuck. She hadn’t put on much weight since mustering out and kept to a strict workout routine, but getting wedged into one of the shafts would be impossible to live down.
    Besides, it wasn’t her job—Belle communicated directly with Jenny if and when there was something wrong, and the mechanic would act as the AI’s hands, fixing the ship and keeping her in full running order.
    “When we open the front door I’ll keep out of the way as usual. If you need me just call.” Jenny began to climb