“I doubt it,” said Cain. “What you have to remember is that any man who carries a gun out here is undefeated. You can’t afford to get overconfident in this business.”

“That’s probably why you’re still alive when so many men who view things differently are dead,” said Santiago.

“Perhaps.”

“Have you another explanation?” asked Jacinto.

“When I was a very young man I wasn’t afraid of death, and that gave me an advantage over the men I fought. As the years went by, I realized that there was nothing fair or reasonable about death, that it could come to anyone, so I became very careful; that gives me an advantage of a different kind.”

“Which you’ve used with remarkable success,” interjected Santiago. “I suppose all good bounty hunters do.”

“There are no bad bounty hunters,” replied Cain. “Just good ones and dead ones.”

“Why did you become a bounty hunter in the first place?” asked Jacinto.

“When I realized that I wasn’t going to make the galaxy a better place to live in in one bold stroke, I decided to try doing it one small step at a time.”

“Have you ever regretted it?”

“Not really,” replied Cain. “We all make choices; most of us get pretty much what we deserve.” He paused thoughtfully. “I used to think, years ago, that someday I’d like to settle down. I was always going to find the right woman when I got a little spare time.” He smiled ruefully. “I never even began looking for her.” He shrugged. “I suppose if it had meant more to me, I would have.”

Santiago nodded knowingly. “With me it was children. I’d been an only child, and a very lonely one at that. I always wanted a house filled with kids.” He chuckled ironically. “So now I have one filled with killers and smugglers. Every now and then I stop and wonder how the hell it happened.”

“People don’t come out to the Frontier to raise families,” said Cain.

“Unless they’re colonists,” agreed Santiago. “Or shopkeepers. Or merchants. Or farmers.” He sighed ironically. “Or anyone but us.”

“It’s just as well,” said Jacinto. “None of us expects to die of old age.”

Santiago turned to Cain. “Second-guessing himself is not one of Jacinto’s strong points.” He smiled. “As for dying of old age, I personally plan to live forever. There’s too much work yet to do to worry about dying.”

“Then don’t take foolish chances,” replied Cain.

“You’re referring to the Angel again?”

Cain nodded.

Santiago sighed. “How can I ask my supporters to risk their lives if I’m not willing to do the same thing?” he said seriously.

“The operative word was foolish,” said Cain.

“He can’t run from the Angel,” said Jacinto.

Cain turned to him. “I thought you were the one who wanted to tighten his security.”