"Why? The thing you've got in your hand hasn't held a charge since Hanna grew teeveeyes." He grinned. Even in the white glare, she wasn't hard to look at. There were a number of stories that had circulated their way through the cadet quarters, but then. Most rumors had it that B-Haaq himself was the lucky man, and there were few others that held differently. Those of the ship's women who didn't have the slender figure, the crisp cut pale blonde hair or the wide blue eyes and fine features and quick, alert mind that so typified the family of Starn were never too badly off, for that reason. For to the men aboard, she was B-Haaq's, and that was the end of it!
She seemed not to have heard what he said.
"You're Cadtech Kane, aren't you? Do you think this additional charge of attempted unlawful procurement of arms is going to help your case to any extent?"
"I did think so, yes."
"You're as good as in the mines now. And I don't follow your logic. Don't move a muscle!"
"You might as well throw that thing away, Lenantech, it's no good. I'm still looking for one that is, myself. And if you're going to report me, I'm certainly not going to try to stop you. That'd just get me in even deeper, wouldn't it?"
Her features were white, motionless. Only her wrist moved; she deflected the muzzle of her weapon but a fraction of an inch and squeezed the trigger.
The gun clicked emptily, and that was all it did.
"You—"
"I nothing. Just told you. Look, Lenantech, people have shot at me with longbows, hauled me almost naked through the deserts of Prokyfive, beat me with lashes, and sabotaged me. Now I've had enough."