PEARL

Logan followed Lacy 14 down the short hallway. As they entered her living quarters a firebird settled on Logan’s shoulder, splashing his face with vivid colors. He shook the bird off, and the creature wingwhispered away.

“I did what you asked,” he said to Lacy.

“A splendid performance,” she agreed. She was wearing the white gown once again, and it billowed as she turned.

“Do I get the pac now?”

“Let me see what you’ve brought.” She picked up the sack of Mooncoins, spilled them into her hand. They were round, bright, stamped with Moon symbols.

“I brought them down from Darkside,” said Logan. “You won’t find any others. Anywhere.”

“They’re…attractive,” she said. “I can use them. But they won’t pay for a full dex. Not of R-11.”

Logan flushed with anger. “I did what you asked with the females…”

“And enjoyed yourself handsomely in the process,” she said.

“Wasn’t that what you wanted to watch me pleasuring them to pleasure yourself?” He tightened his jaw. “I’ve given you all I have. Everything.”

“Not everything,” she said.

“What’s left?”

“Your paravane. It should fetch a good price. I’ll take the coins, and your ship.” She smiled. “You know, I’m really being generous about this. You’re here alone, unarmed. Normally, I would just have my men take your ship and give you nothing in return. But…since you’ve…amused me, I’m willing to turn over the drug.”

“I can’t get back to camp without my ship,” said Logan. “And I need Jonath. It’s impossible to take R-11 without someone to—”

“Take it here,” said Lacy. “I’ll provide a liftroom for you, and see to your needs.”

Logan considered it. There was nothing left for him in Old Washington. Why not stay here in the New York Complex? One city was no better or worse than another now, without Jess.

“I accept,” said Logan.

“There’s risk in a full dex,” said Lacy. “It could kill you.”

Logan said nothing.

“There’s no body or mind control with such a high dosage,” she said. “You’re at the mercy of the drug.”

“I want maximum lift,” said Logan. “A full re-live. And only a dex will give me that.”

“Your decision,” shrugged Lacy. “Get whatever personal belongings you have in the ship, then come back here. I’ll have the R-11.”

He hated losing the paravane: It was a high price to pay. Still, Lacy could have simply taken it, as she said: In dealing with the Market there were no guarantees. You took what they gave you.

Logan had the Gun when the guard said, “You can’t go back inside with that.” His name was Stile, and he captained Lacy’s men. Huge. Slab-bodied. Cruel-faced.

“Lacy made the deal,” said Logan. “She gets the ship and I get my personal belongings. This is mine. It goes with me.”

Stile looked sullen. “All right…I’ll make an exception this time,” he said. “But keep it holstered.”

“Couple of Fusers in there you can have,” said Logan. “They were never mine to begin with.”

He fixed the Gun holster to his belt.

There was nothing else. The ship was theirs now. As the R-11 would soon be his.

The small liftroom was stark and empty, dun-colored, without ornament or decoration. Four walls, a floor and a ceiling. No windows or vents.

“You’ll need this,” Lacy said, and gestured. A gray-clad guard dumped a bodymat, quickly unrolled it.

The mat covered the floor, wall to wall.

“What about oxygen?”

“Enough. The room’s not sealed.”

“I’ll need water.”

“At necessary intervals. Pelletgun…directly in to your system.”

“I don’t want to be observed,” said Logan.

“You won’t be,” said Lacy. “But if you convulse…

“No observation. Just the injections…water when I require it. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“The drug?” asked Logan.

From her belt, Lacy withdrew a small silver disc. She pressed its center and the disc released a single milky-white pearl. It rolled, catching the light, in the palm of her hand.

“Hard to believe that’s a full dex,” said Logan.

She smiled. “You’ve never used R-11?”

“No,” he admitted.

“A normal dosage is almost microscopic,” she told him. “This is a quantam, full-dex strength. Usually this much R-11 is broken into powder, administered in several stages. I’ve never seen anyone take a pearl.”

“The Re-Live drawers died with the cities,” said Logan. “This is the only way left to go back.”

“Is going back that important?”

“Yes,” said Logan. “It’s that important.”

She looked at him for a long moment, then handed him the pearl.

“Just place it in the middle of your tongue,” she said. “Let it dissolve directly into the tissue. It’s effective immediately after ingestion.”

And she left him.