Pixie Hazard by Archibald Bradford (top young adult novels .txt) 📕

the condensation coming off of his glass, Demarco looked slightly pained at her continued directness; he abhorred poor manners, considering himself to be a charming and worldly man.

But Donnie never failed to see the venom in his velvet and he knew it.

With a regretful sigh he turned in his stool once more, hands clasped and one elbow resting on the counter as he looked her straight in the eye to make himself clear.

“Despite the old adage, history doesn’t repeat itself, but there are certain patterns. These days, you and your crew are a bit too... insular and xenophobic.”

Realization struck and she groaned and all but face-palmed.

“Holy shit. Did you seriously just make that entire speech so that you could tell me that I need to learn to play well with others?”

By the time she finished she had likewise turned in her stool so that their knees were nearly touching.

“That, and to remind you that your old life is done, Major Nelson. These days you’re just another scrapper running one of a thousand ships that come through my station. Or I suppose it is two ships now. In any case, it would be good for you to have a friend here. Other than Mister Ling, of course.”

“I think maybe you need to be reminded that it was you and not me that dropped our last deal in the shitter, leaving me and my crew twisting in the solar winds.”

He winced at her phrasing.

“A regrettable occurrence, but hardly a personal one. I would like for us to move past it.”

Her feet slid to the floor and she prepared to leave, more that finished with his lecturing.

“And here I thought I was one of a thousand.”

Despite her biting words, his earlier charm returned in full force as he smiled broadly at her.

“Oh no my dear: you are one in a million.”

She took the compliment for the horseshit that it was, glaring at the unwelcome man as she got in another dig.

“You offering me another job or trying to get in my pants? Because neither one is happening.”

His smile fell away and his words became cold, impatient.

Direct.

“It was just business. Deals fall through all the time. Let’s be professional about this.”

“Not when I make them. And you and I have a very different idea of what professional means. Now unless those two idiots want to get hurt, you should probably give a tug on their leashes.”

As the tension mounted between their boss and Donnie, his bodyguards had stood from their booth and edged closer to the potential conflict.

Demarco gave her an appraising look, before waving his fingers at his men with some irritation until they reluctantly withdrew their hands from their hidden weapons.

“How about we do this then?” He shook off the sudden sourness of their dialogue and clapped his hands together to signify his intention to get to business; “I will pay you a cancellation fee for our previous contract. Surely that would smooth things over between us?”

The wary captain frowned at the uncharacteristically generous offer.

“It might, but why would you do that? A slightly used transport isn’t exactly a rarity.”

“Oh I never wanted the ship. I’m told you took on a passenger around Kentis.”

If her hackles were up before, now she was downright alarmed as she was forced to navigate treacherous waters without a map.

Or a boat.

To her credit, she showed nothing on her face.

“A passenger? What the hell are you talking about?”

“A young botany technician, formerly a guest of the Iowa Clan? Ringing any bells?”

Again she kept her expression neutral, with a hint of genuine confusion at what a genial crime-lord would want with a teenage farm boy.

Demarco smiled that dangerous smile of his as he gleaned more than she wanted from her reaction.

“I’ll give you ten thousand deks to help smooth out any negative feelings left over from our earlier deal. Then say, another thirty for the boy? I can even help you find a buyer for your new ship if you like, waiving my usual commission.”

“Forty thousand deks, for one kid. Seriously?”

His smile widened as he quirked one eyebrow.

“Not a bad finder’s fee for something you already have.”

Unwilling to give up anything more, but also wanting to get out of the restaurant without having to kill Demarco’s bodyguards, Donnie pretended to think about it for a few moments.

Finally she stood up and swiped her pay-chit over the sensor on the counter for Mister Ling.

“Start looking for a buyer for the ship. I’ll be in touch about the rest.”

“Splendid! You... do have the boy though, don’t you?” He asked delicately.

She gave him an exasperated look.

Did he think she was that stupid?

“Maybe, or maybe I simply know where he is. In either case, you won’t be cutting me out of anything again.”

He chuckled and raised his hands in surrender.

“Fair enough Captain Nelson. I’ll be eagerly waiting on your call.” He turned back towards the bar; “Now, Mister Ling, you must tell me your secret! Ancient family recipe from Old Earth?”

Donnie scooped her jacket off the back of the chair and ducked out onto the promenade, shaking her head at his overly fawning interest in the old man’s cooking: the steamed buns were good but they weren’t that good.

Once on the promenade she commed her first mate without delay.

“Billy, get everyone back on the ship, now. Demarco is making a play for Bryan.”

“Bryan? Wha-”

“I’ll explain later. Lock our shit down.”

Maybe Demarco would stick to the deal they just made, but she doubted it. Forty thousand deks just to keep her happy was a little too generous for her to take his word at face value.

The man was largely full of shit, but the part about her operating one ship