Hunting with Flinteye
The human flipped a document onto the table and turned it around so that I could read it, then sat quietly while I skimmed through it. I shoved it back a couple centimeters with one claw when I was done. "So?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink--most likely to calm his nerves. A lot of beings get the jitters near me.
"No. I don't babysit tourists," I hissed.
He needed another gulp before he could respond to that. "But Flinteye, look--you see the price they're offering?"
I had seen it. A hefty sum--50,000 SEUs--and an excellent fee for that type of job. "Three beings from the heart of the Alliance, who have probably never stepped into any wilderness that wasn't covered by a dome, want a guided tour of Asi XII's quaint little outback? No. Not even for that money."
"You're being unreasonable. It says right here that they're interested in hunting and have done it before. The one even claims to have brought down a stone manta on Ossion."
The human was gaining a little courage--perhaps he was thinking of the go-between fee that he would earn if I took the job. It was very rare that anybody called me unreasonable, not without a bunch of goons at his back and a plasma launcher at his side. "It just means that I'd have to save their hides from every beast that they took a snipe at with their Alliance toys. And if I do get something good, I don't want to be shot in the back so they can have a new trophy."
"So you're not even going to talk to them?"
"No."
"Flinteye, we both know how much you need the money. Your ship is mauled, and your 'bot isn't much better."
He was getting courageous. I had taken only a minor job through his services before, and he was calling to mind my personal finances. I was still adamant.
"All right. Here's one that you might prefer."
He slapped another document on the table with the air of a being who had been hoping to present it to someone else. I read that one, too, and pushed it away more vehemently. "The same bunch of Alliance beings, eh? I don't do assassinations, no matter who the targets are and how much money the job is worth."
The human frowned and crossed his arms across his chest. "That's all I've got to show you. The rest are either outside your lines of work or require going off-planet--those I might show to you if you had a ship. Either one of these would give you enough SEUs to either buy a good new one or fix up the junk heap you have."
Now he was lecturing me. It was fortunate for him that I was in a good mood. I tapped a claw on the first document. "I'll go see the group, and I'll tell them you sent me."
I took the paper, folded it twice, and slipped it into my vest. Now that his work was complete, the go-between scuttled out of the pub as fast as he could without looking awkward.
I grinned after him, showing a row of fangs to the disheveled occupants of the place. Nearly all were looking at me--I could tell despite their attempts to look unconcerned with my presence. Maybe it was just the plasma weapons hanging from my waist, or my two meters of height, but some of them probably recognized my jet-black eyes. I swept a long glance around at each table. All were clearly visible to me even in the dim light--I could see the heat of each being's body, the glow of warmth flowing from their chairs, mugs, and drinks.
Then I snapped my head around and walked into the street. The outpour of tension as I left was almost audible.
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