Payback
The next day went much better for Kren, both in the classroom and in the gymnasium, although his classroom instructors all chided him for not having completed his reading assignments.
And this day, he didn't get lost even once.
He was back in his room, trying to catch up on his reading when Bronki came in.
"Do I disturb you?"
"I have two days of reading to catch up on, but a break would be welcome," he said.
"Dol tells me that you encountered some difficulties yesterday, and I saw the cloak you were wearing. Did it have anything to do with the disturbance here a few days ago?"
"I doubt it. I got lost on the way home, and ended up in a dark tunnel along with four muggers."
"And what was the result of this?" she asked.
"One of the muggers ran away. The others provided a feast for some beggars. I have their personal effects in a drawer here, someplace."
"I would like to see them, if I may."
"Dol put them somewhere. Ah, here. There are also three swords on my dresser that I haven't looked at as well," he said.
After a while, Bronki said, "Kren, these goggles are worth over a thousand Ke a pair, although I advise that you don't sell them. They might come in handy. I am amazed that you were able to defeat the muggers when they could see and you could not."
"I spent nine gross years existing in darkness. Living without your eyes for much of the time, your other senses develop."
"Apparently, they do. This spring knife is something that could come in handy. A backup for my pistol. Would you be interested in selling it?"
Kren took the knife from her and looked it over. "I didn't realize that this was anything but an ordinary knife. But there was a better one I got from the Greenies. Here, look at it."
"Yes, this one is of better quality. Would you sell it?"
"Properly speaking, you already own it, by right of combat. It was once the property of the Greenie leader that you shot and we ate, the other night."
"And I didn't know that it existed. Thank you. That's one I owe you, Kren," she said, putting it in her belt. "Now, this pistol you've got here is very well made, and might be worth two thousand, with the extra clips and ammunition. Would you like to try shooting it? I know of an illegal target range where you could do that."
"Indeed, I would," Kren said.
"I'll set it up and let you know. It has been too long since I have had any target practice. I'll check the account balance on these credit cards if you wish, but for reasons I explained a few days ago, I'd advise that you don't transfer it to your account. On the other hand, these two pouches contain more than eight thousand Ke in currency. You could put it into your account, but I suggest that you don't. Credit card money is traceable, but currency isn't. Someday, you may wish to make an untraceable purchase."
"Then I'll just put all of this booty back into the drawer, although you may examine the credit cards if you wish."
"Thank you. I'll let you know if I find any use for them. Your cloak is being repaired, incidentally. It won't be as good as new, but it won't be embarrassing, either," she said.
"This is good. Is there anything else happening that I should know about?"
"Yes. I've found out how the Greenies got into my apartment. One of them had a credit card with a magnetic strip that had unusual properties. When slightly heated, the code on it changes to a different number. In this case, it was your credit card number, Kren. They used your number to gain access to my home."
"Surely, you don't think that I would have willingly let them in!"
"No, of course not. If you had, they wouldn't have needed the trick card. But someone who read your card gave them that number. In your military uniform, you were quite conspicuous, of course, and someone who was observing this place must have seen you come and go. I want to know the names of everyone who read your card."
"Certainly. I'm sure that the bank knows my number. Then there was the college, and the book store . . ." he said.
"No, the bank can be trusted. If they couldn't, they would be out of business in a day. And I know the university systems very well. They are secure."
"Then there was the tailor."
"Again, I doubt it. Leko knew that you are my friend, and she makes more money off of me alive than anyone would pay her for helping to make me dead," Bronki said.
"And then the last is the brander. I paid her twelve Ke for an anesthetic that she never gave me."
"That certainly limits the field, doesn't it."
"It does. I would very much like to participate in questioning her. I have a certain score to settle with that girl," he said.
"Your help will be welcome. I'll have to make some arrangements so that we won't be disturbed while we discuss matters with this brander. I'll keep you posted. Oh, yes. I've had to take your number off of the access list here. You must go to the bank and get a new card tomorrow, with a new number."
"I had to do that anyway, now that my new brand has healed."
Kren went back to his studies, feeling oddly contented.
At fencing practice the next day, Kren said, "Coach, they tell me that you were once an all-planet champion. Why did you decide to go into teaching, instead of turning professional?"
"Well, I did go professional, for forty-two years back there, until my body started to slow down as it got older. Then I taught for a dozen years before I decided to get into a new body and go back to being a pro, where the money is much better. But when it comes to being a champion, not all bodies are the same. The difference between being the best and being an 'also ran' is very subtle. Part of it is the physical body, part of it is the mind, and part of it is the interaction between the two. This body just isn't as good as my last one was."
"I suppose that there's always a next time."
"That there is," Dik said. "It goes for you, too, you know. Your next body isn't likely to be as good as the one you're now wearing. On guard!"
The Mitchegai normally work a six-day week, with four days on and two off. On their equivalent of a late Friday afternoon, Bronki came into Kren's room.
"I trust that you are free this evening?"
"Yes, barring some school work, which I can do tomorrow," Kren said.
"Good. I've made arrangements to have four particularly ugly individuals standing outside of the brander's shop while you and I have our discussion with her. They'll make sure that we're not disturbed. Be ready in an hour."
"With pleasure."
The four goons were standing in front of the shop when they got there, and let them in without comment.
"So, you make branding plates and do branding, don't you?" Bronki said.
"Yes, madam. What can I do for you?"
"You can answer a few questions for us," Kren said, stepping in front of Bronki.
The brander looked at Kren, and took a fatal second to recognize him. She quickly reached for something below the counter, but Kren was much faster. He had his sword out and hit the girl on the side of the head with the flat of his blade before her hand had moved a foot.
"Yes, that's probably for the best," Bronki said as the brander collapsed.
"She was trying to reach this thing," Kren said as he picked up a metal tube over a yard long. Pressing a small button on it, a yard-long blade sprang forcefully out of the end, converting it into a spear.
"That's called a spring spear," Bronki said. "Take it home and add it to your collection."
"I will. In the back room, she has the perfect place to ask questions," Kren said, picking up the brander.
He stripped off her mauve tradesman's robe and kran artist's belt, which would have appeared black to human eyes. She was soon naked and strapped into the same chair that he had been immobilized in a week earlier.
While waiting for her to regain consciousness, Bronki looked around the shop.
"She really does very nice work. With the right training, I think that she could become a truly fine artist. I want you to be sure not to kill her, Kren."
"I hadn't intended to."
"Excellent. Good artists are really very rare. Oh, here's your brand, Kren. I think that you might be well advised to take it back with you, since it wouldn't be a good idea for you to trust her again."
"Agreed. She's coming around."
"Right. Now then, my fine young artist, besides failing to give Kren here the anesthetic that he paid for, you also kept a copy of his credit card number, and you sold that number to someone. We would like to know why you did that, and who you sold the number to."
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Yes, you do. We know that you know, and you know that we know that you know. Now, tell us who they are."
"I can't do that. They'd kill me if I told you."
"Perhaps, but they would have to catch you first, whereas we have already caught you. In addition, our methods will probably be a lot more painful than theirs might be. Please reconsider."
"You don't know who you're messing with, lady!"
"True. But then, neither do you. Kren, please hurt her."
"With pleasure!"
Kren picked up a branding plate from the shelf and took it to the induction furnace.
"No, use this one instead," Bronki said, handing him a different branding plate. "It's realy much nicer."
"As you wish."
He placed the branding plate into the oven and pressed a button as he'd seen the brander do. In a moment, the plate was glowing bright yellow. Picking it up with the long pliers, he held it over her chest.
"Last chance," he said.
"Don't you see that I can't!"
"I was hoping that you'd say that."
Kren placed it carefully over her fourth lung and dropped it. The brander screamed loudly as he counted to ten, and then pulled the brand off the smoking skin.
Bronki poured some water on the wound and said, "Kren, that scream was one of the nicest I've ever heard! I think I'll put some branding irons around the party snacks the next time I have guests over.
"Now then, young lady, would you like to tell us what we wish to know?"
"Go fry your brains!"
"Kren, again, please. Use this plate."
The brander proved to be remarkably stubborn, as Kren burned a different brand over her third lung.
The first two lungs are in back, behind the spinal column. The Mitchegai rib cage is fastened at the neck, and kept centered by the diaphragm.
It soon became necessary to put two more brands on her abdomen. It was only when he placed a hot branding plate between her legs, searing shut her cloaca, that she finally broke down.
Like Earthly birds, the female Mitchegai have a single orifice at the bottom for the elimination of dung, urine, and eggs. The males have an additional orifice that periodically sprays small amounts of sperm into the air. The areas concerned with defecation and reproduction are very sensitive on Mitchegai, as they are on humans.
"Just kill me and get it over with," the brander gasped.
"My dear, we don't want to kill you. We want to kill the criminals that you gave Kren's number to. Once we're gone, you can go into hiding for a few weeks, and after that, it is most likely that those who might have been after you will be dead, and you will be safe."
"Why didn't you say that before?"
"I suppose that I should have, but Kren was having such a nice time. You really picked the wrong person to withhold an anesthetic from," Bronki said.
"A girl has to have a little fun."
"And now you've paid for your fun. Well then, who wanted Kren's number?"
"Kodo," the brander said.
"Indeed? This is interesting. Now, tell me the whole story from the very beginning. I want you to be very complete, and very honest, because if we decide that you are lying, Kren will turn you over and work on your back side. There is room for six brands back there, and you would find sleeping very difficult for a week or two, if you tell us any lies. Do you understand?"
"Yes, madam."
The brander was a half hour getting the whole sordid tale out. It started with her losing a large gambling bet, followed by more betting in a vain attempt to recoup her losses. Soon, she was forced to borrow money, and then to borrow more money to pay back the first loans. Then Kodo had bought up her debts, and at first only wanted a few small favors done, in addition to regular repayments on her debt. In time the favors became larger, and more illegal, and were backed up by Kodo's threat of going to the authorities and telling them of her past crimes, if she didn't commit further ones.
"I see," Bronki said. "How did they know that Kren was coming here?"
"I don't think that they did. I think that they were following him. They came in right after he left. They had jimmied my card reader half a year ago, so it always remembers every number that I read through it. It was one of the little favors they had me doing for them."
"And why did Kodo want to harm me?"
"You are Bronki, aren't you? You were the only other bidder going up against him on a piece of development property. With you gone, he would have been able to buy it at a much lower price."
"Yes, the Naga property. I didn't think that Kodo was that serious about buying it. Actually, I'd already submitted my top bid. I wouldn't have gone any higher. There was no need for all of this at all. I guess we can add stupidity to Kodo's other crimes. Okay, you are telling the truth. Kren, unstrap her, and let's get out of here."
"If I unstrap her, she'll take a shot of anesthetic and be out of her pain. I had to suffer for days."
"Now, don't be spiteful. You've already given her five brands to your two, and the ones she got were much deeper than usual. Anyway, she has to be able to move in order to go into hiding."
"If you insist," Kren said.
"I do. As for you, young lady, remember that it is in your best interest if we kill Kodo. Dead, he won't be able to come after you for betraying him, and furthermore, you will be out from under all of your debts to him. I really like your art work, incidentally. You know where to find me. If you live through this, and should you decide to further your academic study of art, please feel free to look me up. I may be able to help you. I happen to have considerable influence at the university."
The brander looked at Kren and said, "Is she really serious?"
"Oddly enough, I believe that she is."