Star Wars_ The Han Solo Adventures - Brian Daley [146]
There was a murmur among the seconds and judge. The surgeon merely shook her head tiredly. Han went to where the mentioned weapons had been set out and began checking them over. He had passed on a variety of fancy shoulder and forearm rigs and was debating between two gunbelts that resembled his own when he realized Gallandro was standing next to him.
“Why?” asked the gunfighter with a clinical curiosity.
“He doesn’t have to explain,” objected Ido, who was ignored.
“My dispute’s with the Mor Glayyd; I don’t even know you,” said Gallandro.
“But you know I’m faster than the kid,” Han said pleasantly, holding up a short-barreled needlebeamer for examination. Then he met Gallandro’s gaze, which was as placid as a pool’s surface at dawn. All the important information was exchanged then, though neither man’s expression altered and nothing more was said. Han had no doubt the duel would proceed.
Instead, Gallandro turned and intoned: “Mor Glayyd, I find myself compelled to apologize, and tender you my earnest plea for your forgiveness and that of your sister.” He stated his case indifferently, disposing of an unpleasant duty, and made little pretext of sincerity. “I trust that you’ll pardon me and that this entire unfortunate incident will be forgotten.”
For a second it looked as if the Mor Glayyd would refuse the apology; having escaped a sure death, the boy wouldn’t mind seeing Gallandro shot. Han was about to accept for him, not much inclined now toward a fast-draw contest, since it could be avoided.
But Ido spoke first. “We both accept your apology with the proviso that you leave our home and our homeworld as soon as possible.”
Gallandro looked from her to Han, who still held the needlebeamer. Gathering his jacket, the gunman inclined his head to Ido and prepared to go. But he paused to trade one last hard look with Han.
“Another time, perhaps,” Gallandro offered with a brittle smile.
“Whenever you can work yourself up to it.”
Gallandro nearly laughed. Suddenly, he had spun, dropped into a half-crouch, drawn his blaster, and put four bolts dead-center into each of four holotargets along the wall. He had straightened, his sidearm spinning twice around his finger and ending up in his holster, before most of the people in the room had grasped what he’d done.
“Another time, perhaps,” Gallandro repeated quietly. He sketched a shallow bow to the women, the surgeon included, gathered the Reesbon second in by eye, and strode away, his steps carrying back to them loudly.
“It worked,” sighed Fiolla. “But you shouldn’t have traded digs with him, Solo. He seemed sort of—dangerous.”
Han gazed at the four holotargets registering perfect hits, then back at the departing Gallandro. He ignored Fiolla’s vast understatement. Gallandro was far and away the most dangerous gunman Han had ever seen; faster, he was nearly certain, than Han himself.
X
THE Millennium Falcon had found sanctuary by a small lake in a shallow valley high in the mountains beyond Ammuud’s spaceport. Coming down the ramp, Spray was pleased to discover the previous night’s windstorm had deposited no snow.
He found Chewbacca assembling an interesting collection of tools and equipment, including a metal tripod with telescoping legs, spools of light cable, supports, clamps, ground spikes, and a small sky-scan sensor unit. The skip-tracer inquired about the purpose of it all. With a few gestures, and growling in his own tongue by force of habit, Chewbacca made clear to Spray what he was about to do. In order to give them added protection, the Wookiee was going to mount the sky-scan sensor on the ridge line above them, where it would give a much wider area of surveillance than the Falcon’s equipment, surrounded by this little valley, could.
“B-but when will you be back?” Spray asked apprehensively. The Falcon’s first mate stopped himself from snorting derisively; the Tynnan had borne up well since the emergency landing and pulled his own weight, assisting in repairs and preparing meals. It wasn’t Spray’s fault if he wasn’t used to survival living and wilderness