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blue of his eyes was almost eclipsed by pupil. Yet he still managed to pull up a smile.  I ll be a model
prisoner in a moment, I assure you.
 See that you are. I don t want to have to get you out of any additional charges. She wanted to kiss
him. Grab him and kiss him and wipe out the dread that she knew was there below the surface. Instead, she
gave him a small smile and said loud enough to be overheard,  I m glad you ve decided to wise up, Frey.
The Imperial Prison System isn t going to be as soft on you as we were. Nodding sharply to Tal, Vanya
deliberately turned her back on Kellen.  Let s go. He s not our problem anymore.
Walking away was one of the hardest things she d ever had to do, and it was only Tal s arm around
her shoulder that kept her from turning back for one last look.
Their tiny flat was within walking distance of the intake center, and Vanya was glad for the chance to
work off some of her frustration.
Tal made a show of panting for breath at her heels, wiping his forehead with exaggerated care when
she was forced to stop her near-jog at an intersection.  I d ve worn better shoes if I d known this was going
to be a race.
She didn t glare so much as give him a baleful stare, and Tal sighed, grabbing her hand and linking
their fingers.  Yeah. Walking away was hard.
 And it s stupid. It s not like they re going to torture him or anything. Except that I know that it s
going to be torture for him. She scrubbed a hand across her face with a wry grin.  What kind of an idiot
chooses to be a criminal when they have claustrophobia? That s a serious lack of forethought. Especially
for a man who plans everything in advance.
 He s a cocky bastard. My guess is he figured he wasn t ever going to get caught.
 No doubt. Forcing herself to let it go for a second, Vanya looked around their neighborhood,
drinking in the sun and fresh air until she felt grounded in the moment again. More or less, anyway, since a
nasty little voice pointed out that sunlight and fresh air were in rather short supply in jail.  It s hard to
reconcile not wanting to leave him there with knowing that legally, morally, it s where he belongs. She
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The Slipstream Con
pointed ahead, to the bakery on the corner, and they sauntered that direction, her haste to be home
overridden by the lure of fresh pastries.
 Well, I know how much the morality has to be troubling you. He swung their hands back and forth
slowly, and she raised her eyebrows, clearing her throat pointedly. He laughed.  Van& Legally, morally&
We re a little past that now, aren t we? It doesn t mean it s not true, but we made the choice that it didn t
matter to us. Are you changing your mind?
 Of course not. Of the two of us, I d think it would be you with the itchy conscience anyway.
Tal shrugged, letting go of her hand so that he could bend over to pick up a discarded coffee cup and
throw it away. The light hit him just right as he turned back to her, and the smile he gave her was easy,
familiar, even confident.  The thing about that& I m sure. Everything should tell me that this is wrong, but
all I feel is right about it, now that I ve let myself. It s stupid and foolhardy, and he could be the best liar in
the  verse. He s guilty. So fucking guilty that it s almost laughable how little they ve got on him. He bit
his lip, eyes bright, and even that momentary uncertainty paled against the joy that he couldn t seem to
contain anymore.  I know all of that, but I know that this is right.
 Or maybe we just want it to be. She couldn t muster up any of the sting it should have had.
 I just lied to an Imperial warrant officer. You re damn right I want it to be. She held her hand out to
him again, and he took it, the rough warmth of his palm fitting against hers like a puzzle made of calluses.
 I was sure until we had to walk away. You re sure now that we have. You think any of us will be
sure after we get him out?
 Only one way to find out, Tal said, and it sounded like a dare.
 I ll start making my calls as soon as we get home.
She d take that bet.
 I m sorry, ma am, but I don t have any record of your name, and there is no Mr. Rawwen on staff. If
you need to contact an Imperial agency, I can transfer you to one of our citizen-service representatives, but
this is a private line, and I don t believe you should have it.
Vanya bit her tongue, her fingers tapping idly on the console while she made a mental list of all the
things the hapless girl she was talking to had done wrong. Confirming that the line was a private Imperial
contact topped the list, but she didn t want to limit herself just yet, when there was so much material to
choose from.
 It s very clear to me that Mr. Rawwen no longer works there, or you d know not to keep an associate
of his waiting. It never hurt to lay on the self-importance, and Vanya s smile was all teeth when the girl
gave her an exceedingly condescending nod.
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S. Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore
 Yes, ma am, I m sure you re correct. If there s nothing else I can do for you? The implication was
clear, and Vanya waved her hand at the screen.
 Please pass along my regrets to Commander Jivra Warun Sumrae, and explain that I knocked twice,
and the third time is the charm. Can you do that much?
 Certainly, ma am. Her face remained neutral, but her brown eyes narrowed, and she glanced down
for a second, just long enough that Vanya could tell she was reading something, not deferring.  The
Commander will be disappointed that you can t make it. I ll be sure to deliver the message. Perhaps it
wasn t the smoothest delivery, but at least there was a spark of recognition now, and Vanya toned down her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]