Chapters (102)
- Cover
- DAW BOOKS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS OF W. MICHAEL GEAR:
- Dedication
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 88
- 89
- 90
- 91
- 92
- 93
- 94
- 95
- 96
- EPILOGUE
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“Think it through, Desch. Answer your own question. My only way out of this life that ‘you’d take me away from’, is by making a fortune and getting back to Solar System to spend it. To do that, and do it right, I need a powerful sponsor, understand? Like a Board Supervisor who will send a glowing recommendation and letter of support. Kalico’s imprimatur, if you will.”
He was chewing that over, nodding slightly. “Yeah, makes sense.”
She gave him a warm wink. “Never know, old friend. We might go back on the same ship. A fresh start for both of us. Might be the opportunity that we really could spend some time together. Like . . . real time. Not just business. You’ve lived there. You could show me around.”
“Yeah, I could see that.”
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Me, too.” A pause. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It just pissed me off. She can ask you, I can’t ask back. Not your fault.”
“It’s okay, Ali. I told her the truth. That you were better for PA than Dan. That you were smarter, and that our people would get a straight deal at The Jewel under your management. That’s still true isn’t it?”
“God, yes. Dan was a psychopath. He really didn’t give a damn who got skinned or hurt, so long as it didn’t affect business. Don’t tell Kalico straight out, but I’ll be keeping an extra eye out for her people. Last thing I want is to get crosswise. Any of them start to get in over their heads, I’ll have my people ensure that they don’t.”
“Figured it that way,” Desch said in relief.
“And Desch, remember, I need . . . No, we need Corporate Mine to run smoothly. Anything happens down there, and I mean anything, you tell me. I’ll do everything in my power to help Kalico Aguila keep that train on the rails.”
He was giving her that worshipful stare again, a glow of excitement behind his thoughtful brown eyes. “Deal.”
She slapped him on the shoulder, kissed his cheek again, and stood. “Now, I’ve got to go check on the floor. Make sure that Vik’s not overpouring from the whiskey bottle again. You’d think the man had no understanding of profit margins.”
She was at the door as he was pulling on his boots.
“Ali?”
She turned.
“Thanks,” Desch called. “And bless you for a saint.”
“See you next four-day, Desch. Maybe we’ll take an extra hour.”
She was smiling as she walked out onto the casino floor.