McCade's Bounty by William C. Dietz Page B

the children . . . and to do it now."
    Murd, who was enjoying all the attention, considered telling the arrogant human to sit on something pointy but changed his mind. Yes, there was Lif to consider, but more than that the human himself. He had an obvious propensity for violence this human did, and seemed quite agitated.
    Murd forced himself to perform a polite bow and issued a long string of orders.
    Thirty minutes later the three humans sat and watched one of the most horrible sights they'd ever seen.
    The slave market's entire population of human children, some thirty-three in all, were paraded by for their inspection. Little boys and girls, with bony, underfed bodies and hopeless expressions.
    Under normal circumstances an auctioneer would be haranguing the audience about the children's virtues, extolling their sexual attractiveness, and reminding them that human fingers are extremely nimble as compared to the appendages found on many other sentient beings.
    But this was different. The children trudged across the platform in weary silence, looking neither right nor left, numb to what happened around them.
    All three of the men searched for familiar features, hoping, praying to see one or more familiar faces, but none of the children was from Alice.
    When the last child had passed the men sat staring at the emptiness in front of them. McCade wanted desperately to buy the children, or simply take them, destroying anyone or anything who got in the way, but knew that was impossible. The three of them had neither the money nor the brute strength to get the job done. No, they must steel themselves against what they saw, and continue the search.
    McCade looked at Rico and Phil. Rico had tears glistening on his beard, and Phil's lips were pulled back in a rictus of hate, durasteel teeth almost completely bared.
    Murd cleared his throat. "Well, sire? Were any of the cubs yours?"
    McCade stood. "No. Take us to the next market."
    It was three days and two slave markets later before they found the children.
    This time there was an actual auction taking place on the main platform, so they were seated inside a striped tent, watching a line of pathetic children straggle past.
    Later it was hard to say who saw who first, but McCade heard Phil yell "Mary!" and head a child say "Citizen McCade!" almost simultaneously.
    Then there was total pandemonium as twenty-six of the twenty-eight children crowded around the three men, crying and talking all at the same time.
    His heart in his throat McCade hugged little girl after little girl, calling those he knew by name, using "sweetheart" on all the rest.
    Some of the girls were orphans and didn't know it yet, others would be reunited with anxious parents, but all would end up safe and sound on Alice.
    After the first few frantic seconds McCade knew the truth. Molly wasn't there. A wave of grief rolled over him submerging the joy he'd known moments before. Molly was still out there somewhere, waiting for him, or . . .
    McCade grabbed the nearest girl, a child named Cindy, and stared into her eyes so intensely that she started to cry. "Molly? Where's Molly McCade? What happened to my daughter?"
    The words jerked their way out along with the tears. "Sshee's sstill on the sship."
    McCade felt a wave of relief. Alive then. There was hope. McCade pulled Cindy to his chest, and as he apologized for scaring her, he saw something awful over her shoulder.
    Two little boys had been brought in along with the girls, the little boys he'd never seen before, but were being led away by a Lakorian guard.
    McCade stood up. "Wait! Bring those boys back! Look, Rico! It's John, and his brother Paul!"
    Rico looked up from the little girl who was asking about her mother. "Huh? John and Paul?"
    Then Rico saw McCade's expression. "Oh, yeah! John and Paul! Hey, boys, don'tcha recognize Uncle Rico? Come over here?"
    The younger boy looked momentarily confused, but the older boy put on a happy expression and dragged the