Mice in the wainscoting The two stood nervously awaiting the third person in the room. There was a snick followed by the hiss of a flame. An odor of burning vegetation wafted into the room with the thick smoke that he expelled with a satisfied expression of pleasure. He raised his eyes from the cigar to look at them. He raised a sardonic brow and looked at each in turn. "Well?" He looked at the woman. "What do you have for me, Sally?" "She is keeping herself in her suite. You already know about the Iskar who is apparently in her employ. Today an attorney entered the suite and has not left it. Shortly before sundown the Iskar left the suite and traveled into The Pot. It returned at ten to the suite leading a bit of flotsam." Another cloud of smoke issued forth. "Scavenger?" "I don't believe so. One who might have been heading that way, though. He was carrying a large duffel." Sally blinked and almost shrank back from the hard stare which bored through the smoke from the cigar. "And what do we now know about this bit of flotsam?" His voice was low and even with a deep resonance. "As of right now, only that he was fished out of The Pot. Who he is, what he is and why she wants him isn't known but it is being looked into through various channels." She paled at the look he gave her before he sucked in another lungful of the smoke that was making her feel ill even from as far away as she was from the worst of it. He turned the cigar in his hand to knock the ash from it and then snapped his look at Hiigira. "And what have you found out?" "Hai! I have been able to find no weakness in the Iskar at this point in time. All my research indicates that they are just as dangerous and indifferent, usually, as my personal testing has revealed. I have yet to find a way past that creature." Another cloud of smoke poured into the room. "And just how many times have you failed in your testing of it?" "Twice so far. Both times I was rendered insensible. The counter of the Iskar was very efficient and very painful. The first time was an attempt to find out what she is doing here. Apparently the Iskar detected it and did something I do not understand. The second time was an attempt to get a reading on it. That was worse." The big man stood silently for a while, knocking a plug of ash from the cigar to stare at the glowing coal on its end. Then he looked up at Sally. "Get me that information or your fragrant carcass will be decorating the alleys of The Pot for the scavengers to pick over if there is anything left of it after I get done with it." He turned his head slightly and looked at Hiigira. "Find a way to neutralize that creature or get around it." He didn't have to say "or else!" Hiigira bowed respect. "So far the two of you are wasted credits. Neither of you are worth the price of this cigar even if I sold you as a pair. If the two of you worthless things can't get me the 'why,' get me the 'what's' that I need." As the two left he was amused to see the frightened look he got from Sally. Sometimes you just had to explain things clearly to get people motivated. He pulled another lungful of smoke from the cigar and contemplated the glowing coal once more. He did have other pressing matters to resolve. The lucrative market in gems was being threatened by an action in council which would severely limit the trade and its profits. Should he have the councilor eliminated or just have him painfully crippled? Such things required much thought. As for the woman and her growing menagerie that could wait for now. But not for too much longer. He smiled and punched a code on his comm. He had decided just how to handle the troublesome councilor. To be Continued............