The security personnel stationed in the courtroom moved toward Geldou. She didn’t move.

“Mom! Mom!” Nel called after her. Haerm told him to be quiet. The boys rose to their feet and stood in the row.

“Who are you? Why have you disrupted these proceedings?” Geldou demanded. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be going to a lock-up.”

His laughter echoed in the large room. “You know who I am! Don’t pretend that you don’t, Geldou Bonnema! You are as full of shit now, as you were eleven years ago. I,” he announced to those in the courtroom, “am Finn Danlami. I’m here to collect on the debt that you owe Nar Bal Desere’e.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said weakly as she turned toward the guards.

Jurian excused himself and went out the side door. Haerm tried to gather his sons into a circle and give them directions on how to proceed.

Eiske, Jan, and Jal held a quiet conversation regarding whether they should leave. “I want to hear this,” Eiske whispered. Jal nodded nervously.

As Jal and Eiske glanced back, they could see the terror on Geldou’s face. “It is time for you to settle your accounts.”

“I can’t. I have nothing to pay you with.”

“You owe my boss a great deal of currency.”

"No!”

“I would take three slaves instead,” he offered. “Look! Your husband wants to talk to you. All these boys are yours,” he said with a wide grin. “Which ones should I take?” Danlami sauntered over to the group, walked around them slowly and looked each one over. They tried to appear unbothered. All of them failed but one. “Which ones should I choose?” He looked at each boy and watched Geldou’s responses. “I choose this one!” He stopped in front of Kryn, who stood with his hands in his pockets, leaned against the wall.

“No! You can’t have him!”

“You agreed to pay Desare’e back, then you skipped town. You did a pretty good job of hiding. Now it’s time to pay up! It’s taken me nearly eleven years to find you, Geldou Bonnema. You owe Desare’e eighteen thousand mu-tok, plus eleven years of interest.”

“I don’t have the currency right now.”

“In that case, I will take your children as payment. Look at them!” The boys now stood in a tight pack around Nel and Kryn. “They’re all big and healthy. They’ll make great slaves.”

“If you want one of my sons, you can take that one!” She pointed to Jal. “She’ll make a great slave!”

“You are confused, Geldou Bonnema. You call this one a son, then refer to it as ‘she!’ Get up!” Danlami said to Jal. Jal didn’t move. Eiske touched the button on his shirt. “I said, get up!” Danlami reached into his pocket. “Go stand by your brothers!” He pulled out a weapon and aimed it at Jal.

Eiske nudged Jal’s arm, “Do as he says, Jal. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

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Jal stood up.

Danlami’s braying belly-laugh bounced off the walls of the courtroom. "This person here is no more your son than I am! There is no way that you are the parent of a Stafriez! All three of you, get out of here. You are not part of this discussion.” Sage Elvan, Eiske, and Jal went out the side door of the courtroom and stood in the hallway listening.

“Please! Please don’t take my children. Please give me a few minutes.” She looked at Haerm and made a motion. The two crossed the room away from the children and away from Finn Danlami.

“I told you someone would come!” she whispered fiercely.

Jal could hear everything the pair was saying. Geldou was telling Haerm that if they sold the farm, they would be able to pay this debt, the fines, and the lawyer’s fees. The boys would carry out the plans they had made for after the loosing day. Upon their release, there would be no debt for either Haerm or Geldou to pay. The two argued for several minutes. Haerm wanted to keep the farm intact. The new house was nearly built. The debt incurred from the acquisition of materials for it was huge, but it would be rented out while Geldou and Haerm were away. If Danlami insisted that a son was to go with him, they would offer more currency. They argued over how much to offer.

Nearly thirty minutes passed before Haerm conceded to Geldou. “All my hard work and this is what I get in return? I was an idiot to marry you!” He was furious and raised his hand to slap Geldou. She backed away from him.

Danlami stepped forward. “You still suffer from poor cash management skills! Ten years and nothing has changed. Pay up!”

Geldou’s chin went up determinedly. “I’ll have the money for you by the end of the week.”

“You’ll have that kind of money with you in a lock-up?” He exploded in laughter. “I think not!”

“I’ll have the money at the end of the week.” Haerm stood behind Geldou. “Go on your way!”

“I’ll find you,” Finn growled. “If you don’t have the money, I’ll break your legs and take three of your sons!”

Eiske grabbed Jal’s arm. Come on. Let’s go. This is not our affair.” Once outside, they stood by the hovercraft. “Let’s have tea and figure out what we want to do.” Danlami had just gone into the diner, and they hesitated. After a brief discussion with Piter at the door, the three sat down in a booth in the back.

Without missing a beat, Finn Danlami crossed the main dining area and slid onto the bench next to Eiske. “I was hoping to catch up with you. I’m charmed to make your acquaintance,” his big voice went up a notch as he pretended he didn’t know who Jal was. “I had hoped to speak with you.”

“Oh?” Jal studied him curiously. “You are an Ilarian, Finn Danlami.”

The man’s dusky green skin color deepened, and he could not maintain Jal’s steady gaze. “And you are a Stafriez, Jal Jomari.”

“What brings you from the big cities?”

“You were in that courtroom. You know that I’m here to collect a debt owed to my employer. Are you going to pay it off for that family? Your friends?” When Jal recoiled at the suggestion, Danlami laughed. “My beef is not with anyone except Geldou Bonnema.” Pieces of hot apple cake and steaming tea were brought to the table.

“Ten years ago, she was in Kop?” Jal asked.

“She was. It was closer to eleven years ago than ten. She was a student at Shipman. Some sort of medical science. You are interested in the story? I will tell you. First, the food.” He ate the sweet dessert and poured himself another cup of tea. “Ten years ago, at a gaming table in Kop, Geldou made a bet. She was given several opportunities to carefully consider what she was doing before she placed her wagers. When the cards came up, she was nine thousand mu-toc short. Nar Bal Deseree was sitting at the table. He covered her bet. Then he gave her ninety days to pay her debt to him. About a week before the debt was due, she disappeared. One of Desare’e’s guys followed her, but she was able to get away.”

He took a sip of tea. “It has been ten years, and here I am. I will be rewarded handsomely for my long, drawn-out efforts. Now that I’ve told you my story, suppose you tell me how you know the former card shark.” A thought floated through Eiske’s head, but it was dispelled quickly by Jal’s brief description of the harassing letters. “Surely you did something to deserve such treatment?” the man suggested.

“No.”

Danlami studied Jal’s face. “You remind me of someone I once knew. Geldou knew this person too.”