A Brother's Debt by Karl Jones Page B

being chased by thugs. In return I can tell you what a lowly engineer second class is doing out here, not that you’ll find that story all that interesting.”
    “I’d like to, Jay, I could certainly do with a drink after this afternoon, but I don’t think that’s such a hot idea right now.
    “These guys,” he nudged the thug he had floored with his foot, “work for a man called Dollier, who operates out of a restaurant down the street. It won’t take that last guy long to reach him, and then he’ll send more guys after me, and they’ll probably be carrying more than just knives.
    “Besides, I think we could both do with some medical treatment. You need that cut sealed, and I hate to think what my face looks like.”
    “If you’re talking about Grange Dollier, you’re right; this isn’t the place for us to have a drink, it’s far too close to his restaurant. And it wouldn’t be a good idea for us to go to a hospital either. The moment his man tells him the situation he’ll have men checking every place we could get treatment for us, for you at least.
    “I might be lucky and his men might not come looking for me, though I wouldn’t want to guarantee that, Dollier can be a vindictive bastard when he’s in the wrong mood.”
    “He won’t need to have his men check the hospitals for me; he knows where I’ll be,” Step said. “All he’s got to do his send men to watch my ship and wait for me to turn up there.”
    “You have a ship! Well, I’m sure we can figure out some way to get you on board and off-planet without Dollier’s men stopping you. First things first though. We need a drink, and somewhere we can get ourselves fixed up without anyone asking awkward questions. And most of all, I need to hear how you went from being a Chamri to associating with the likes of Grange Dollier in the space of a couple of weeks.
    “That’s quite a fall from grace.”
    “How do you know Grange Dollier?”
    Jay looked down the street in the direction of Dollier’s restaurant. “I don’t know him. I do know who he is however, and what he is capable of. Come on, I know a place where we can get acquainted, get fixed up, and get ourselves a drink, all under the one roof.
    “And as an added bonus, it’s not that far away. Just follow me.”

 
    Chapter Eighteen
     
     
     
    “Sounds like you’re having a bad run of luck,” Jay remarked when Step had finished his story. “You must be right pissed at your brother, leaving you in debt to Carboni. Herschla! What a pair to get stuck in the middle of, Carboni and Dollier, two of the worst sons-of-bitches in this sector. Each as bad as the other.
    “The way your luck seems to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if you find Zaz after you next, and you really don’t want that.”
    “Who’s Zaz?” Step asked, not entirely certain he wanted to know the answer if Jay thought Zaz, whoever he was, worse than either Ettore Carboni or Grange Dollier.
    “Zaz is Zassifer Hul Grent, arguably the nastiest bastard this side of Mulnoy space. Carboni and Dollier will at least make a pretence of being civilized businessmen; Zaz doesn’t. If he had been the one after Carboni’s package this afternoon he wouldn’t have treated you to a fine meal and offered you a price for it. He would have had his men grab you from your ship and torture you until you told him where to find the package.”
    “How is it you know all of these men?” Step wanted to know. “You said you were going to tell me your story, so go on. What is a former engineer, second class, doing out here mixed up with these guys? You’ve heard how I’m mixed up with them, how are you?”
    “I’m not, mixed up with them that is,” Jay told him. “I’m out here for the same reason I joined the navy. I was looking for some excitement. Turns out, even on a battle-cruiser in the middle of a battle an engineer doesn’t see much action.
    “Since I wasn’t getting the excitement I was after with the Mullies I left