The Devil's Heart - Carmen Carter [8]
New clients expected a greater display of security, but in time they realized that Camenae stored her most valuable capital beyond anyone’s reach her dark, round face betrayed no secrets, and a sleek cap of black hair covered the impenetrable vault of her mind.
Tokens marking a financial transaction were redeemed elsewhere.
“I got your message.” Maarc settled down at the small table where Camenae held court. “How much will this information cost me?”
She named a sum that made the Ferengi merchant hiss with outrage.
“A consortium of DaiMon in your guild could gather the necessary funds,” she said, unruffled by his reaction. “And given the amount involved, I’m willing to extend a line of credit.”
“That is very generous of you,” he sniffed, “considering that you approached me with this offer. Be warned, I have no intention of assuming a ruinous debt to satisfy your greed.”
“The price would be much higher if you were my first customer.”
“What!” His gnomish face squinched into a mass of creases. A certain amount of theatrics was obligatory, but Maarc’s irritation was only partially feigned.
Camenae shrugged an apology. “My preferred customer list has grown so large that there are, inevitably, certain conflicts of interest.”
“Double insult!”
“It was never my intention to offend, DaiMon.
To make amends for any ill feelings I have inadvertently created, I offer a discount.”
He grunted in disdain, but his nose twitched at the whiff of a bargain. She knew him well enough to sense his renewed interest.
“Against my usual policy,” said Camenae, “I will waive the charge for the question.”
“You would have charged me for the question itself!” This time his outrage was completely genuine.
“Of course,” she said. “Good questions are often far more valuable than the answers.”
“You should have been a Ferengi.” Maarc’s good humor was partially restored by her audacity. “So, what is the question I should have asked?”
When he heard Camenae’s reply, the DaiMon quickly reached into his vest pocket.
Withdrawing his hand, he placed a token on the table. “Here is a deposit. I will raise the full sum of the answer’s price within the hour.”
He stacked a second token on top of the first. “I will double the amount if you also tell me the identity of your first client.”
Then he added a third token to the pile. “And I will triple the amount if I am your last client to receive this information.”
Camenae smiled as she gathered up the coins.
“It’s always a pleasure doing business with a professional, DaiMon Maarc.”
CHAPTER 3
As the Enterprise swung into orbit around the yellow sun’s lone planet, Counselor Troi had already begun her reconnaissance work for the mission. However, unlike the Away Team members who would soon transport to the ground below, her terrain was the flaring emotions of the crew.
Data’s announcement had set off a tremor of tension through the bridge, and Picard sat at its epicenter. His rising anger was probably rooted in frustration at arriving too late to prevent whatever catastrophe had occurred on Atropos. Since the captain had a tendency to view this type of event as a personal failure, Troi made a mental note to monitor this reaction over the next few days.
There should be no problem unless he persisted in blaming himself, but Picard usually recovered his perspective without her intervention.
Troi had exerted her empathic abilities to read the captain, but she strengthened her block against Will Riker’s mind; Imzadi was all too easy to read, and at close quarters his emotions blared out like a siren. Each visit to a new world keyed the first officer’s nerves with excitement, but this time the additional element of unknown danger let loose a surge of adrenalin that urged him to leap forward, to move, to run, to shout. Riker continued to sit quietly in place next to the captain, but she could see the younger man’s cheeks flushing from the strain; still, he would