Fortune's Light - Michael Jan Friedman [85]
And more isakki as well, if his last visit here was any indication. But he didn’t have time to stop and think about it.
Their only chance was to get into the library, somehow neutralize Larrak and the Ferengi, lock the doors against pursuit, and contact the Enterprise. Then the captain could send for the authorities, who would be more than a little interested in their report of a Ferengi in Besidia.
As they skirted the side of the house, he could hear the isakki bearing down on them. And the strident shouts of the Imprimans in their wake.
Come on, he told himself. All we need is a door. As he recalled, this structure had only one entrance, and that was in the front. Snow crunching beneath their boots, they skidded around another corner.
The isakki growled, closing the gap with dizzying quickness. Riker’s blood pounded in his ears.
Yet another corner. Surely after this one …
And there it was—the front door. An oversize specimen carved out of dark wood and inlaid with precious metals. It was set into an overhanging stone archway.
Now, with any luck, it would be unlocked.
It was.
Riker ushered Lyneea inside. Then, together, they shoved the door closed behind them. Finding a dead bolt, he slammed it home.
A moment later they heard the skittering of claws on the outside of the door, and the shrieks of the frustrated animals, and the shouts of the two retainers.
Riker took a deep breath, let it out. But before he’d finished, Lyneea was pulling him away.
“Come on,” she told him. “If they’ve got blasters, that door is history.”
She was right. There was no time to waste. They had to get to Larrak before he could hear the commotion and prepare himself.
Behind them was a corridor that seemed to lead into the center of the house; Riker didn’t remember for certain. They followed it.
The inside of the place was still a lot like the outside. The walls were made of large gray stones; the ceiling was a tight latticework of assorted woods polished to a high gloss.
The corridor ended in a hub from which six other spokes extended. Five led to closed doors. The sixth showed them the entrance to the library.
Riker could see Larrak standing in the opening, his back to them, as yet unaware that there was anything wrong.
Lyneea pulled her projectile weapon out of her tunic. Somewhere along the line, she had stuffed Fortune’s Light into the pouch at her belt; it dangled there heavily.
They exchanged glances. “You take Larrak,” she whispered. “I’ll handle the Ferengi.”
He nodded.
Then they were off, pounding down the hallway as fast as they could. When they’d gotten about halfway, Larrak turned and saw them coming.
A brief cry escaping his lips, he ducked and rolled out of sight. A moment later Riker burst into the room, Lyneea half a step behind him.
Too late he saw that Larrak and the Ferengi weren’t the only ones waiting for them.
Lyneea was blasted before she could get off a shot, but she wasn’t hit hard enough to lose consciousness. As Riker helped her to her feet, he saw those responsible for the blast—a quartet of armed retainers. Their host peeked out from behind the quartet. He smiled.
“Welcome to the estate of Madraga Terrin,” he said. “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced.”
Chapter Fourteen
THE FIRST OFFICIAL of Madraga Terrin scrutinized the seal. It glittered with red, green, and blue sparks as the gems embedded in it took turns catching the light. Larrak looked appreciative, as did the retainers who stood by the walls and the Ferengi who leaned against a massive bookcase across the room.
“I am forever in your debt,” said Larrak, turning his gaze first on Riker and then on Lyneea. “Who would have thought that my merger was in jeopardy? Imagine if you had been a trifle less clever and the seal had remained hidden for a while.” He shook his head. “All my maneuvering, all my planning … worthless.” Gently, almost reverently, he placed Fortune’s Light on a small wooden table near the window. Right next to Teller’s homing device. “I don’t know what I would have done.”
Apparently, Riker