the large steel door started rolling to the left, giving him just enough room to enter the ville.
KATZ LOOKED at the body of Eleander lying on a cot in a corner of the lab. She seemed dead and lifeless, as if she wouldn’t become conscious for another few hours yet.
Robards was rearranging her clothing, hiding the slight welts, in order to make her presentable enough to bring to the baron.
“I can wake her up, but there will be a dangerous mix in her system,” Katz said. “If she takes anything else in the next twelve hours, it could chill her.”
“I’ll watch over her,” Robards said, his voice emotionless.
“And of course, there will probably be some slurring of her words—that is, of course, if she can speak coherently at all.”
“I’ll tell them she’s been drinking.”
“That’s probably best. She’ll seem drunk, might even feel like it, too.”
“Rad-blasted outland scum,” Robards said. “One of them took a liking to this bitch. Asked the baron if she could join them.”
“And the baron agreed?”
“The outlanders wanted to leave, and I instructed the baron to keep them here for a couple or few days, till my rider comes back from Indyville. And so when the old-timer asked to see her, the baron had no choice but to agree.”
“You could always say she’s turned in for the night.”
Robards shook his head. “Tried something like that, but this outlander was persistent. Wouldn’t take no for an answer. Probably come here to see her if she doesn’t join them over there.”
Katz produced a large plunge-type syringe from his bag. “This will bring her around,” he said, then sighed. “But she’s your problem after that.”
Robards put a hand on his blaster and said, “Just do it!”
Katz gave Eleander the jab.
At first nothing happened, and then her eyelids fluttered open. “Where, what…” She put a hand on her forehead. “Headache.”
“Thanks,” Robards said.
“Don’t thank me,” Katz replied. “You’re on your own. I want nothing to do with this.”
Robards snickered. “You’re already involved.”
Katz shook his head. “You mention my name, and the baron will get the full story. About the others, too…” He closed his bag and left the room before Robards had a chance to respond.
At the sound of Katz’s departure, Eleander’s eyes opened wider. When she realized Robards was standing over her, she instinctively tried to move away from him, crawling backward like a spider.
“Relax,” Robards said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She looked skeptical.
“The baron wants to see you. Apparently, one of the bastard outlanders has taken a shine to you.”
A sleepy smile broke over Eleander’s face.
“Tidy up,” Robards said, pulling back the blanket. “I don’t want to keep the baron, or the outlanders, waiting.”
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