‘I will deal with the constables,’ Paladin said. ‘You must make your way to the station. If you move quickly once you leave Cat Gate, I do not believe there will be any difficulties.’

‘Fine,’ I said. ‘We’ll meet up at the dock. You know the name of the ship.’

‘I do not think we will meet again, Arafura. Not after what is about to happen.’

‘No,’ I said disbelievingly. ‘You’ve got to come with me.’

‘You have done well this far. You will do equally well without me.’

‘Paladin—’ I said.

He turned, bouncing and swaying back in the direction of the advancing constables. I was frozen for an instant, not wanting our parting to happen like this, in this place. I watched as he began to put up a struggle, flailing his arms, flashing light at the constables. Then he buckled and went under them, and I thought that was the last I’d ever see of him.

It nearly was, and if I’d started running at that instant it would’ve been. But something came tumbling through the lungstuff, just as if it had been tossed out of that brawl to keep it from harm. I stared at it, thinking two things. The first was that I recognised it, because it was the same shattered dome I’d pulled out of a box and spoken to.

The second was that it was heading for me, like I was meant to catch it.

I put out my hands and caught his head, fumbling it to my belly just before it slipped out of my grip. He took his own head off, I thought. He took his own head off and threw it to me.

But there was nothing twinkling in the dome.

Keeping it pressed to me, I ran.

FOUR

FOUR

TRUSKO

16

16

‘This isn’t the way it usually works,’ grumbled the captain of the Queen Crimson. ‘Just so we’re clear on that. No one ever comes to me direct, at the docks, demanding to be employed. We do things through intermediaries. Brokers. Agencies. The talent bazaar.’

‘I heard you could use a good boney. If that’s not the case, there are a hundred other ships that I’m sure could benefit from my abilities.’

‘You’ve a ready opinion of yourself.’