He allowed himself a small smile, which widened when he caught the brief eye blink. He’d surprised her. And she knew that he knew.

Ah, the games we play in negotiations.

“A Nolan,” he said, trying to throw her off her game by switching back to her own bait.

“Yes, they’ve held it here for some time.”

“How? Not even the Sea Fox have managed to keep them alive off Engadine for very long.”

“Now how would I know that?” She smirked. “I know lovers like to think their partners are omniscient and all, but please.”

He watched her attempt to put her hair into some semblance of order and he actually laughed.

“You laughing at me?” Her eyes twinkled with merriment.

He sucked his teeth (wondered for a moment if he would ever get the taste-smell of urine off his tongue), and actually reached out and patted her knee, drawing a startled look. “Of course not, Snow. I’m laughing with you.”

“Ah, no talking dirty to me, sweetness. And hands off until the wedding night.”

A terrible, gurgling cry interrupted their repartee. They turned their heads in time to see the decapitation of one of the warriors, as one set of arms simply tore the body in two. The Nolan took several gashes from the warriors in return, however, and actually was forced back a step.

With a new understanding, Petr shifted his gaze to the magister and saw the panic on his face, even across such a distance.

The warriors are doing much better than you expected. He just might lose his Nolan.

He nodded thoughtfully at the warriors in acknowledgment of their obvious skills, considered, for just a moment, striking out for the magister in the hopes of ending the match; there would be a good market in Nolans if they could be bred off Engadine and in captivity.

“So, sweetness, about my offer?”

The words brought him back from the potential of a good deal, to the immediacy of a deal in the works.

“Which offer would that be?”

“Don’t go all coy after offering to drag me off and have your way with me under the bleachers.” Snow shifted and winced; he imagined she’d gotten a sliver in her own ample rump.

Petr maintained his silence until she actually looked put out and broke the silence between them, though her voice dropped several decibels and lost some of its playfulness.

“The invasion of The Republic. Have you decided what use you might make of that information?”

Petr raised his right hand, rubbed the fingers together (ignored the grime transferred from the wood) and looked at them casually; glanced back up. “Perhaps.”

She looked at his hand, back into his eyes, her own smoky gaze suddenly burning with renewed intensity.

Fool me once, Snow, shame on me. Fool me twice…? A spheroid saying, but apt nonetheless. This time, he would do the playing.

“‘Perhaps.’ That’s all you have to say, sweetness?”

That came out between gritted teeth. “You’ve been doing what for the past few weeks? Not making headway sealing up the beef trade on this sorry-ass planet.”

“I have made progress where progress has been needed. And what have you been doing? Sealing up your own deals?”

A look he could not identify came and went on her face. “That, sweetness, is none of your business. Jealous?”

He leaned back and away from her, resting his arm along the short railing that ran across the back of the top bench—a casual gesture that surprised her and would’ve shocked his own people. “Perhaps.”

She swallowed. Once. Twice. Blinked.

“What news have you for me?”

“News. Didn’t you read the data cube?”

“I felt the news would smell sweeter coming from you.” He sniffed audibly. “Obviously, I was mistaken.”

They both ignored another warrior’s dying agonies shredding the air, too intent on their own world.

“Now, sweetness, you really are pulling out all the stops. I hope the tales of you trueborns are true, ’cause I got a feeling we’re going down under before too long and I got no intention of getting knocked up.”

Try as he might, her blatant reference to his actually siring a freeborn child (it could not happen, of course) caused him to flinch with loathing; bile washed up in his throat.

Her knowing look said wonders. Point to her and the battle pulled back more to a neutral ground.

“I told you before, Snow, I will move when and if I feel it is necessary.” He spoke in a tone reminiscent of their previous encounter. He would not lose more ground.

Snow gazed at him steadily for several long seconds before she responded, the hubbub of the crowd surging around them, accompanied by the smell of stale sweat and the sickly stench of old age and rot.

“Then it might be of some interest to you to know that I believe someone, or some ones, from Beta Aimag recently held a secret rendezvous with elements of Clan Jade Falcon.”

Petr straightened up, thunderstruck. “What?”

“Sweetness, do I need to lick out those ears of yours? You heard me.”

He reeled, not even registering her comment. They met with elements of Jade Falcon? When, where, how, why? The questions came fast and furious—a fusillade of emerald laser fire, boiling away his calm demeanor.

“I believe the Jade Falcons have invaded The Republic,” she said softly, answering his unasked question. She had once more managed to obtain vital information before his own contacts. His own people.

“Sweetness,” she began, her voice almost serious, “I’m sure Beta Aimag would have every reason in the world to be in contact with a Jade Falcon force that is right now attacking several worlds in The Republic.” She stopped, opened her mouth and tapped her lower lip with her right index finger, as though just now thinking of something. “But, if they have a legitimate reason, why are they keeping the meeting a secret? I mean, considering what a bungled job you’ve made of negotiations here, you’d think ol’ ovKhan Clarke would be crowing the triumph of landing a deal with the Falcons, right? But his own people don’t even know about it.”

Petr glanced at her sharply at such a statement, read the knowledge in those words. He also did not for a moment believe she’d suddenly thought of this; she had delivered the data exactly as planned. If the information turned out to be correct—he was surprised to realize that, in some strange way, he’d come to trust her—it would change everything.

A new thought blossomed, and a horrifying idea began to coalesce. Something so monstrous and vile he could not suppress the involuntary gasp of his strained lungs.

No. That could not be. Not even Sha would go so far.

As though frozen between one breath and the next, he ran numerous scenarios through his head. Slowly, he realized he needed more information. Had to make his own inquiries among Beta Aimag personnel. And to do so, he must get Sha off-world.

Slowly wrangling his runaway thoughts until they were under control, he looked once more at Snow and stretched a taunt, pain-filled smile across lips abruptly as dry as a godan’s scales.

“I believe, Snow, I will be moving to take care of your alleged invasion sooner than I thought.

Her eyes lit up, and she parted her lips, teasing them with her tongue for a moment. “That, sweetness, is what I’ve been waiting to hear. Anytime you want to drag me under the bleachers, you just let me know.”

Still trying to grapple with the sickening possibilities, he looked her full in the face. “Snow, if this information proves as useful as I believe it will, I may just take you up on that offer.”

And he meant it.