“Because he’s the Angel.” Terwilliger walked over to the coffeepot and poured himself another cup. “Besides, everybody knows he’s just here for Santiago. You can hardly call it poaching if nobody knows where Santiago is hiding. Which brings up another subject,” he added carefully. “You came a pretty fair distance just to talk to Jonathan Stern. Usually a bounty hunter doesn’t go that far beyond his own territory unless he thinks he can get a lead on Santiago. So my question is: Is there some tie-in between Duncan Black and Santiago, or not?”

“I don’t see that it’s any of your business,” said Cain.

“Look at me,” said the little gambler. “Do I look like a goddamned rival?”

“No,” said Cain. “You look like a goddamned salesman.”

“Just answer my question. I promise you I won’t sell it to anyone else.”

“Somehow, I get the distinct impression that your promises aren’t exactly coin of the realm.”

“Damn it, Cain—it’s important!”

“To who?”

“To both of us.”

Cain stared at him for a long minute, then nodded. “Yes, he’s a link to Santiago.”

“Good!” breathed Terwilliger with a sigh of relief.

“Why is that good?”

“Well, first I want you to remember that I still owe you a debt of twenty-one hundred credits, and that I can’t pay it off if I’m dead.”

“Get to the point.”

The little gambler took a deep breath.

“The reason I know where to find Duncan Black is because I know where he’s buried.” Terwilliger held up his hand quickly, as if to fight off any possible interruption. “I should have told you back on Port étrange, I know that. It was absolutely, positively wrong. But if I had, you wouldn’t have taken me, and ManMountain Bates would be having me for dinner right about now.”

“I may just take you back there and turn you over to him,” said Cain.

“But everything’s all right now!” said Terwilliger quickly. “Everything’s all right,” he repeated. “That’s why I had to know if Black was a link.”

“Explain,” said Cain ominously.

“You see, if he had owed you money or something like that, you were out of luck and I was in big trouble. I mean, hell, the poor bastard has been dead for almost three years now.” He paused for breath. “But now that I know what you needed him for, I can still help you out.”

“How?”

“There was this woman he used to live with,” said Terwilliger. “She handled a lot of his business for him. She probably knows everyone he knew, and can tell you what his connection was with each of them.”

“And she’s still alive?” asked Cain.

“She was two months ago.”

“Where can I find her?”

“Right where we’re heading—the Clovis system.”

“On Bella Donna?”

“Not exactly,” answered Terwilliger.

4.

She lives in a graveyard of shattered ships.