“You mean that she would have gutted the thugs you sent after her, and then would have come after you next, after they gave you up.”

“That’s exactly what I mean. You were, and I mean this with no disrespect whatsoever, the softer target.”

Marce nodded at this. It was true enough. He was a scientist, and Vrenna was a soldier, or had been before she had taken over Claremont’s constabulary. Of the two of them, he was much more likely to be taken by surprise, and rather less likely to snap anyone’s neck.

“There is also the matter that you are intended to leave the planet, and she’s not.”

“So?”

“You’ve never left End before. You’ve never even gone to the imperial station, even when your sister was in the marines. Your leaving now is interesting.”

“You mentioned there was a war going on.”

“Yes, but I don’t think that’s why you’re leaving. If you were leaving because of the war, it wouldn’t just be you. Your sister and father would be leaving as well, or at least trying to. But it’s just you.” Ghreni reached into his pocket and pulled out a data crypt, laid it on the table. “And by this, at least, you’re not leaving with the family inheritance.”

Marce stared at the data crypt. It had been taken from him when he’d been kidnapped, along with the other personal items that were on his body rather than in the now-missing rucksack.

Ghreni pushed it over to him. “Take it.”

Marce took it, put it in his pocket. “Is it empty?”

“No. I don’t need your pictures and music, and I’m afraid the duke needs more than a hundred thousand marks from your family. Until and unless your father helps us, it’s not as if you’re going anywhere anyway. And because I think he wants you to go, now, I think we’ll get what we want from him.”

“And if you don’t?”

Ghreni shrugged. “For starters, you’re not leaving the planet.”

“ ‘For starters.’ ”

“The duke really needs access to that money.”

“Enough to kill me?”

“He wouldn’t be killing you himself. But now that you mention it, at the moment, hundreds and possibly thousands of people are dying daily in this stupid rebellion. If placing one life in the balance—yours—means thousands more will live, isn’t that a risk worth taking?”

“You really just attempted to morally justify kidnapping me.”

Ghreni shrugged again. “It’s certainly an argument I can see the duke making to ease his conscience. Whether it holds water is not something I think he’ll trouble himself with. The duke is many things, but a great thinker is not one of them.”

“This isn’t going to work.”