Power Play - Anne McCaffrey [56]
“Belay that, Megenda,” Dinah said with a little slap that didn’t seem to affect the large muscle of Megenda’s forearm at all. “You and the colonel are both being irrational.”
“Irrational?” Yana began hotly. “Lady, I’m not sure if I’m going to live through this. I’m not sure if any of us are. I’m sick. And I hesitate to mention this in the presence of your ‘sensitive’ first mate for fear of giving him sadistic ideas, but I’m also pregnant. Everyone on Petaybee was worried about letting me go on this mission to begin with because my kid, like these kids, is bonded with the planet. It needs, through me, the same things we’re all lacking here: fresh air, real food, not the plascene cubes you have here. I’d’ve thought a pirate of Louchard’s caliber and resourcefulness would have a replicator that can produce proper food instead of all that pulverized dust!” Yana was well and truly fed up. There was no way she could do anything, and the sooner Louchard realized that, the better. Maybe not the better for her, but any resolution was more acceptable than this confinement. “I want proper meals, I want exercise facilities, I want—”
“Will you listen to the lady officer and her list of demands,” sneered Megenda, his expression vicious as he took another step into the room and drew one hand back, ready to pound it into Yana’s midsection.
Yana did not so much as bat an eye as she shifted to the side to take the blow with her braced forearms, at the same time balancing herself—somewhat wobbily—to deliver a karate kick. She was not about to let him kill her baby without a fight.
Neither was Marmion, who stepped determinedly between Yana and Megenda’s fist. Yana relaxed, but remained watchful.
“Touch any of them and you won’t even get what I had already decided to give you,” Marmie said in a silky voice that carried both promise and threat
Dinah swatted at Megenda’s fist and he lowered it as she said, with just a touch more irritation and calculation in her own voice, “But Madame Algemeine, your people haven’t responded to the ransom demands either.”
Marmion shrugged. “Nor will they,” she said with a smile that was just the right side of smugness. “You can’t imagine that I would leave my organization vulnerable to this sort of thing, can you?” A wave of her elegant hand dismissed the ship, the pirates, and her situation. “My people have orders to ignore extortions—”
“Even when we start returning you to them a piece at a time?” Megenda asked with a leer.
Dinah O’Neill’s voice was casual and professional as she replied. “Naturally, I have counseled Captain Louchard that you should be returned undamaged, but he’s getting a little put out by the delays.”
“Gee, that’s tough,” Bunny said.
This time, before Dinah could move, Megenda lashed out and knocked Bunny flat with a backhanded blow that spun her back against the bunk frame. Roaring, Diego lunged at Megenda, but Namid and Marmion caught him: the brawny crewman already had his laser pistol aimed right at the boy’s forehead.
“My, the natives are restless,” Dinah said with a sigh. “I’m sorry but I can’t restrain them . . .”
“That’s nonsense, Dinah, and you know it,” Namid said, as if the words had been forced out of him. “What’s the matter with you? Have you finally gotten so greedy you’ve lost your own survival instinct? You know damn good and well those men don’t go to the head without your approval, so stop this stupid game and tell them to quit beating innocent children or I’ll— I’ll—”
“You’ll what, Namid?” she asked coldly. “Leave me? A hollow threat, darling.”
“This isn’t about us—it’s about what you call business,” Namid said, still struggling to hold Diego back. “You used to pride yourself that you’d listen to reasonable arguments.”
“And?” Dinah’s expression dared him to present one.
“I could have told you that people in Marmion’s level