“I could,” Rafe corrected gently. “And so could anyone else with my expertise. For the boy’s sake I suggest extreme caution. And—forgive my suspicions—I would like some assurance that you actually do have those items of value you spoke of.”

Stella slipped her weapon out; Rafe did not move, but she felt his attention sharpen. She handed it to Toby, who hastily put down his second bowl of food. “Toby, this is a model you may not be familiar with. Safety’s that red knob. Pull it out now. It’s off safety now. Keep it pointed at Rafe, whom I trust absolutely to be Rafe…”

Rafe smiled, this time with what looked like genuine appreciation.

“And do not hesitate to shoot if he makes a move, or if I suddenly fall over.”

“Yes…,” Toby said. His hand, she noticed, did not shake.

“Now,” Stella said. She reached into her bodice and fished into the top pocket of the safe, pulling out the little suede container. She shook the stones out on her hand; they flashed brilliance around the room. Rafe caught his breath. “Yes,” Stella said. “Genuine. Natural.” She rolled them back into the suede pouch, and tucked it away again.

“I gather there are more?” Rafe said. His pulse had quickened, visible in his neck.

“Oh, yes,” Stella said. “But not all in the same place.”

“Of course,” he said. “I am satisfied, then, that you have sufficient stock of value to enter into an equal partnership. I suppose I should show you mine—” He turned the chair.

“Toby,” Stella said. Rafe froze. “I suppose you should sit perfectly still,” she said, “until our agreement is finalized.”

“You don’t want to see my accounts?” Rafe said, too lightly.

“I don’t want to see the business end of any of the weapons you have in your desk or on your person,” Stella said.

“My, you have learned,” Rafe said. He spread his hands. “All right. Terms?”

“Recording,” Stella said. She indicated her implant with one finger. “I know your scans are on, at least in here, so you’ll have your own record as well.” She took a deep breath and went on. “Partnership, limited, sixty days to start with, renewable by agreement of both parties. Can be unaffiliated by either party, with due notice of not less than twenty-four hours onstation, or twenty-four hours after arrival if on shipboard. Absolute for personal protection from physical, chemical, or biological attack by the partner or partner’s agent for the duration of the partnership and for a minimum of three standard days following its ending. Usual for sharing of information: all information relevant to the partnership shared, other information optional. Do you agree to these terms, Rafael Stoner Madestan?”

His expression was rueful. “I should never have taught you so well, Stella. Yes, I, Rafael Stoner Madestan, agree to these terms as offered by Stella Maria Celeste Vatta—sorry, I don’t know your married name. I swear to abide faithfully by my partner in… in this enterprise, and to consider paramount the welfare of all partners. Does the boy enter into this?”

Stella carefully did not look at Toby. “He is of age, just. Toby, do you agree to these terms as full partner, or do you wish the protection of a minor?”

“You’re asking me?” His voice squeaked, then firmed. “As a member of Vatta family… Yes, I agree to these terms as a partner, accepting both Stella Maria Celeste Vatta Constantin and Rafael Stoner Madestan as partners for this enterprise.”

“Good,” Stella said. “And I, Stella Maria Celeste Vatta Constantin, accept you, Toby Lee Vatta, and Rafael Stoner Madestan as my partners in this enterprise, according to the terms as recorded in my implant and in Ser Madestan’s office security recorders.”

“Fine,” Rafe said. “Now can the boy—sorry, Toby—quit threatening me with a live weapon?”

“Of course,” Stella said. “Toby, point that weapon at the floor and push in the red knob.”

“You’re sure we can trust him?” Toby said.

“At this point, we have to find out,” Stella said. “But yes, Rafe has his own code of honor and I believe we can trust him.”

Toby nodded and complied; Rafe sat very still until the weapon was back in Stella’s hands and hidden away once more in her holster. Then he heaved a sigh.

“Stella, dearest, you nearly made me create a mess. I do believe Toby would have shot me.”

“Indeed he would,” Stella said. “But he didn’t, so you have no complaints now, right?”

“Right,” Rafe said. “To work, then. When I realized trade was going right out the air locks, after the explosion, I began converting some of my assets to the same kind of portable hard goods you have. Of course, it was difficult because others on the station were trying to do the same thing, and antiquities are not necessities.”

“And you always have your run money,” Stella said. Rafe shook his head.

“I am well reproved for earlier misdeeds,” he said. “Yes, of a sufficiency. What I propose to do now is put my stock in storage, explain to the authorities that without trade there’s not sufficient profit, and depart. If you are known to have employed me, perhaps as a bodyguard, that would explain—”

“That an antiquities dealer has bodyguard capabilities?”

“No, simply my departure. Perhaps you engaged me as the best you could find, all the regular bodyguards being unwilling?”

“Would they be unwilling?” Stella asked.

“They could be… dissuaded,” Rafe said.

She could not stop the chuckle that emerged. “I see. So you have far more deals going on this station than selling books and things and… whatever comes in the parcels.”

He spread his hands. “You know me too well, Stella.”

Alas, she did. But after the first appalling realization that she had put herself and her emotions in danger, she had also realized that Rafe was the one person who might, just might, help her get to Lastway and find Ky. Especially since she had Toby along.

“So my thought is first to tell ISC that we need more berths, if they’ve got ’em…”

“A secure line. You need a secure line. Do you have the courier’s contact number?”

“Yes. What do you have, optical spider hooks all over the place?”

“Not exactly all over.” Rafe pulled out a number of thin, stiff fibers from beneath a book and ran them into a standard-configuration plug, which he then plugged into the side of his desk unit. “Berth number… got that. All right. Since I’m sure you don’t trust me, you enter the contact code with your own lily-white hands.”

Stella came over to the desk and entered the code. Of course his system would capture it, but it wasn’t the hidden one. When the linkage icon went green she looked at Rafe. “Do you want me to stick to text?”

“Better,” he said.

“Fine.” Stella keyed in the pertinent data, as she saw things, and waited until the answer came back, demanding a visual. Rafe shrugged and moved over to take the blanket off the bunk while Stella sat at the desk.

“Vid hookup’s on your left, third row,” Rafe said. Stella found it and plugged in.

The courier’s com officer stared out of Rafe’s desk monitor, in the crisp brilliant color she’d have expected from one of Rafe’s hookups. “Are you all right?” he asked. “Something’s got the station police stirred up—captain wants to leave as soon as we can.”

“I’m fine. Jos, what they didn’t tell us is that there was a survivor of the Vatta attack—an apprentice who was offship at the time. They’ve had him in protective custody. I was signing him out when there was… a bit of trouble. Thing is, I need to get him offstation and somewhere safe, but I’m betting you don’t have room.”

“Er… I can ask the captain. How big is he?”

“And a third party,” Stella said without answering that. “I’m bringing an escort, from here—I can’t take care of the kid alone.”

“I’m sure we can’t do that,” the com officer said. “I’ll ask the captain, but—we’re only a courier.”

“I know. And I’m very grateful, but that’s how it is.”