Babylon Steel Read Free Page A

you, Mr Fain?” I had several ideas in mind, and they were getting more extravagant by the moment.
    “I am prepared to offer you a large sum of money in return for a certain service I believe you may be able to perform for me.”
    That put me on edge. I didn’t know enough about Fain to guess what his personal tastes might be, but if he was prepared to offer much over the going rate, it had to be something a bit out of the ordinary. And though the motto of the House is ‘All tastes, all species, all forms of currency,’ there are tastes we don’t cater for. Anyone who prefers an unwilling partner, or one too young, had better not step through my door. Anything resulting in permanent injury and such, we don’t do; and we insist on taking measures to protect ourselves. Disease is not a problem on Scalentine the way it is elsewhere, because of the peculiar nature of the place; but pregnancy is. At least, for some of us. Fain was not a man I wanted to antagonise, but I have principles. That may be why I’m often broke.
    I sat down, arranged myself in an encouraging posture, and waited. Not for long.
    “Someone has gone missing. I’d like you to look for her.”
    I managed to shut my mouth, eventually. “I’m sorry, what?”
    “A young woman – a stranger to the city – has disappeared. I am extremely concerned for her welfare.”
    I was thoroughly bemused, not to mention pretty disappointed. “Why me?” I said. “This isn’t the kind of request I usually get.” I wasn’t entirely able to keep the regret out of my voice.
    “Because I think you have the qualities I am looking for. I’d know better if you came to the club, of course...”
    “Gambling’s not really my game.”
    “But I suspect you’d be rather good, if you decided to take it up.”
    “I’m not sure about that. I think it requires a level of concentration that’s beyond me. Besides, I’m not good at numbers.”
    “But judging by what I’ve heard, you’re good at people. Often, that’s all that is required.”
    “You must be pretty good at people yourself.” Somehow that had come out sounding a lot more inviting than I intended. Ye gods and little fishes, I was practically purring.
    It had to be the voice. No-one should be allowed to look that good and have a voice like that. It eased past the brain and curled itself right around the privates.
    I dragged my concentration back into my head. “Anyway, this girl. What qualities have I got? Why not go to the militia?”
    “I believe you can talk to people who won’t talk to the militia. The last Chief left a long shadow.”
    The Chief before Bitternut had been a nasty little pusbag; corrupt as a dead dog in high summer. It made the new Chief’s job harder than it needed to be. I still heard stories from some of the other whores. A lot of them come to me when they fancy a bit of advice or a gossip. Them and ex-soldiery.
    “But still,” I said, “why me?”
    “You need the money.”
    That acted on me like a dash of cold water. “What do you mean?”
    He shrugged. “I do run a gambling house, Madam Steel. I know when someone’s overstretched.”
    The fact that he was right didn’t make me any happier about him knowing, and I wasn’t sure I believed his explanation, either. We kept the place in good order. Maybe someone had been gossiping with a client, and word had got out. Discretion, or lack of it, works both ways.
    Still, he was right. “So who is this girl and why are you looking for her?”
    Fain leaned forward, and I could smell his scent; a mix of clean male, and something dark and woodsy. I was increasingly aware that I really didn’t trust him and that I was having a damn hard time keeping my hands off him anyway. I tried to concentrate on listening to his words, rather than watching his mouth.
    “She’s the daughter of people I want to keep happy. If I can find her for them they will be extremely, not to say lucratively, grateful. I’m prepared to invest against