The man’s smile hardened. “Well, San Hill has his own methods of dealing with spies.” He began to pull Boba toward him.
“And so does my master,” said Boba.
Kos stopped. He stared at Boba suspiciously. “What do you mean by that?”
Boba hesitated. He had the kind of information a spy would have - real, possibly deadly, information. Out of everyone here on Aargau - out of everyone in the galaxy - only Boba knew that the Count was playing a deadly game. The Count was pretending to be two people, on opposing sides of a great, galaxy-spanning conflict.
It was information worth staking one’s life on. And right now, that’s what Boba was going to do.
“San Hill only knows part of the story,” said Boba. He tried to keep his voice calm.
“And you know the rest?” snapped the vice-chair. But he looked uneasy. He glanced over his shoulder, then drew Boba close to him. “What have you heard?” Kos asked in a whisper. His gloved hands held Boba so tightly the boy’s arm ached. “There have been rumors, a thousand rumors.”
Boba’s heart hammered inside his chest. He was in great danger - but with danger comes opportunity. If he was clever, he could use this official to escape from the Undercity; maybe even to escape from Aargau….
“I know nothing of rumors,” Boba said at last. He held his head up proudly and gazed straight into the vice-chair’s eyes. “I know only the truth - but the truth comes at a price.”
Kos stared fixedly at Boba. He seemed to be weighing his choices.
“I don’t have all day,” said Boba. “And neither do those I serve.” He looked knowingly past the vice-chair, as though he saw someone else there. Kos stiffened. His hand touched his weapons belt, as
though
for reassurance. “Your price?” he said. “Your miserable shapeshifting skin should be price enough! You tell me what you know, and I’ll let you go free - for now.”
Boba fought to keep his voice steady. He could sense Kos’s fear - if Boba could control his own fear, he would have the upper hand. “No. That’s not enough. I will share my information - but first you have to bring me to Level Two.”
“Level Two?” The vice-chair started laughing. Then his laughter turned to restrained fury. “I could break your neck right here - but after San Hill hears your news, he will devise more entertaining ways to kill you.”
“After they hear my news,” said Boba softly, “he will kill you for not taking me to him sooner. But by then my master will be here, and…”
He let his voice trail off threateningly.
The official stared at him. His face grew dark with anger. His hand moved toward Boba’s neck.
Boba took a deep breath. If he was going to die right now, he would die fighting. He gazed unafraid and defiant up at his captor.
But then Kos stopped. He looked at the boy. His scarred face seemed to regard Boba with more respect. At last he nodded.
“All right,” he said. “We’ll do it your way. Trouble is brewing, that’s for sure. Might as well be out of this place when the storm breaks.”
He pushed Boba roughly ahead of him. There was the click of a blaster being loosed from its holster. “But don’t even dream of escaping. I’ll bring you to Level Two - “
“To the Kuat Bank,” said Boba quickly.
For a moment the guard was silent. Then he laughed. “Kuat, eh? Well, someone must be paying you well for your services. But I guess you must be worth it, eh?”
You don’t know the half of it, Boba thought, as the lieutenant marched him down the dark passage.
CHAPTER TWENTY
They walked in near-darkness for what seemed like hours. The torch’s beam guiding them. But in reality, only a while had passed - Boba had to remind himself that the darkness was deceptive, like everything else on Aargau.
At last they reached spot where the tunnel widened. In front of them was wide metal door. And in front Of the door was an airspeeder.
“Get in,” Kos snapped. He kept his blaster trained on Boba.
Boba clambered inside. He couldn’t keep from smiling. Just the sight and feel of a cockpit made his blood race with excitement!
“What are you grinning at?” the official said suspiciously.
Boba composed his face into a calmer expression. “I am thinking that you made the right choice,” he said.
This seemed to satisfy the vice-chair. He climbed into the pilot’s seat, positioned himself behind the controls, and pressed a button. The wide door slid up, revealing a huge empty airshaft. It stretched up into dark, seemingly limitless space. Boba craned his neck and stared up.
Not limitless. High, high above them he could see a glitter of green.