The Widowmaker: Volume 1 in the Widowmaker Trilogy by Mike Resnick Page B

Klondike."
    Nighthawk simply stared at him without saying a word.
    "All right,” continued the Marquis. “If you fine her and chase her off Yukon, you'll have made a powerful enemy who'll think that I have wrongly humiliated her and appropriated her money, though of course I have every right to whatever money is brought to one of my worlds. If, on the other hand, you kill her, we'll have at least as much of her money, probably even more, and we won't have a bitter and successful woman out there"—his vague wave encompassed half the galaxy—"plotting out ways to get her money back and to punish me for appropriating it."
    "So you don't really care whether anyone ever sees the body..."
    "Certainly I do, but that isn't my primary purpose for killing her.” The Marquis paused. “Any more questions?"
    "What's her line, and how many men has she got?"
    "Spanish Lace? It all depends on which world you ask that question. She doesn't believe in specialization. She's a bank robber, an arsonist, an extortionist, an assassin. She usually works alone, but she may have brought a little protection along."
    "She's an assassin, you say?"
    "Don't look so interested. She had nothing to do with Trelaine."
    "How do you know?"
    "Nothing goes on in this sector that I don't know."
    "All right,” said Nighthawk. “When do you want me to leave?"
    "Immediately. Why else would I be telling you all this?"
    "Where will I find her?"
    "I've already had the landing coordinates fed into your ship's computer. Take that little snake-skinned bastard Malloy along with you. He's been to Yukon before; maybe he can be of some use to you.” The Marquis chuckled. “At least he won't block your vision or get in your line of fire. I don't think I've ever seen a bigger coward."
    "That's probably why he'll outlive us both,” replied Nighthawk.
    "It's possible—but you have to consider the quality of his life."
    " He considers the quality of his death,” said Nighthawk with a smile. “Hasn't found one that lives up to his high standards yet."
    "Somebody should explain to him that very few of us fuck ourselves to death,” said the Marquis.
    "I'll try to remember that."
    "Especially when you're around Melisande,” added the Marquis meaningfully.
    "I'm not going to get myself killed over a blue-skinned mutant,” said Nighthawk.
    "Nothing personal,” replied the Marquis. “I like you, I really do. But you were put together in a lab three months ago. How the hell do I know what you will or won't get killed over?"
    "I'm as much a man as you are!” snapped Nighthawk heatedly.
    "If you weren't, I wouldn't worry about your doing something stupid because of Melisande."
    The answer seemed to mollify Nighthawk, and he visibly relaxed.
    "Now that you've made up your mind not to kill me, get the hell out of here and go kill the person you're being paid to kill,” said the Marquis.
    Nighthawk nodded and got to his feet.
    "Cigar?"
    "I still haven't decided if I like them,” answered Nighthawk.
    "By the same token, you really can't know if you like blue-skinned ladies, can you?” asked the Marquis meaningfully.
    "Don't start on me again!” snapped Nighthawk. “There's more to me than just a killing machine!"
    "And you'll kill me to prove it?"
    Nighthawk glared at him for a moment, then turned and left the office.
    He hunted up Malloy, got into a spacesuit and found one for his companion. Then they made their way across the ice fields to the spaceport. Within an hour they were ensconced in the pilot's cabin of Nighthawk's ship, leaving Tundra behind them and heading for Yukon.
    "I hate traveling within a solar system!” complained Malloy, looking at a viewscreen. “It takes longer to go from one world to another than from one star to another."
    "Can't do light speeds within a system,” answered Nighthawk. “You know that."
    "Yeah, but I don't have to like it."
    "Find some way to occupy yourself. Like telling me about Melisande, for instance."
    "I found out what you