Price of Ransom Read Online Free Page A

head. “That’s all very well, and probably true, but the incoming comm-traffic we’ve picked up indicates that Forsaken is still under the authority of Central’s troops.”
    “Or what’s left of them out there,” added Yehoshua. “Jehane’s people will be out eventually to mop them up.”
    “And we’d better be out of here before they get here,” Finch snapped. “We can’t hare off doing merchant’s work. It locks us onto roads that will leave us vulnerable to Jehane’s fleet. We’ve got to reprovision, refuel, dump the casualties who don’t want to stay with the ship on the nearest Station hospital, and run. That’s our only chance.”
    “Which brings us back around to the original question,” added Yehoshua drily. “How do we resupply without any means to pay for it?”
    Another pause. Finch shifted restlessly in his seat, lancing a brief, resentful glare at the two Ridanis—Pinto and Paisley—who sat opposite him. Gregori looked up at his mother, but her attention had drifted toward the galley. He could only see her profile, but her expression as she watched the obscure shape of Lia moving along a shadowed counter disturbed him with feelings he had no name for.
    “Sell the Hierakas Formula,” muttered Finch with a mutinous glance at Paisley. “For supplies.”
    Paisley responded by pushing up instantaneously to her feet. “Never! Min Ransome shan’t never sell ya Formula. It be ya wrong, min Finch, never you mind what you think, and it would be ya sore kinnas to insult ya memory of ya man as died to see it made free for all to have.”
    “Then can you suggest what else we have to trade?” Finch shot back, undaunted by her fierce gaze. “Or perhaps you and min Pinto would volunteer to sell your—ah—services to the curious planetside.”
    Pinto jumped up.
    “Finch!” Jenny snapped, rising as well at the same time as she reached out to forestall Pinto from punching Finch in the face. “That remark was totally uncalled for. Pinto, sit down.”
    Pinto did not sit down. Gaze still fixed on Finch, he answered Jenny. “You can’t expect me to just let that go.”
    “Yes, I can,” demurred Jenny. “And I do. We have more serious problems to consider.” She applied a slight, but firm pressure on his arm and he sat, much unwilling. Letting go of him, she turned to smile coldly at Finch. “And perhaps an apology would be in order?”
    Finch glowered at the tabletop, looking not quite as sullen as Pinto.
    Paisley laughed. “Hurts, don’t it?” she said, but not in any triumphant way. “But it be sure I were already volunteered to sell my services, on Harsh, and it weren’t no happy time for me, that be ya truth.”
    Finch glanced up at her, looking at last a little shamefaced. “I forgot about that,” he mumbled. “I’m sorry.” And looked down again.
    Paisley sat.
    “Thank you,” said Jenny with a sigh. She and Yehoshua exchanged a glance fraught with long-suffering complicity.
    “But it still doesn’t answer,” Finch muttered, unrepentant, “what we’re going to use to pay for supplies. We’ve only got two shuttles left, since we sent Machiko and his people off in the other one, so we can’t afford to lose one of those. And certainly none of us has any legitimate credit anymore, with or without clips to link into the bank net. I just don’t see what choice we have but to sell the Hierakas Formula. And I know ,” he added with a swift glance to mollify Paisley, “how Lily—how the captain—feels about it being accessible to every citizen of Reft space.”
    “I don’t suppose that it’s occurred to any of you,” said Jenny softly, “that with a warship of this class, and a decent contingent of mercenaries, which we have, we don’t have to pay. We can just take what we need.”
    Yehoshua smiled slightly. Gregori stopped fidgeting. For once, Finch looked as righteously shocked as Paisley, and they began to protest vocally at the same moment, halting in confusion