Dev paced the bridge till she was exhausted. Her communications was out. How had that happened? Mik always said nothing happened by itself. That meant someone had a hand in her communications going down. She narrowed her eyes. Harry had said the word was out she was solo. That being true, almost anyone could be trying to sabotage her ship. No. Not her ship, their ship. She plopped down in the pilot's seat. How could she have been so selfish as to run off with the ship? It was the backbone of their new shipping business. Having lost the Hauten on Pagoda, without the Bird, business would be cut down to nothing. And knowing Kev he probably took off with the Pelican, leaving no way for business to continue. Jumping to her feet again, she headed for the galley. She was starving. Five minutes later she looked at the food she'd prepared and almost threw up. She pushed the offending meal across the table.

"Kevnor," she whispered, "where are you?" His image rose in her mind's eye. Tall, broad shouldered and taut with well-honed muscle, her husband was a man among men. His black eyes could wither you with a glance or heat you to melting stage with a sultry look. He was perfect. So what if they'd had a little disagreement? He was always quick to anger and quick to get over it. She knew that, had known it for years. Why had she reacted like a petulant child and run away from home at the first sign of trouble? He told her Bauxites married for life. She should have known he didn't mean it when he said he was getting an annulment. And even if he was serious, she should have stayed and fought for her marriage, her family. Kevnor and their child were her one chance at true happiness.

What was that about the Imani and Bauxites being at war? What was their problem? If her life was going to be affected by the feud that had raged for centuries, she was damn well going to find out what it was all about. Stepping to the communications station, she tested the availability of the web. To her astonishment, she was able to get online. Several hours later she rubbed her back where it ached down low and reheated the abandoned meal. This time she devoured it and searched the stores for something sweet. The whole pregnancy thing had her body acting like a stranger.

Returning to the computer, she looked over her notes. From what she could find out, the Imani were a matriarchal society while the Bauxites were patriarchal. The Imani women ruled their households with autonomy and were allowed as many husbands and concubines as they could afford. Male children of ruling houses were sequestered until they were of marriageable age while the female children received the best education and training available. Bauxites were monogamous. Though the males were considered in charge of the families, both male and female children were educated, and females could hold public office, though occurrences were rare. Dev snorted. Neither place sounded like paradise.

She wondered whether her child was a boy or a girl. What if she was captured and returned to the Imani and she had a boy? She couldn't bear to see him treated like a second-class citizen. She'd rather give him to Kev to raise than subject her son to such a life. Never see her son again? Her hand smoothed her still flat belly. How could she live without ever seeing him? For that matter, how could she live without Kevnor? She loved him so much. She'd loved him for years. He was the other half of her soul.

Kev, Mik, Zoë, and Callus entered the orphanage with a feeling of déjà vu. The damned places were all the same--sad, hopeless faces pressed up against windowpanes, wishing for a miracle to bring them a family, a home.

"This creeps me out," Zoë confessed.

"Me, too," Callus agreed. "It's like I'm suddenly back on the other side of the viewing screen. And with my ugly mug, I knew no one would ever pick me."

Zoë squeezed his forearm. "I'd have picked you."

"Thanks." He appreciated the lie.

A young woman came out to greet them. "May I help you?" she asked.

"We're here to see Olga," Mik informed her.

The girl's face underwent a transformation from happy and polite to cold and indifferent. "One moment," she said briskly.

Mik stopped her. "Miss?" She turned back toward him. "We're not friends of hers. In fact, I'm married to Shesshie Kosmato. We're here to settle a score."

"In that case--" She held out her hand. "I'm pleased to meet you. My name's Ann Marie Penne."

"Miklus Armstrong." Mik shook her hand. "Shesshie has mentioned you."

"I'm flattered." She blushed.

"Could you spare a few minutes to talk to me and my crew before we go in to see Olga?"

Ann Marie glanced over her shoulder toward the office. "Sure. I guess."

"Were you aware that Olga was associated with a slaving ring?" Kev asked her.

Gasping, Ann Marie assured them that she had no idea. "You mean she sells the children?"

"We think so," Mik replied. "What we're sure of is that she sent Shesshie off with a supposed Med ship that was really a pirate and slaver, and according to Shesshie, the same ship came here repeatedly. If you put two and two together, you'll realize Olga had to be in on the whole thing."

"It doesn't surprise me. Nothing surprises me where she is concerned. She's an evil woman." Ann Marie wrung her fingers. "What will happen to us if you take her away? I know how to care for the children, but I don't know anything about the funding."

"Not to worry," Kev assured her. "We've contacted the authorities. Within the hour an audit team and the Department of Orphanages will visit you. Be sure you answer all of their questions completely and honestly. And don't hesitate to volunteer information you think they need to know."

"Okay."

"And honey," Zoë added, "don't be afraid to leave this place. There's a great big universe out there."

Ann Marie smiled. "I'll remember that. Now if you'll follow me, I'll take you to Olga."

Sitting behind her desk, Olga frowned when her door opened without warning. She hastily shuffled papers around on her desk. "What is the meaning of this, Ann Marie?" she bristled.

"These people came here to talk to you," she said. "This one--" She indicated Mik. "--is Shesshie's husband."

That brought the robust woman to her feet. "Shesshie? That's not possible. She's..." Her voice trailed off before she said too much. "She's moved." Olga stepped out from behind her desk.

"Indeed, she has, no thanks to you." Mik stepped closer. Kev skirted both of them and eased in behind Olga's computer.

"I didn't tell her to leave. It was her idea." The woman's face was flushed.

"And was it also her idea to seek passage on a pirate ship bound for Pagoda?" Mik's voice had risen until he was shouting.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she bluffed.

"Oh," Kev interrupted, "I think you do."

Olga's head whipped around to see who was behind her. "What are you doing?" she asked him. "That's private property."

"Actually, no, it's not," Kev told her. "This is a public orphanage, and as such, all records are public. I have every right as a citizen to whatever information is on this computer."

Olga smirked. "You'll not find anything out of the ordinary on there."

"Want to bet?" Kev returned her smirk. "I am a communications officer, and I'm very good at what I do." He glanced back at the computer screen. "Looks to me like you've got several hidden files. Wonder what's in those?"

"They're password protected," Olga blurted.

"Nothing's safe from our Kevnor," Zoë bragged. "Just wait till the authorities get here. By then he'll have uncovered any secrets you've got."

Olga lunged at the smaller woman. Zoë sidestepped, tripped Olga and pounced on the other woman when she hit the floor. "Never--" She held a slender blade to Olga's throat. "--underestimate me, just because I'm small."

Callus chuckled. "That's the damned truth."

"I've got credits," Olga bargained, "lots of credits. I could split them with you."

"Oh?" Mik stepped closer. "Where have you got this money stashed?"

She started to squirm, but Zoë's blade changed her mind. "Let me up, and I'll show you."

"No need," Kev interrupted. "I've got that information for you, Mik."

Olga screeched, "Nooo!" Her body bucked, pressing the soft flab that hung beneath her chin into Zoë's blade. A thin trail of blood seeped into the creases.

Zoë pressed her knees into Olga's shoulders to immobilize her. "Hold up, bitch, or you won't live to face the authorities."

Mik stepped over so he could view the computer screen. "Well, well, well," he said, "looks like our girl has quite a retirement fund." He glanced at the members of his crew. "I don't think she needs all that, do you?" They all grinned and agreed with him. "Why don't you move, say half of each of the three accounts, into our business account? I think a donation like that would be a big help in feeding the immigrants we just brought back from Pagoda." His voice lowered to a tone that had put fear into many an adversary's heart. "Since the chances are good you are responsible for the enslavement of at least part of them."

Olga opened her mouth to reply, thought better of it and closed her eyes, resigned. "Smart move," Zoë told her.

"You know, Olga." Mik strolled back to stand over her. "My wife told me you had been dealing with the slavers for quite some time. In light of that, I can think of only one way to buy yourself some leniency from the court, and that's to cooperate with us." Squatting down he loomed over Olga, his jaw clinched in anger. "Tell us where we can find Umland and we'll put in a good word for you."

Her eyes grew large, but she shook her head. "No. He'll have me killed."