“Why is the Ei-O peace squad chasing after us?” Fyhn’s calm and reasonable sounding voice was negated by her sword at Junt’s throat.

“I . . . uh . . . I . . . uh . . .”

Fyhn let Junt go and stepped back. Junt sank to his knees and fingered his throat.

“I thought universities taught articulate forms of communication.” Caille cut the engine and put up the force field. They watched out the domed window as a dozen or so Ei-O cruisers surrounded the ship.

Junt spun around, staring at the cruisers in all directions. “Why’d we stop?”

Caille crossed her arms. “Why are we being chased?”

“I . . . uh . . . uh . . .”

Caille touched the transy. “This is the Emoriat vessel The Hekolatis. Something tells me you want something from us.”

“Good morning, Caille. This is Captain Nomer,” a male voice cut through the air. “We have an interest in the young man you have on board.”

“He doesn’t seem to want to tell us why you’re here,” Caille said. “Perhaps you can enlighten us.”

“It seems he forgot to check out of the establishment he was staying in,” Nomer said, his voice revealing how much he enjoyed talking to Emoriat Warriors.

“We’ll be glad to return him to you and wait until he settles his problem with you,” Caille said.

Junt’s eyes widened and a strangled noise came from his throat.

“He doesn’t seem to be happy with that suggestion,” Caille said.

“It’s just a matter of payment,” Nomer said. “A sum of 1,342 debits.”

Caille whistled and Fyhn, casually flipping her sword, turned to Junt.

“Where was he staying? The Embassadorian?” Caille asked.

“The very same,” Nomer said. “They’re careful to ensure their guests can afford the pleasure of staying at their establishment. So they’re not pleased he forgot the detail of releasing the payment debits to them.”

“It’s our understanding he had enough debits when he arrived on Ei-O and unexpectedly parted with them during his stay,” Caille said.

“Unlike other establishments, The Embassadorian doesn’t accept guests solely on the amount of immediately spendable debits they have but on the total wealth of the guest,” Nomer said. “Unless the entire wealth of the . . . Saeker-il family suddenly disappeared, he can afford to release the debits.”

Caille looked at Junt, who darted glances at the door. “Could you give us a bit of time with the honorable heir to the Saeker-il fortune?”

“Of course.” Nomer’s smile came through in his voice. “Don’t be too hard on the boy.”

“If we’re not happy with his answers, we’ll just put him in an air suit and toss him out for you to pick up,” Fyhn said.

“Hello, Fyhn.” The smile in Nomer’s voice widened.

“Greetings, Nomer.” Fyhn grinned as Junt froze in wide-eyed terror. “I don’t think we’ll have much trouble getting him to cooperate.”

Nomer chuckled. “All it ever takes is your delicate persuasive touch, Fyhn.”

Caille switched off the communicator and turned to Junt. “Please tell us you didn’t lose your entire family fortune in a game of Galaxies High.”

“No,” Junt said. “No, no, no. It’s just—”

“I’ll go get the air suit,” Fyhn said.

“I couldn’t tap into my account.” Junt’s voice broke with desperation. “My father would know I failed here and I have to be there when he finds out—to explain what happened.”

Caille waved her hand over a blue block on a floor stand and a holograph communications screen shimmered into the middle of the chamber. “Why don’t you tell him now?”

“I can’t.” Junt labored to collect himself. “I mean . . . this mission I was on. There are many spies watching my family right now. We had to make sure this mission was done in secret. That’s why I was chosen to do it. As a student, no one would suspect I was on Ei-O for no other reason than to enjoy the night life.”

“That’s the first thing from you I believe,” Fyhn said.

“I’ve been telling the truth,” Junt said. “You can tell if I’m truthful or not.”

“You’ve been doing fancy steps not to lie but I haven’t heard anything I have a great impulse to believe,” Fyhn said.

Caille crossed her arms. “So what are you trying to tell us?”

“I’m saying we had to block out communications,” Junt said.

“It seems to me begging your father for debits to cover your stay here would only enforce the student having a good time story,” Caille said.

Junt shook his head with vigor. “No. Don’t you see? I wouldn’t be able to explain to him why and . . . and . . . I don’t want to risk any suspicion in who might be tapped in.”

Caille and Fyhn exchanged glances.

“You have to thumb an agreement the debits will be repaid if we save your sorry little sniveling cowering poor excuse for a behind,” Fyhn said.

Too frightened to even feign indignation, Junt nodded. “I’ll thumb anything.”

Caille sighed and punched 1,342 into her transy. “Get your puny inadequate thumb over here.”

Junt stumbled to her and managed to properly press his thumb on the smooth pad of Caille’s wristband on the first try.

Caille punched the release code and hit the communicator pad. “Did you get that, Nomer?”

“Got it,” Nomer said. “As always, it was a pleasure dealing with you and Fyhn. Hope you get your money back.”

Caille punched the communicator and cut off his chuckle.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Junt bowed his head.

“If we don’t get our debits back, you get transported to Raitor-One for a bit of R-n-R with the Taskmasters of Tremor.”

Junt’s mouth fell open.

“We’re not a charity,” Caille said. “If you break the contract you just thumbed, you get to pay like everyone else has to pay.”

“But I’m—”

“You’re a spoiled kid who’s learning something about the real universe,” Caille said.

“I’ve study—”

Fyhn snorted. “You’ve studied what the real universe used to be like, is supposed to be like, and what we think it’s going to be like in the future. But history is only what those who survived it want it to be. Those who write about the universe today won’t step foot in that universe, and the future won’t be any different because we’ve lied about the past and won’t accept the true reality of the presence.”

Junt stared at Fyhn as she walked through one of the arched exits. He gave Caille a questioning look.

“Fyhn has seen the inside of more digibooks than you know exist,” Caille said. “As the ancient earth saying goes ‘you can’t tell a book by its cover.’”

“But I’m still—”

“Look, kid. You have to understand something about Emorans,” Caille said. “We don’t consider any male—any male—to be superior or even equal to the weakest member of our society. You can whine about our beliefs and try to argue with us or try to prove we’re wrong, but you’ll just waste our time because we haven’t seen or heard anything in the universe, through the ages, that proves us wrong.”

Caille pressed her palm on a standing floor panel and the gentle hiss alerted her that the engines were engaging. She ran her fingers over the panel and then turned to Junt.

“I recommend you go to the ship’s library and learn about us. Fyhn’s patience goes only so far.”