"Serious about that, Lyad?" asked Quillan.
The Ermetyne said, "Certainly I'm serious. Both of you could be of great value to me at present." She looked at him a moment. "Did you ever happen to tell Trigger about the manner in which you re-established the family fortune?"
"Not in any great detail," Quillan said.
"A very good hijacker and smuggler went to waste when you signed up with the Engineers," Lyad said. "But perhaps not entirely to waste."
"Perhaps not," acknowledged Quillan. He grinned. "But I'm a modest man. One fortune's enough for me."
"There was a time, you know," Lyad said, "when I was rather afraid it would be necessary to have you killed."
Quillan laughed. "There was a time," he admitted, "when I suspected you might be thinking along those lines, First Lady! Didn't lose too much, did you?"
"I lost enough!" Lyad said. She wrinkled her nose at him. "But that's all over and done with. And now—no more business tonight. I promise." She turned her head a little. "Flam!" she called.
"Yes, First Lady?" said the voice of the red-headed girl.
"Bring us Miss Argee's property, please."