Timothy Zahn - Cobra Bargain

"And to command you." Omnathi's face hadn't changed... but his voice was suddenly covered with ice. "From this moment on, Daulo Sammon, you're under the direct authority of the Shahni."

Daulo swallowed hard. So Jin had been right-the story he'd worked so hard to spin for Moffren Omnathi two nights ago had been that much wasted effort. The

Shahni knew enough-or at least suspected enough-and Miron Akim was their countermove. Placing him under Shahni authority and Shahni surveillance... "And under their sword, too?" he asked.

Omnathi gave him a long look. "If you aid us in capturing the Aventinian spy, all other questions concerning your involvement in this will be forgotten.

Otherwise... as you say, the sword will be waiting." He glanced over Daulo's shoulder. "You'd better get back into line. Miron Akim will give you any further information you may need."

"You realize this is probably a waste of time," Daulo pointed out, driven by something he didn't quite understand to make one final effort. "She probably won't even show up in Mangus."

"It's our time to waste," Omnathi said calmly. "Farewell, Daulo Sammon."

And with that he turned his back and disappeared into the crowd. Daulo looked after him for a long moment, wondering what to do now. If he simply turned the opposite way and left Azras right now...

But of course it wasn't just him under the Shahni's sword. Taking a deep breath, he tried to quiet the thunder of his heartbeat and headed back to the line.

Akim was waiting for him. "Ah-Daulo Sammon," he nodded. "You had a pleasant talk, I take it?"

"Oh, certainly," Daulo said irritably, stepping back into line beside him. The man behind them muttered something about the end of the line; Akim sent the man an icy look and he fell silent.

They reached the table about ten minutes later, and it was only then that Daulo realized that Mayor Capparis himself was overseeing the operation. "Ah!" the mayor beamed at Daulo as he and Akim stepped up to the table. "Daulo Matrolis and his brother Perto. I'm glad you heard about this opportunity."

"I also, Mayor Capparis," Daulo said politely, making the sign of respect. He'd never heard the name Matrolis before, but knew a cue when he heard it. So did the man at the computer; he was busy tapping keys before Daulo even had to repeat the name. "Thank you," he nodded when he'd finished. "You can find out over there whether or not you'll be accepted." He pointed to another table at the edge of the city center, near a half dozen parked buses.

"Thank you," Daulo said, making the sign of respect to both him and the mayor.

Akim followed suit, and they headed off through the crowd.

"Daulo and Perto Matrolis, eh?" Akim murmured as they walked. "Do I assume that the files matching those names will show us highly suited for this work party?"

"This whole exercise would be a waste of time if it didn't, wouldn't it?" Daulo returned tartly.

"Agreed. Interesting, too, that you got Mayor Capparis himself to take a hand in this."

"Is it that hard to believe?"

Akim shrugged. "Perhaps not in this part of Qasama. For myself, I find it refreshing to see cooperation between city and village leaders. More often we see you at each other's throats."

"Um." Daulo looked around the buses, estimating their capacity. If they were to be filled completely, it looked like the work party would be something on the order of a hundred-fifty men. Odd that they'd elect to go through this routine every two weeks, he thought. Permanent workers would be a lot easier... though perhaps they don't have any long-term housing facilities out there. His eyes drifted to the area near the table... "Uh-oh."

"What is it?" Akim murmured.

"Over there-those men watching the proceedings?" Daulo said, turning his head partly away.

Akim glanced the indicated direction. "That's the group from Mangus," he identified them. "Drivers and a couple of higher officials."

"One of the officials is the director's son, Radig Nardin," Daulo growled. "He knows me."

Akim frowned. "How well?"

"Well enough to identify me," Daulo gritted.

"Is he likely to keep you out if he spots you?"

Daulo thought back to the attacks on him and Jin. "I think so, yes."

"Um." Akim considered. "I suppose I could identify myself to him... but that would probably start rumors floating around Mangus, and I'd just as soon avoid that. All right. Wait here; I'll go find one of our people and arrange for a distraction."

"Good." Daulo looked back over-

And felt a shock run straight through his core. In the center of the group from

Mangus, talking earnestly to Nardin, was a smallish man. Or rather, a smallish figure wearing a man's clothing. Clothing he recognized...

It was Jin Moreau.

God above. The scene seemed to waver before Daulo's eyes. Right there, in the middle of Azras, with people all around. If Akim turned to look-if he identified her-they would both be dead.

But Akim was already gone.

Licking his lips, Daulo tried to still the shaking of his hands. Whatever Jin's purpose in doing something so insane, if she would just hurry it up and get out of here, she might still have a chance.

And as he watched, Jin did indeed turn away. Accompanied by Nardin and one of the other men, she walked to the end of the line of buses-

And got into a car parked there.

Daulo watched the vehicle pull away onto the street; watched it disappear behind the buildings surrounding the city center; and was still gazing after it when

Akim returned. "All set," he reported. "Which one is Radig Nardin?"

"He's gone," Daulo said mechanically. "Drove off a couple of minutes ago."

"Oh? Well, that solves that problem."

Daulo took a deep breath. "I guess so."

Azras was twenty kilometers north of the section of forest where Jin had hidden

Daulo's car-a healthy run even for a Cobra, and one that allowed plenty of time for worrying about what lay ahead. Just one more reason to be thankful that the predawn jog itself was totally uneventful.

Her timing, for a change, was good, and she arrived at the city just as the sky to the east was growing light. Already some of the shopkeepers in the nearest marketplaces were beginning to prepare their booths for business, and she drifted through the streets pretending to be on various errands, feeling safer than she had since landing on Qasama. Disguised in lower-class male clothing, her hair covered by a carefully trimmed wig and her features altered slightly with face-shaper gel, she ought to be totally unrecognizable, especially to people who thought they had a good picture to go by.

That was the theory, at any rate... and as the morning progressed, it appeared to work in practice. She bought herself some breakfast-a nice treat after a day of emergency ration bars-and spent an hour wandering around the marketplace, observing the citizens of Azras as they began their new day.

She'd forgotten to ask Daulo when the work party selection would get underway, but when she made her first pass by the city center she saw that timing wasn't going to be critical. The park-like open area was teeming with men, most of them standing in a ragged and snaky line running up to a set of tables at one end.

She watched for a few minutes, timing the procedure and estimating how long it would take to process the entire line, and then wandered off. Without Daulo it would be foolish to try and get into the work party in any straightforward way, and there would be little opportunity to try anything less obvious until the workers were ready to move out.

An hour later she returned, to find perhaps thirty minutes' worth of line left.

Easing through the milling crowd of those who'd had their turns at the tables and were awaiting the results, she made her way across the center toward where a line of buses were parked along the street. Transport to Mangus, presumably.