“0 Wise Jabba,” he said. “Let me serve you. Arm me. Give me a speeder. Then tell me your bidding, and I will do it.”
“Arm you?” Jabba’s mouth split into a taunting smile. “But you have no need of arms! You have just shown us that! As for my bidding…”
The sluglike gangster looked from Boba to Durge. “Someone has interfered with my smuggling operation here on Tatooine. He has a ring of thieves who help him. They steal my weapon shipments. Then he sells the weapons.”
“Who does he sell them to?” asked Boba.
“To the Separatists.” Jabba leaned forward. “But I do not care who he sells them to. I care only that he has taken what is mine. I want him destroyed. I want his supporters killed as well.”
Boba nodded. “Do you know his name?”
“Yes. He is a Neimoidian. His name is Gilramos Libkath.”
“Gilramos Libkath?” repeated Boba in disbelief. “That’s what I said,” replied Jabba impatiently. “Do you know of him?”
Libkath! That’s the name Ygabba used - for the Master!
Boba hid his dismay. “Do I know of him?” he repeated.
Quickly he looked aside at Durge.
The hated bounty hunter was easily twice his size. Durge was armed. He had a speeder. He hated Mandalorians.
And, to judge from the way he stared at Boba, he hated Boba most of all.
I was lucky just now, Boba thought. I’ve taken Durge by surprise - twice.
He will never let that happen again.
Boba’s hand tightened on his helmet.
My greatest strength right now is knowledge.
I know who Gilramos Libkath is. I know where he is.
Boba corrected himself. Where he will be, when he arrives to take the weapons Ygabba and the others stole for him.
“I asked you a question!” said Jabba. “Do you know of Gilramos Libkath?”
Boba hesitated. Then he shook his head. “No. But I will find him.”
“Do not trust him!” Durge broke in. Around him the Gamorrean guards grunted under their breath. “He has deceived you once already! He will do so again!”
Durge thrust his fist toward Boba. “Give him to me, Jabba! I will make his lies die with him!”
Jabba regarded Durge thoughtfully. He turned to Boba. “He tells the truth. You deceived me - and those who deceive me do not live to speak of it.”
“0 Great Immensity! I did not deceive you,” Boba replied. His voice was smooth and flattering.
“I could never deceive your great wisdom! I wanted only to show how ill prepared this bounty hunter was - by deceiving him.”
He pointed at Durge. Jabba twisted to stare at him.
“Ah!” agreed the mighty gangster. He smiled. “Of course! I knew that!”
He gave a rolling laugh. Around him his lackeys tittered and sneered.
“Thank you, 0 Jabba.” Boba looked at him boldly. “Now, if you give me new weapons, I will leave. I will not return until I have captured Gilramos Libkath.”
“Give you weapons?” Jabba’s voice turned cold. “I give nothing!”
He motioned to an alcove. Immediately Bib Fortuna stepped out from where he had been waiting. Jabba said, “These bounty hunters are wasting my time. They talk when they should act. This one” - Jabba pointed at Durge - “he has let a mere boy defeat him! His reflexes have grown slow.” A sly smile creased Jabba’s face. “Durge needs to sharpen his skills. Then he will hunt faster. He will hunt better.”
“I will sharpen my teeth upon this boy’s bones!” shouted Durge.
“Perhaps.” Jabba shook his head. “But first you will meet several of my pit beasts.”
Boba jolted backward as the ground beneath him trembled.
The trapdoor was opening!
“Combat arachnids!” squealed the Twi’lek dancer.
Murmurs of excitement filled the room. The Gamorrean guards shoved each other in expectation. Durge glared at Boba, then raised a fist defiantly at Jabba.
“I will best them!” he cried.
At their feet a wide gap appeared in the floor. Darkness filled it.
Darkness, and a chittering sound. As Boba stared, two immense Caridan combat arachnids clattered across the pit floor. Each had twelve legs, sharp and covered with razor spines. More spines covered their backs. Their mouths gaped open to reveal teeth like dripping daggers. Above their teeth, a dozen eyes glistened like poisonous jewels.
Boba sucked his breath in sharply. At the sound the arachnids swiveled. They stared up. Twenty-four spider eyes gazed at Boba unblinking.
“They are hungry,” murmured Bib Fortuna. He smiled.
“As for you,” Jabba looked at Boba. “Unless Durge’s reflexes have gotten very, very slow, he will triumph.”