Lawrence Watt-Evans: Realms of Light

“Because,” I said, “it’s too damn dangerous.I’d be out of my depth. You need a major security firm if you wantto be protected from assassins. I’m an investigator, I’m not abodyguard.”

“Mis’ Hsing,” he said, “I’m not looking for abodyguard. I have security people, plenty of them. I evenstill trust some of them. But none of them is as likely to trackdown the person-or people-behind the assassination attempt as youare. Their software has almost certainly been corrupted. All the software in my entire corporation may be infected. Yours isnot. And I know that none of my major competitors, nor any of myfamily, has bought your services; I cannot be sure whether anyoneelse has been bought.”

I sighed. “That’s fine for why you want me ,” I said, “since you can’t trust anyone local andthere aren’t many private investigators stupid enough to move intounfamiliar territory the way I did. But there’s nothing there aboutwhy I would want you -why I’d want this job, Imean.”

“I will pay well, of course,” he said, wavinga hand in dismissal. “I paid you 492,500 credits for the work youdid on Epimetheus, and my life is worth far more to me than mygreat-granddaughter’s reputation. Would two million credits, inaddition to expenses, be enough to convince you?”

That was tempting. Two million bucks is a lotof juice, especially on Prometheus. I thought about it for amoment.

“In advance?” I said. “And no limit onexpenses?”

He blinked again, slowly and deliberately.“Mis’ Hsing,” he said, “be realistic about this. The money is notimportant to me. But if I pay everything up front, you will have noincentive to complete the job. And if I place no limit on yourexpenses, that would make it even worse.”

“What did you have in mind, then?” I asked. Imight as well hear his offer, I thought.

“One million credits in advance, to be heldin escrow by a bank not affiliated with Nakada Enterprises. Acorporate expense account equivalent to that of a junior member ofthe Board of Directors. Upon completion of the job to my satisfaction-no one else’s-an additional million credits. And Ibelieve I have some additional incentives to offer.”

“Go on,” I said.

“If I die, under any circumstances that couldconceivably be suspicious, before the payment of your full fee,then your expense account will be terminated immediately, andaudited. The second million will be forfeit, and the first millionwill be distributed by the escrow trustee between yourself and myheirs in whatever fashion the trustee deems reasonable afterreading your final report.”

I nodded, and got ready to turn the wholedeal down, but Nakada wasn’t finished.

“Furthermore, I believe you have an olderbrother, a croupier at the Ginza in Nightside City. SebastianHsing, by name. And your father, Guohan Hsing, is currently apermanent resident of Trap Under in Nightside City. A dreamer. Awirehead in a Seventh Heaven dreamtank.”

My mouth closed and I listened.

“I have the names right?” he asked.

I nodded. He knew he had the names right.

“I am not threatening them, Mis’ Hsing,” hesaid, raising a hand in a gesture that I suppose was intended tocalm me down. “I want you on my side, not as an enemy. But you knowwhat’s happening in Nightside City now.”

I didn’t bother to nod again. I knew, and heknew it.

Nightside City was about to fry-and it wasdoing the biggest business in its hundred and sixty year history asthe playground of the Eta Cassiopeia system, as all the touristscrowded in to see the last days. Impending doom really appeals tothe thrillseekers, especially when it’s a nice, safe impendingdoom, not anything that’s actually dangerous. The incredibly slowplanetary rotation that was carrying Nightside City out onto thedayside was steady and predictable-tourists would have plenty oftime to get out.

They were pouring in like data from awide-open search.

That meant that the casinos and all the restof the Tourist Trap needed all their best employees.

That meant they weren’t letting them leave.Round-trip tickets to Epimetheus were selling three for abuck, practically-the casinos wanted customers. But tickets off Epimetheus-those were not to be had. At least, not ifyou were worth keeping. If one of the squatters out in the West Endtapped out a ticket somewhere no one would weep, but a croupierlike ’Chan-they weren’t going to let him go, not while thecustomers were still coming.

When the business finally burned out they’dlet him go-if there were still any ships running. He’d probablywind up paying out his life’s savings for a steerage berth on anore freighter bound out-system. Or he’d rot in the mines out on thenightside.

And my father, down in Trap Under, he wasalready rotting, plugged into dream central. He had a lifetimecontract. Once the city went down, though, would they keep up themaintenance on the wireheads?

I wasn’t all that fond of my old man, notafter the way he and my mother dumped ’Chan and Ali and me, but Iwasn’t real happy about the idea of him rotting away literally,physically as well as mentally. And if the maintenance crewschecked out, that might be just what would happen.

“I can get them both off-planet, offEpimetheus,” Nakada told me. “When I have the assassin, I’ll doit.”

I stared at him for a moment, that uglywrinkled old face with the smooth white hair, white as death.

He wasn’t going to let me say no. He probablythought he’d already told me too much to let me turn the job downand go home. He was accustomed to getting what he wanted, and hewanted me to take this case.

Which might get me killed. After all, anyonewho would try to take out Grandfather Nakada wouldn’t hesitate todelete me along the way. In fact, if the would-be killer even foundout this meeting had taken place, I was probably dead.

Or old Yoshio might decide to delete mehimself, once I’d finished the job-or given up on it. If I knew toomuch now, how much worse when I’d learned more?

But he had a reputation for dealing fairlywith his employees. I’d be safer doing what he asked, much safer, than I would be turning him down.

So I had to take it, but if I was going to dothat, I was damn well going to get everything I could out of it.The only question was how far I could push, how much I coulddemand, before he got pissed.

I looked up at the blue and silver floater,hanging there motionless.

“It’s recording?” I asked.

Nakada nodded.

“All right, here are my terms,” I said,leaning forward. “You put this all on record, and you back it up,and if we make a deal you give me a certified copy. You’ll pay mefive million credits in advance-five million, not two. You’ll coverall my travel and com and medical expenses without question, you’lltell me everything I ask for, you won’t hold anything back, you’llgive me complete access to all family and corporation records,files, software, and personnel. You’ll get my brother Sebastian andmy father out of Nightside City and safely to Prometheusimmediately. In exchange, I’ll find your assassin and everyoneconnected with her. You won’t interfere with the investigation, nomatter who or what I go after. Those are my terms. Take it or leaveit.”

He sighed. “I’ll leave it, if you’re serious.I can accept all that-if you make either the money or the rescue ofyour relatives contingent upon your success.”

“The money,” I said. “The five million buckswhen I deliver, not before.”

“All of it,” he said.

“All of it,” I agreed. “You’ll pay myexpenses, though.”

“I will pay your travel expenses only withinthe Eta Cass system, unless you can provide me with convincingproof that you need to go elsewhere.”