?I’ll put my trust in the Company,?he said firmly.

?Dammit, Aaron, I need the code!?

He leaned back in the seat. ?Sorry, mum. It’s classified. Can’t expect me to violate the regs, can you??

She knew she didn’t have much time and she was starting to lose it. Here she was, dealing with the Company attitude again-that closed, restricted corporate world where ethics and morals were conveniently masked by regulations.

?Look, shithead, you can screw your precious regulations. It’s got to be done. Give it to me!?

?No fuckin’ way, lady. You don’t get the code out of me without killing me first.?

She bent toward him, then forced herself to ease off. Once again she found herself tired beyond imagining. Why was she driving herself like this? She didn’t owe anybody anything, least of all the representatives of the Company. If they took the alien on board their ship and it killed all of them, what was that to her?

?Nothing personal, you understand,?he was saying even as he was watching her carefully, alert for any sudden moves. He didn’t think she posed him any real danger, but 186

Alan Dean Foster

in the short time that he’d seen her operate he’d learned enough to know that it would be dangerous to underestimate her. ?I think you’re okay.?

?Thanks.?Her tone was flat, dulled.

?So that’s settled. We’re working together again.?He was inordinately pleased. ?Got any ideas??

She turned and he tensed momentarily, but she kept going past him to the service counter and drew herself a glass of water. Her thirst was constant and not due to tension and nerves. Her body was supplying fluids for more than one.

?The worker-warrior won’t kill me,?she told him as she halted nearby.

His eyebrows rose. ?Oh, yeah? Why not??

She sipped at the glass. ?It can’t nail me without risking the health of the embryonic queen. And while I know that one of them can reproduce others of its kind, it may not be able to produce more than a single queen. Not enough of the right genetic material or something. I don’t know that for a fact, but the proof is that it hasn’t tried to kill me so far.?

?You really want to bet this thing’s that smart??

?Smarts may not have anything to do with it. It may be pure instinct. Damage the host and you risk premature damage to the unborn queen. It makes sense.?She met his gaze. ?It could’ve killed me twice already, but it didn’t. It knows what I’m carrying.?She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

?I’m going to find it,?she announced suddenly. ?We’ll see how smart it is.?

He gaped at her. ?You’re gonna go look for it??