Star Wars_ Coruscant Nights 01_ Jedi Twilight - Michael Reaves [45]
Underlord Perhi said, “I’ve just received a communiqué from one of the sector administrators on Metellos. He complains that a very valuable item of his was stolen. He charges that it was an operative of Black Sun who took it. A high-level operative.”
Kaird felt a tiny tendril of uneasiness begin to uncoil in his gut. Xizor was under suspicion, which was well and good, but why was he here? Had Endrigorn fingered him? Or had Xizor sussed out his plot? He knew the hypergem had come to be in the prince’s possession; he’d kept close tabs on its whereabouts, and had just as assiduously maintained his official distance.
There was no point in fruitless speculation. He could only wait and see how things played out from this moment.
Dal Perhi watched them both. His attitude was casual, but Kaird wasn’t fooled. He knew that no raptor ancestor of his on Nedij had ever watched potential prey more keenly than the Underlord was watching them both right now.
Kaird affected an interest that matched the seriousness of the charge, but in no way indicated culpability. “This is an accusation of considerable gravity,” he said. “Does he offer any proof of this theft?”
“His operatives traced the item—a hypergem—from its initial resting place on Metellos to the Coruscant underground, where it was sold to a Rakririan fence named Endrigorn.”
Traced? How? He’d paid top credits to have it lifted without a shred of—
“Evidently,” Perhi went on, “whoever stole it—or was behind the theft—was unaware that hypergems leave a residual trail of tachyonic particles. Easy enough to follow, with the proper equipment.”
Had Kaird been a mammal, he would be sweating by now, he knew. Both Xizor and Perhi were looking at him.
Perhi said, “It was indeed a high-level operative who stole this,” and he removed from an inside vest pocket the hypergem Kaird had sold to the fence. He held it up, admiring for a moment its otherworldly shine, and then set it down and looked at Kaird.
And then, in a sudden rush of realization, Kaird understood.
He hadn’t been playing Xizor; Xizor had played him, from the beginning. It was the Falleen who had leaked knowledge of the hypergem in the first place, knowing that it would intrigue the Nediji with its possibilities. Then, after it had been fenced, Xizor had obtained it and gone directly to the Underlord, accusing Kaird of the theft and turning the hypergem over as proof of his innocence.
It was so devious as to be almost admirable.
During all of this Xizor had sat quietly, saying nothing. Now he rose, gathering the folds of his brocaded greatcoat about him. “If my lord has no objection,” he said quietly to Perhi, “I will take my leave.” His gaze turned to Kaird. “It is always sad to see a trusted colleague fail one’s expectations.”
“Go, then, Prince Xizor,” Underlord Perhi said. “I have further matters to discuss with Kaird.”
Xizor bowed. His gaze stayed fixed on Kaird, though the bow was for Perhi. “By your leave, then, Underlord.” He turned and strode from the chamber, the lines of sleek musculature easily visible through the synthsilk one-piece he wore beneath the greatcoat.
The double portals hissed together behind him. Kaird was alone with the ruler of Black Sun, his perfidy discovered. He thought sadly of his homeworld. There was no way he would see it now, unless there really was an afterlife and he could look down upon it from the Great Nest.
Underlord Perhi looked at him, laced his fingers together, and said, “Let’s talk.”
sixteen
Life had been kind to Rokko of the Besadii clan. Relatively young for his species—only about four hundred