Андрэ Нортон: Beast Master's Circus

Thus far she'd been of more value as she was. She recalled his words to Cregar. The circus boss might be getting out, leaving to take up some place of power in the guild. What matter then if she was of no more use to the circus? He could sell her as a trainer, or kill her to see her mouth stayed shut. He'd kill Prauo before that. Dedran was no fool, he'd know he could never abuse her in any major way while the big cat lived.

Or worse, he could drug Prauo and sell him to some planetside zoo. Put him in stasis and take regular samples, try to clone more of him for thief training. In her mind she felt the cat following her thoughts.

*Best we are gone before he decides that his time has come,* the cat sent slowly.

*Or if he is dead before that time. Then his plans die with him.*

*You think of Cregar?*

*He hates.*

*Then let us help that hate. But for now, best we sleep. Tomorrow there is always work to do.* Laris smiled. That was all too true. They slept and with morning both moved toward their new plan. Subtly they strove to widen the breach between the men. Laris dropped half sentences, apparently repeating things Dedran had said to her. Prauo allowed Cregar to follow him twice, each time he warned his sister-without-fur. The second time it prompted an open quarrel.

Cregar was due to leave the ship when it landed in the morning. The beast master who had retired on Lereyne had teamed with a pair of wolves. One had died. Fortunately a genetech had arrived about that time, or so Dedran's contact reported. The man had successfully cloned a replacement beast from the body. He had gone on to build other wolves from tissue samples taken from both. Now Lereyne had a small pack of the animals in a large preserved wilderness area.

As the only wild Terran creatures the human-settled planet had, they were much prized. But there was a catch—the wolves in a beast master team were genetically augmented to be more intelligent. The authorities had not wanted a pack of those wolves freed, so the genetech had reverted his end-products back to ordinary wolves. Hence Cregar could not simply steal one of the pack, a far easier task. Instead he must steal away the only wolf left with team gene-augmentation.

Since the beast master lived on the outskirts of a large city, that meant many watching eyes. Cregar would have problems. Laris snickered quietly with Prauo after they overheard a discussion on the difficulties.

*I hope he gets caught. He won't keep silent and take all the punishment. He'd spill on Dedran.*

*And the patrol descends on the ship, and us as well. Better Cregar returns and we can set him against Dedran. Now, when they are both about the ship, is a fine time. Cregar is one who holds a grudge well.*

After that the maneuvers were complicated but ultimately successful. Laris mentioned to Dedran that she was worried about one of the carra. It had appeared sluggish when they practiced in the empty training hold. Perhaps she should ask Cregar to look at it. He trained so well. For that last comment she adopted a rather dumb and admiring voice and expression. Dedran, busier than usual with the landing, and annoyed by the look, snorted and spoke without thinking.

Prauo had trotted past Cregar, carrying something in his mouth. He was ordered to stop, to hand over his trophy. He'd given the human a smug defiant look and ignored the order. Cregar had pursued grimly. He arrived at the last curve of the corridor in time to hear Laris's suggestion and Dedran's savage reply.

"Cregar! High Command tossed him out. If he was that good he wouldn't have ended up taking my orders in a..."

Cregar exploded around the bend. "In a run-down circus in a broken-down ship, bossed by a man with a fat price on his head," he finished.

Dedran's eyes glittered. "I wouldn't talk about prices if I were you."

"Wouldn't you? Then perhaps I should talk about a man who pretends to be an owner when he's more of a hired hand."

Dedran opened his mouth to speak as his hand dropped to the stun gun at his belt. Then he saw Laris listening open-mouthed. Cregar's gaze followed.

"Get the kid out of here."

Dedran waved her to leave and she obeyed meekly—as far as the bend. Then she leaned on the bulkhead, sliding the nearest door open about a foot. But to her exasperation the voices around the bend had dropped to a vicious muttering. Still, from the tone it was no friendly conversation. She shut the door again and padded silently away along the corridor. The low snarl of the sounds followed her.

She busied herself in cleaning the tigerbat cage and jumped when Cregar spoke quietly.

"You watch yourself, lass. I may be a lot of what he claims but I'm not a man to work the arenas." He gave her a half-grin as he walked away, leaving Laris gaping after him. Perhaps it had been because he'd heard her admiring him, she thought. Or perhaps he was merely enjoying spoiling Dedran's plans. For whatever reason he'd said it, he'd confirmed her own fears and Prauo's belief. She would indeed watch out.

They landed on Yohal and Cregar slid into the port-side crowd. He gave her a tiny nod as he went and she nodded back. It wouldn't hurt to keep him sweet. Prauo wouldn't be working with her in any act. Not when Dedran planned a theft. He wouldn't want anyone to notice the cat. But she rode in the opening procession, swung out on the trapeze with the carra, and acted out the tigerbat play.

The audience departed, leaving Laris to clean the cages and settle the animals in for the night. After that, in the ship lights she was surprised to notice men approaching the ramp. One look and Laris recognized their strut. These men had some sort of authority. They were used to obedience. She fled for Dedran, dropping into the slurred ship slang so any stranger who overheard would be less likely to understand.

"There's men coming, look like law 'a some kind."

"Crats, why now?" He moved quietly to the ramp door and looked around the edge of the opening. "Authority, maybe." He shrugged and strode down the ramp. "Can I help you, Honored Sirs?"

"Do you have a man named Jas Cregar aboard?"

"No, may I know why you ask?"

"That is not your business. We will look on your ship."

"Now, hold on there..."

His protest was cut short as one man produced a paper and displayed it. "We have the right. Step aside."

To Laris's bewilderment look was all they did. They asked no questions even when she made sure they would see her working. But she did notice something interesting. One had an earpiece. He glanced at a wrist dial now and again and she wondered if his asking for Cregar hadn't been a ruse, if they weren't looking for something else. If so, they didn't find it. They departed and Dedran stood on the ramp top wearing a thoughtful expression. She guessed he was wondering too. And what about tonight?

Once the invaders were well and truly gone Dedran turned to Laris. "What did you see?" She recounted the earpiece and the impression that one had been spending too much time looking at a wristwatch.

"I thought I heard something too. So high it was more like an air vibration." She hadn't but Prauo had. He'd alerted her in the first place.

"A watch." Dedran understood. "I see." His voice came slowly, thoughtfully. "No, they don't make a sound like that and one doesn't keep looking over and over to see the time usually. Either they had a deadline—or that was not a watch." He stood a moment and spoke to himself, not the listening girl. "And why Cregar? They knew his name, what did they want with him? Maybe tonight would be dangerous." He turned briskly.

"Laris, wait here, see to everything. I must make a comcall."

She looked after him as he hurried down the ramp. This was becoming dangerous for her and Prauo, as well as Dedran. If she jumped ship here the authorities would probably pick her up at once. Something made her feel that while the officials might have left, eyes were still on her and the ship. Dedran didn't return until the setting up was complete. Then he had only time to fling a hurried word at her as he passed.