There was a lot of time to think as I walked. My suit kept the radiation away and I considered the future. I had a spaceship now. The sky was no longer the limit. I could do anything, go anywhere. The derelict I found had technology I’d never even heard about before. Even the quantum communications device I’d taken from the dead Triv captain wasn’t anything special. I just used it because the software linked with the ethernet.

The Triv’s technology made Radon’s tech level seem primitive in comparison but the derelict had weapons that could blow a Triv ship apart. I had no idea what had happened to the creators of the ship, and neither did Bob. He’d been waiting for someone to come for five hundred years.

I had a lot to think about and more options than I’d ever expected. My ship was functional, but barely. Getting it repaired was my current goal, but that was for the short term. What did I want to do long term? I’d always craved excitement. The thrill that came with the heist. The money was nice too, but it always seemed to disappear. Treasure Hunter appealed to me. There was so much wealth just lying around here in this wasteland. No one else could come here, yet here I was. How many other places like this existed, not just on planets, but in space too? Abandoned stations full of treasure and danger.

Yeah, the near-death experiences weren’t fun, but despite the terror, fear, and insanity of the past few days, I’d never felt so alive. I craved it just as much as I hated it. I was drawn to trouble. It was just the way I was wired. I could have done without the killed war machines though. That was a bit much on top of everything else. I’d have loved to have had a few days to spend poking around the Triv Prison ship, collecting all the loot and other valuables.

“Huh, what do I call myself,” I wondered aloud. Calling myself a Thief wouldn’t draw customers if I started a new business. It would probably land me in prison again. Scavenger, Finder, and Junker all had a bland boring sound to them. Not classy enough for me. “Purveyor of Antiquities? Ugg. No, that just translates to Grave Robber. That wouldn’t go over well. Ah-ha! Acquisitions Specialist! That sounds perfect!”

With a firm nod and broad grin, I continued on my way. I’d be the best Acquisitions Specialist ever. Need something found? I’m your gal. I can get you anything. That would be a nice slogan and it left the door open to continue my clandestine activities. People would literally pay me for it too! I might not be able to keep what I find or steal, but the thrill was the best part. I could imagine myself hunting for treasure in old ruins or on derelict stations. With a new pep in my step, I continued across the desolate wasteland.

I finally cleared the irradiated zone. Plants appeared and animals scurried about. A few abandoned farmhouses caught my eye but I didn’t investigate. I saw no vehicles and they had likely fled with anything worth taking. I crossed a road a few miles back where dozens of vehicles had been abandoned, likely knocked out by the tactical nukes EMP. They would be easy enough to fix if necessary, but I wasn’t interested in becoming a used car salesman. Not worth my time, not to mention boring.

It was dark when I finally reached the town. There was a military checkpoint on the road into the town with a pair of soldiers manning it. I pegged a nearby building as their barracks, but it looked like it had started life as a shop of some kind. Sandbag walls were stacked neatly around the entrance.

A thrill ran through me as I considered my approach. People were moving about but given the late hour, I saw only a few. My dark blue suit blended in well with the fading light. This wouldn’t be a heist per se. I'd just sneak in and buy some food.

Food shouldn’t be that expensive… I facepalmed. “Ginny, you idiot!” I groaned. There was zero chance they would accept my credits. Each planet had its own currency, but you could use it anywhere, so long as the planet had integrated its banking system with the galactic community. Which required having access to space and the galactic community. As I said, there was zero chance they would accept my money.

I had nothing worth trading which was too bad. I’d had a long hard day and my feet were aching. I just wanted to sit down, eat some real food, and relax a little, not go sneaking around looking for food to steal. Slinking around in the dark for a thrill was much less exciting when tired, achy, and hungry.

My thieving days had started as a means of survival. The slums offered few opportunities in general and even fewer for orphans. I’d stolen to survive and realized I was good at it. First, it was small things, food, or items to pawn but the thrill and fear of getting caught drove me to keep at it. Sometimes I’d just break into a place to see if I could, picking up some cheap souvenirs, and nicknacks, or in some cases raid their fridge for a snack.

The town was settling in for the night when I made my move. All was quiet and the checkpoint had just changed the guards. I slowly circled away from the road and then darted forward, avoiding the soldiers entirely. I hopped over a stream and into someone's backyard and paused behind their shed. My target was the general store I’d spied two streets over.

I slipped between two houses and crossed the first street. I stuck to the backyards of some houses as I made my way deeper into the town. A ritzy house on the corner caught my eye. It was still lit up and the street lights actually worked here. Most of the street lights had been smashed or shot out. I saw signs of fighting but not much destruction, just bullet holes and sandbags stacked into defensive emplacements near some of the intersections. They were unmanned now, left in the wake of the invaders' advance.

A burned-out building and a few bomb craters were the worst I saw on my way in.

I pressed my back against the general store wall and froze as I listened carefully. All was quiet. My only company was crickets. I circled around back and snuck over to the door. I stopped and stared at the lock. It was strange, I saw no electronics at all. No card scanner, nothing. Nothing I could hack or slice. I tried the knob but it was locked.

A closer look revealed a keyhole. I’d never come across one of those in person. They were antiquated even in the TV shows I’d watched, which was the only reason I knew what I was looking at. Blast! This is so inconvenient. Now, what am I supposed to do? I stood there stewing for several minutes before I decided to try the window. They were in their warm season so maybe they’d left it propped open.

No luck.

Grumbling, I headed down the street in search of an easier target. My hackles rose at the thought of failure, I was competitive, but I just didn’t have the time or energy to waste. I snuck around and wasted another hour looking for a place to steal some food from. At this point, I wasn’t even sneaking around. No one was up and even if they did see me, I’d look more suspicious sneaking than just walking.

“Maybe they have a homeless shelter or soup kitchen,” I muttered. I’d survived several years in those places. “Frinkin’ key locks! Just when I feel like I’m getting ahead in the world and now I can’t even get some food. I have a frinken’ spaceship, but I am starving to death!”

So dramatic, Ginny. Get a grip. I was ready to go smash a window and burglarize the place like a common thug at this point. How dreadful. I was getting desperate! I hated being hungry. I’d had enough of that for several lifetimes already. It was the worst.

I returned to the general store like a lost puppy and glared at the lock. I’d have to see about learning how to defeat these locks. I went to the window and looked around for a brick or something to smash it. I couldn’t even find that.

“Come on Ginny, you’re better than this!” I huffed.

I clucked my fists and glared at the window. Maybe it has roof access. It looked like a flat-roofed building. I jogged over to the conduit pile attached to the wall and quickly scaled the wall. I hopped lightly onto the roof and smiled. I found a metal roof hatch. It was propped open a few inches to vent the hot air inside.

“Bingo!” I cheered quietly.

I pulled it open and slipped inside. I was quite pleased I didn’t have to resort to breaking the window. That was just unprofessional. The store wasn’t very well stocked, but there was still plenty for my needs. I grabbed a backpack and devoured a little sweet cake as I filled it with water and food. I picked up a few tools as well. Crowbar, lighter fluid, lighter, tape, wire, a set of primitive radios, and a local phone.

There were lots of other goodies but I had limited space. I checked the register but didn’t take anything. I had another place in mind for acquiring some local cash. That ritzy house I saw on my way here was just begging me to rob it. I felt obligated to oblige.

I snagged a small flashlight and some batteries on my way out. Once I was away from the general store I headed toward the ritzy house. When it came into view, I settled in across the street and observed for a while while I ate some of my food. Every bite was delicious.

With my stomach satisfied and a good feel for the place, I moved in. I didn’t normally hit two places in one night, but I didn’t plan to be here come morning. A ground-floor window was cracked open. That was my infiltration point. I moved away from the ritzy house before I crossed the street and then crept toward the window.

I slid the window open the rest of the way and paused to listen. The place had several lights on inside but I hadn’t seen any movement or heard anything suspicious. I carefully pulled myself up and made my way inside. My adrenaline was pumping and a light smile tugged at my lips. This is what I lived for.

The room was pitch black. I pulled out the flashlight I’d taken. I’d put a piece of tape over the lens so that when I toggled it on, only a small dim light pierced the tape. It was just enough to see by. I ignored the fancy but mundane items in search of money. There was a jar with coins in it on the dresser but that seemed more trouble than it was worth. I checked the pockets of some clothing for a wallet and looked for a purse. No luck. I left the room and headed on to the next one.

It was a big house and I avoided the lit rooms for now. I checked several rooms and skipped the two with people sleeping in them. I was going through my fourth room when I realized the clothing I was seeing was military fatigues. In the dim light I couldn’t make out the color let alone the style, however, my hands finally clued me in.

That was not good. Instead of some rich family's home, the military had commandeered it for their officers. Not good at all. I’d found a few wallets though and had no issues yet so I pressed on. I exercised a bit more caution when checking a room for occupants. I didn’t want to wake a soldier in the middle of the night. I felt myself smiling wider as I ascended to the second floor.

Another wallet found its way into my bag. I was about to head to the next room when something drew my attention outside. I moved to the window, with a frown. A dozen figures crept toward the ritzy home, each of them armed with a rifle. I froze. How did they know I was here?

My first thought was quickly replaced with something more plausible. They aren’t here for me. Blast! Of all the nights… They must be resistance fighters targeting the officers staying here. I cursed. Then I noticed one of the men looking up at the window I was peering out.

He raised his rifle and I cursed. A shot rang out, the sound seemed especially loud in the quiet night. I had no time to react. The shot slammed into me. The suit hardened as the bullet impacted my chest and I screamed as I fell backward. The reactive armor dispersed the force of the shot surprisingly well. I sat on the floor feeling my body but there were no new holes, just a slightly bruised section just below my breasts.

“Blast!” I hissed. I was pleased with the armor and lucky to be alive. I scrambled to my feet and bolted for the door. While I was wrapping my head around not having a bullet hole, the rest of the house was coming alive. I heard the resistance fighters smashed through the door and shots were fired as the two sides clashed on the ground floor.

I rushed instinctively for the stairs to retrace my steps. My only thought was to escape, but that wasn’t going to work. Already two fighters were charging up the steps.

I let out a yelp and ducked as a shot flew past my head. There was a room ahead of me and I rushed for it. The door opened just as I was reaching for the knob. I lowered my shoulder and slammed into it. Knocking the man inside off his feet as the door crashed into his face. I stumbled, and my knees hit the bed. I jumped forward onto the mattress and rolled toward the window.

“Freeze!” The words were loud but distant.

“Don’t move!” someone shouted, closer this time.

Shots followed throughout the house. I threw the window open and hopped out onto the porch roof.

“Stop that one!” someone shouted, very closely from behind.

My heart jumped. I glanced back and saw the man I’d knocked over get hit in the gut with the butt of a rifle. One of the two who’d charged up the steps stopped to capture the man, and the other hurried to the window to grab me.

“Stop! Surrender now!” the man shouted.

I ignored him and jumped for the row of hedges below.

He cursed.

“She’s running!” he shouted. “I’ll get her.”

Another shot rang out as I pulled myself from the bushes. Above me, on the porch roof, I heard footsteps and looked up. He looked over the edge and leveled his weapon at me. I gulped as I stared down the length of the barrel.

“Hold it right there!”

I stumbled back but my pack snagged on the hedge. He glanced away at something and I jerked my pack free and bolted. If I could get away from the house, I’d be safe.

The man swore. He fired a shot and I let out an undignified scream as it ricocheted off the sidewalk next to me. Either he was a horrible shot, or it was supposed to be a warning shot.

I kept running. Unless he hit me in the head, my suit should handle it. I crossed the street and headed for the next one. Once I’d put a few more houses between me and the enemy I slowed down. I’d made it.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

“That was close,” I whispered.

I glanced back just to make sure I was clear. A man charged around the corner, his head on a swivel. Blast it! I cursed and took off running again.

I’d only made it two steps before I tripped over a tricycle some idiot child had left lying in the yard. Panic swelled within me and I scrambled to my feet and tried to flee. I could feel him breathing down my neck! Another alley beckoned across the street. I pumped my arms as I ran for it. I took the next right and sprinted for all I was worth.

“Good God woman, stop! Don’t make me shoot you!” the man panted from behind me.

I glanced back and my heart leaped into my throat. If he dove, he might very well take me down.

“Leave me alone!” I screamed.

My feet felt like lead, and the pack on my back didn’t help either. I’d walked for miles and was already tired but I refused to stop. I rounded another corner and bounced off a wall as I failed to shed enough momentum to make the turn. A hand brushed my pack as I pushed harder to get away. I wasn’t going to make it. Maybe if I was fresh and unburdened, but stopping or slowing to remove the pack would slow me down.

The narrow space between buildings widened and then I was on another street. A spotlight hit me right in the eyes, appearing out of nowhere. I cried out in surprise and shielded my eyes.

“Freeze! Put your hand on your head!”

I couldn’t see anything. I stumbled and looked back. My tail was there, rifle raised in my direction. The loud crack made me flinch but it wasn’t aimed at me. The spotlight exploded in a shower of sparks. I hit the ground as bullets started flying. It was over in a pair of heartbeats. The two soldiers with the spotlight were dead and my tail standing tall over me.

He pointed his rifle at me and glared. In a husky voice, he said, “Don’t move.”

I sagged in defeat. I was bushed. It had been a long day and an even longer night—and it wasn’t over yet.

I glared up at him.

“Lose the pack and weapon. Take that device off your wrist too.” I obeyed and he collected my weapon and wrist computer. “Now lay face down and put your hands behind your back. Now!” he snapped.

He quickly secured my hands with zip ties. “Get up. Try to run and I’ll shoot you.”

“Hey, my pack, don’t just leave it there!” I demanded.

“Really? That’s what you’re worried about?” he replied.

“Yes! Who are you people anyway?”

He laughed. “Like you don’t know. Let’s go.”

“Not until you get my pack. Or you could let me go. I prefer the second option but—”

“You’re not the one making demands, woman! Walk.”

I planted my feet. “No.”

“Do you want me to shoot you? Because you’re making that sound very tempting.”

I glared at him. “I’m not moving until you get my pack.”

He rolled his eyes at me but he did grab my pack. “Women. Always so bossy.”

We didn’t return to the ritzy house like I’d expected. We headed toward the edge of town.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Shut up, or I’ll gag you.” He didn’t speak after that.

Just outside of town, we entered a small shack. He pushed me into the corner and tossed my pack to the side. He glanced out the door for a moment and then closed it. Only then did he turn on the light, a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. I could see the wires it hung from. It didn’t look very safe. I had very little energy to spare worrying about the shotty wiring though.

I blinked and squinted in the sudden brightness. The man has a neatly trimmed beard, broad shoulders, and a hardened look I associated with hard living. The man looked like many of the homeless people I’d seen in the slums, only armed, clean, and well-fed. A survivor then. I could see the drive in his eyes. A veteran soldier, I realized.

He was getting a good look at me too. I was glad I’d opted for the less form-fitting dark blue suit instead of my black skin-tight leather one.

“Who are you?” he asked suddenly. “You’re certainly not SB military. Are you a spy?”

I scowled at him. “Do I look like a spy?”

He snorted and his eyes scanned me from head to toe a second time. “Not really subtle if you are.”

What’s that supposed to mean? It almost sounded like he was hitting on me. Maybe I was just flattering myself, still if he was, I might be able to get him to lower his guard. “Thanks?”

“What were you doing in the CB’s local HQ?” he asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

“Look lady, you’re only play here is to cooperate with me. If you don’t know anything useful, I do not need to keep you alive.”

“Or you could let me go,” I said. “Isn’t the NCF all about freedom and democracy?”

“I don’t give a rat's ass about the coalition. I haven’t seen those NCF forces dying to protect Corinth. As far as I’m concerned they are just as bad as the Southern Block.”

“Corinth? Is that the name of your country?”

His hand tightened on his rifle and he glared at me. Stop talking, Ginny.

“Start talking, lady.”

“I’ll tell you my name if you tell me yours,” I quipped.

His hand came up and I flinched away but he stopped just shy of striking me. “Don’t test my patience.”

I swallowed hard. “In my pack are several IDs and wallets from the officers in that house you attacked.”

He watched me closely as he checked. “Why?”

“You’ll have to be more specific than that, buddy.”

“Why do you have these?”

I coughed, “Well, em, you see I happened to find them lying around.” I looked up at the ceiling and tried to sound innocent while conveying the truth. I definitely wasn’t going to admit to being a thief. That wasn’t conducive behavior to a long free life.

“You stole them.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” I replied.

“That almost sounded convincing. Why would you steal IDs and wallets from military officers? Makes no sense.”

“I didn’t steal anything, but I might be having some financial difficulties.”

“Enough with the double talk, lady. Just explain what’s going on already. Who are you anyway?”

I huffed. He was no fun. “I owe the general store some money and figured the people living in the ritziest house would be the best to donate to my cause. I didn’t know who was there until later and then you came along and ruined my night!”

He snorted at the accusation. “And your name?” he inquired.

“That’s classified. Top secret!” I raised my nose into the air.

He sighed and shook his head. He looked incredibly weary all of a sudden. He ran a hand over his face and just stared at me for a minute. Eventually, he seemed to come to a decision.

“You have a lot of food in here. You have someone who needs food?” he asked.

I wasn’t sure what to say so I nodded. Better he thinks I have someone depending on me than not. Might help me out.

“I can respect that. We all have people counting on us. We’ll talk more at the safe house. First I need to report in.”

He pulled out his radio and I cringed. Their encryptions were terrible. I could just imagine him leading a squad of soldiers right to us.

“Rider calling Alpha One. Come in Alpha One.”

There was a long delay. “Alpha One calling Rider, we read you, go ahead Rider. Over.”

“Rider sitting on one hot potato. Please advise nest, over.”

I had trouble tracking the conversation with their odd lingo. Maybe they knew their encryption was a joke. If I didn’t miss my guess though, I was the hot potato and he wanted to know where to stash me. The conversation took another ten minutes. When he finished, he held up my wrist computer.

“What is this?” he asked, his eyes boring into me.

I didn’t much like his judgemental gaze, but he was easy on the eyes. I debated what to say. On the one hand, cooperating would probably get me out of this mess faster. On the other hand, I was tired and irritable. The guy had ruined my night and then run me down to boot. As a professional thief who prided myself on my skills, that was embarrassing. In the end, though, I wanted to see his eyes bug out when I told him. They had computers here but they were probably still the size of houses. Okay, maybe not quite that bad.

“It’s a wrist computer.”

He snorted. “What, like a calculator?” he asked.

I sighed. That was not the reaction I was hoping for. “Sure, it can do that. It’s got a clock on there too,” I said sarcastically.

His eyes narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I answered your question, bro.”

He examined the device more closely and started hitting buttons. Don’t do that, you might break it! He looked up and I froze. A light smile formed on his face.

“Don’t like me messing with it, eh?”

For the record, I did not squirm. I was merely repositioning myself to be more comfortable. “You could break it.”

“Talk.”

I pursed my lips at him.

He set it on the ground. “Could be a tracker.” He lifted his boot to smash it.

“Wait!” I glared at him. “I’ll talk!”

He lowered his foot. “I’m waiting.

“Do you know anything about computers?” I asked.

He nodded. “A little.”

“Okay, how can I explain this? Right. Here is a comparison you might be able to understand. If the computers you’re familiar with were paper airplanes. This would be a jet fighter in comparison. It’s so much better in every way imaginable that I can’t really relate it to your antiquated computers.”

“If it’s so advanced, then where did you get it?”

“I found it.”

“Sure. You just found it, let me guess. It was just lying around, right?”

“Yes, actually.”

He groaned. “This is going to be a long night. What’s your name.”

“You can call me Ginny.”

“That’s not your name.”

“I’m not telling you my real name.”

“Why not?”

“Cause I don’t like it. And no I’m not going to tell— Stop! Blast it, stop it!” I snapped as he threatened to smash my wrist computer again.

“Why don’t you like your real name, Ginny?”

“Because it makes me sound like a stripper,” I snapped.

He blinked. He burst out laughing. “Okay, that’s not what I was expecting. Wow. So the computer. Where did you get it?”

“I told you. Why don’t you believe me? I was telling the truth, bro.”

“If it’s as advanced as you say, then no one would just leave it lying around.”

“Well, the guy who had it was dead. No, I didn’t kill him. I’m not a murderer.”

“This would be a lot easier if you just started from the beginning,” he said, leaning back to get comfortable.

“Why can’t you just let me go? I’m not your enemy. You have no reason to keep me tied up like this,” I said, giving him my best pleading expression.

“Don’t look at me like that. Your doe eyes aren’t going to work on me.”

I huffed. “Well, I need to pee.”

“Hold it. Or don’t. No skin off my nose.”

“You’re such an ass!”

He chuckled. “So I’ve heard. Look, if you really need to go, just hold it. When backup arrives, you can go then. A couple of girls are with them, no way I am leaving you unattended though.”

I scowled. “If I tell you what you want to know, will you let me go?”

“Maybe. If I like what I hear.”

“That’s not much of a promise,” I said.

The zip ties were cutting into my wrist, my feet ached, and I really did need to pee.

He asked me about my clothing.

“Just my fashion tastes. Why are you looking for something similar? Maybe a skin-tight ninja suit?”

He quickly changed the topic. When he pulled out my sidearm the jig was up.

“What kind of pistol is this?”

“It’s a rangefinder. It uses light to measure distance,” I said. The laser sight actually did that.

He didn’t believe me. He pointed it at my head. “So I just pull the—”

“It’s a laser pistol!” Blast him! He’s way too good at getting answers out of me. I didn’t think he would shoot me but I’d already been shot once tonight and the bruise on my chest wasn’t fun.

“Explain that.”

He was right. It was a long night.

* * *

Southern Block Occupied Zone:

Gary Holden finally handed the odd cantankerous woman off to his comrades in the resistance. She was a bundle of joy wrapped in porcupine quills but he kind of liked her tenacity. Even with the threats and tied up, she had spunk. She looked great in the odd one-piece blue catsuit too.

“Rider, come in,” Pegasus said. “What did you learn from your captive?”

“Well, she wasn’t supposed to be there.”

“What?”

Pegasus was the codename for his cell’s second-in-command. He was a tall wiry man with a good head on his shoulders. Before the war, he’d been a mailman. Go figure. It was a strange world.

“She’s a thief. She was robbing them blindly when we turned up to spoil her fun.”

“Hold up. Are you telling me this girl waltzed into the local SB’s HQ to rob them?”

“Yeah. I know it sounds crazy, but that’s the truth. She’s a professional too. Even under pressure she never admitted to actually being a thief, she certainly inferred though. Take a look at these.” Gary tossed the IDs and other loot she’d taken on the desk. “She was after the money, or so she says. Her pack was mostly full of food and water. Pretty sure she was stealing to feed someone but I didn’t press her on that.”

“Why not, Rider?”

“Would you have given up your people? Besides, there was plenty more to talk about.”

“We haven’t got all night.”

Gary laughed. “We might need it. She’s got gadgets and gizmos I’ve never heard about. Advanced stuff too. This is a wrist computer that according to her is way more advanced than anything we have. That’s not all. She had a laser pistol too.”

“Those are a myth. Even if they could make a working laser, it would be the size of a building.”

“I know. She also tried to trick me. She said it was a rangefinder until I pointed it at her head. I wanted to test it, but wasn’t sure what it did so I held off.”

“I’ll have it verified.”

“Thanks, Pegasus. She goes by Ginny. She seems pretty skilled but also harmless.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just the feeling she gives off. Like a cornered weasel. She never tried to shoot at me even though it was obvious I’d run her down. Didn’t even go for her weapon. She just tried to run. She’s got spunk though and I’d give her top marks for scowls and glares.”

Pegasus snorted. “Sounds like you like her.”

Gary chuckled. “No. She’s a headache, plain and simple.”

“We should get rid of her then.”

“About that. See I had an idea. She gave me fits even when I threatened to shoot her if she didn’t answer my questions. What if we could turn her loose on the Southern Block?”

“That sounds dangerous. How would you control her?”

“Everyone has someone they care about. Might not work long-term, but she was stealing food. Way more than she’d need for just herself. I propose we keep her isolated from the cell. The prison at New Grove has a lot of our people. She’s a thief. Have her sneak in and free them, and send her with a few weapons. Between them and a coordinated attack from the outside, I bet we’d pull it off. It would tie up a division at least as they scoured the countryside looking for everyone.”

“Would you go in with her? I don’t trust her alone. Would you stake your life on her following the plan?” Pegasus asked.

Gary shrugged. “She seemed very concerned about her things.” He pointed to the wrist computer. “Promise to return it if she does as we ask and I bet she’d go along with it.”

“Are you willing to bet your life on it?”

Gary thought about it for a minute and then nodded. “Yeah. I think I am.”

Pegusus drew in a long breath and leaned back in his chain. “I’ll think about it.”