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included data privileges If it did, she was set

She flipped on the ter to use the manual interface, and checked into the ’net There was the library all right She took a moment to look it over, surprised to see that it went far beyond the standard titles one ht expect on a station of this size There were the most recent vids and lits, far more than she’d seen in the data shops on Transit Three Whatever else Josiah was, he must be an educated man

He and his people had an impressive library

She chose an Ie vid screen Hopefully that would distract anyone whoher data terood, but it would provide h data screens, wishing she’d had more interest in the ’nets as a child She knew there ays to hack into the Unfortunately, she didn’t have a clue as to how one even tried so like that

She flicked back out of the library, discovering that the station’s public ‘net was open to her She started by calling up a ive her so the station was She looked in the directory for a brig or jail, but nothing was listed

She sighed—that would have been too easy

Instead, she took athe lines of a giant cylinder, spinning on its axis to provide gravity She winced It was an ancient design, the kind usually reserved for habitats around planets

She sat back and tried to think

If the station was based on the habitat design, the exterior should be fairly uniform Sure, there would be protrusions and hatches and such, but still, it was hardly likely that there were giant holes in it That just didn’t fit in with the design In the e, dark spaces that really should have been filled

She decided they probably were filled, but just filled with things that weren’t available to anyone who happened to access the general ’net She’d bet her last credit Jerred was hidden there There were four of the had to be six or seven , she decided it made sense to work on the assumption that he would be in one of the closer areas It seemed to eneral area She probably wouldn’t be able to travel the length of station without being caught, anyway

Of the two holes in the er than the other It was near several of the largest hangars, and also seemed to be centered in the ood, safe place to keep a prisoner, she thought, but perhaps an even better place to store weapons And would they really keep a prisoner so close to potential escape? There seears…

The second hole lookedAs far as she could tell, their little banquet had taken place in or near it, and she decided that it was most likely Josiah’s private “compound” within the station In fact, her little rooht about Josiah for aif he would be the kind ofwith her and Jerred at dinner like a big, hungry zarnaThe ht about it, thewith their prey before killing it, just like Josiah

If she was right, Jerred wasn’t far from her at all