Kobayashi Maru - Michael A. Martin [83]
“Arent you going to count it? Trip asked.
She displayed an ironic half-smile. “The centurion knows better than to cheat his prime intelligence sources. After all, the last thing he wants is to cause them to dry up. Or give them a reason to send him off hunting mogai in downtown Dartha.
Even without prompting from his translation gear, Trip recognized the Romulan idiom for “wild goose chase. Despite the fact that the Romulan equivalent of wild geese were as large as people, on top of being rather nasty carnivores.
“Where are the Ejhoi Ormiin were pursuing? Terix said, his right hand straying again toward the robe-shrouded shape of his Honor Blade.
The centurions less-than-subtle movement had obviously not escaped TLuadhs notice, any more than it had Trips. “Kroiha, she said in a tone that contained both fear and warning. “They were seen on Taugus III as recently as yesterday morning, Dartha chRihan Standard Time.
Drawing on his recent studies of the Romulan star charts hed obtained from Ehrehin, Trip tried to get a fix on the location of the new Romulan place name in relation to their present position. Unless he was very much mistaken, Taugusknown on UESPA star charts as Gamma Equuleiwas probably at least several weeks away from Cheron. Trip could only hope that he and Terix would have a reasonable chance of running the dissident technology thieves to ground during that time, reaching them before they vanished into the woodwork permanently and put their ill-gotten gains to the worst possible use.
“And what is the name of their present leader? Terix asked.
The woman took a short swallow from her glass, then looked quickly around the bar as though she feared she might be overheard. None of the other carousers or gamblers present appeared to have taken any particular notice of her.
“They answer to a man named Chuihv, she said at length, speaking in a voice so quiet that Trip had to lean toward her to hear her words clearly.
Trip barely managed to avoid knocking over his drink when he recognized the name shed just dropped.
“Youve dealt with this Chuihv before, Cunaehr? Terix asked, his curiosity clearly piqued.
Trip nodded, not seeing any point in trying to paper over his initial reaction. “Yes, in a way.
Terix scowled at Trips uncertain pause. “Out with it, Cunaehr.
After taking a moment to decide just how much to reveal, Trip said, “He was the leader of the Ejhoi Ormiin group that captured me and Ehrehin a few khaidoa ago. The doctor and I both barely managed to escape from them with our lives.
He restrained himself from blurting out the additional fact that Chuihv was known to have worked on both sides of the Romulan territorial border, having once been Captain Sopek, the commander of the Vulcan Starship NiVar. But how could I know anything about that, he thought, unless I really am the Vulcan spy that Terix already suspects I am?
Still holding her drink, the woman used her free hand to toss a small object toward Trip. He instinctively caught it a split second before he managed to identify it as a standard Romulan data module.
“You need to learn not to be so trusting, Cunaehr, she said around another appraising leer. Then she nodded toward the finger-sized bit of plastic in Trips hand. “For all you knew, that might have been something dangerous.
Im sure it is, he thought. Aloud, he said, “Thanks for the advice. He did his best not to sound sullen and resentful, even though he couldnt help but remember how angry hed felt whenever his older brother Bert would aim a finger at his chest, then flick Trips nose when hed look down to see what he was pointing at.
“Are you going to tell us whats on this thing, he said, “or am I going to have to see for myself?
“The module contains the precise coordinates of Chuihvs base in the Taugus system, she said. “Hand delivered to you rather than transmitted in order to maintain your element of surprise.
Unless youre as trustworthy as Chuihv and have already warned him that were coming, Trip thought as he pocketed the chip.
Terix rose from his stool and tightened his