Cook, Glen - Starfishers 02 by Cook Glen

Author:Cook, Glen [Cook, Glen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“Where do you want to go, girls?” They were at Academy Station. Perchevski was watching Greta try to

people-watch without being offensive. Oddly uniformed folks surrounded them.

“I don’t know,” Greta replied.

Luna Command was no sightseer’s paradise. It had no spectacular ruins or monuments. The real sights

were outside, the mountains and craters of the surface.

He took the girls to Tycho Dome and for a ride on one of the surface trains. He treated them to the best restaurants and hotels. Greta’s response was gratifying, Leslie’s remote.

He ran out of ideas after two days. All but the alien digs, and he had promised those to Max.

Max could take the pressure off. She would have ideas . . . He took the girls to her shop.

“Hello, Walter,” Max said. Her voice was chilly. She stared at Greta. Greta did not notice. She was

engrossed in the showcases.

“Hi, Lady. Anything for me?”

“Same old stuff. Is that what you’ve been doing since you got back?”

“Come on, Max! She’s sixteen. Greta, come here. I want you to meet Max. Max, Greta Helsung and her

friend Leslie.”

Greta was not imperceptive. “Hi, Max. The Commander is my sponsor.”

“Your sponsor? You never told me you had a kid, Walter.”

“I’m a man of mystery, Love.”

“How come she calls you Walter? Your name is Cornelius.”

“Because he’s a man of mystery, dear,” Max replied. “Everybody has a different name for him. He’s

some kind of spy. I don’t think he knows his real name himself.”

“Max . . . ”

“Wow! Really?”

“Yes. Really. Max, you talk too much. I came here to see if you still wanted to go to the Farside dig.”

Someone entered the shop behind him. Max said hello.

“Hi, tall, blonde, and desirable. Thomas? Is that you? What the hell are you doing here?”

Perchevski turned.

Mouse had come in. He gave Greta an admiring once-over. “That’s right. You know Max, don’t you?

Max, I really want that Manchurian collection, but you’re going to have to come down on it. It’s just not worth twelve thousand.”

“I can see what you want. Hands off. She’s your buddy’s kid. And I can get fifteen if I send it out to

Amonhotep.” To Greta she explained, “This is one of your old man’s buddies. He’s a spy too.”

Perchevski shook his head. “She’s in a Roman candle mood today, Mouse. I come in to ask her out and

she plays mad dog with me. I didn’t know you were a collector.”

“Lot of things we don’t know about each other.” That seemed to close the subject.

“Mouse and I were in the same battalion in Academy,” Perchevski told Greta.

Mouse gave the girl another admiring look. She moved closer to Perchevski, as if feeling for a protective shadow. Mouse smiled gently and resumed arguing with Max.

Perchevski wondered how he could demonstrate, to her satisfaction, that she was not in competition

with inconquerable youth.

“Max, you want to go to the Farside digs or not?”

“When it’s convenient.”

“Are you really a spy, Commander?”

“I guess you could put it that way, Greta. How about after work, Max?”

“You sure you won’t be busy?”

Perchevski closed his eyes, took a long, deep breath, released it.

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