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I straighten ait strong When I reach the craft, I nod to the Falladian standing guard at the base of the entry station “I’e”

He stares athis head with one tentacled araze slides past me, then back

I extract a bag of coins fro “I can pay in gold No taxes, no fees Just pure stein”

He blinks, his blue eyelids closing like those of the lizards that ran around on my old planet “Full is full”

“Double” I shake soloved hand

When he doesn’t react, I raise my eyelids “With a bonus for you”

He doesn’ttime, and bile rises in ut Are they co after me yet?

Then he blinks again, that slow open and shut “Triple And only as far as Tellurex I don’t want to know your final destination You can get another transport there”

“Done” I resist the urge to glance overand clanking sounds, like soears are worn, and disappears around a craft further down the tarrows—I need to get out of sight, fast

“Weapons will be checked and stored for the duration of the flight To ensure the safety of all passengers” His long, thin , razor sharp, whisper thin talons, in tapered rows of three, on both upper and lower jaws

“Of course” I tense e to shudder

“We depart in one hour You can board now—”

He breaks off, stepping backwards, his eyes widening I whirl around, heart in ht into the flat-featured, ugly face of a squat Ocretion

“What do we have here?” the Ocretion asks, eyes glittering as he exa

The Falladian shrugs “Transport passenger Who’s asking?”