“Urn, hello, my name is Zak. I was the one from the cemetery the other night…”
“Of course.” Pylum’s voice and face hardened. “The offworlder who violated our cemetery.” He waited.
“I think… I think I know what you mean about the Curse of Sycorax.” Zak swallowed. As calmly as he could, he reminded the Master of Cerements of what he’d seen in the graveyard. Then he told Pylum about the undead creature at his window and, finally, about the visit to the shipyard.
Pylum raised an eyebrow. “You believe you saw Dr. Evazan? The being that bounty hunter killed?”
“Yes,” Zak said. Did Pylum believe him? “I saw him twice. Could he… Could he have come back, too?”
Pylum sounded upset. “The Curse of Sycorax knows no boundaries. Anything is possible. But this seems quite serious.”
Zak was relieved. Someone finally believed him! Even if it was Pylum. “Can you help me? What should I do?”
“I will help you,” Pylum replied, “but I must prepare. The ancient curse is not a thing to be taken lightly. I will send someone to you this evening. In the meantime it might be better if you kept this to yourself. Have you told anyone?”
“My sister, but she didn’t believe me.”
Pylum nodded. “Unbelievers are the most dangerous, because they cause problems without helping to solve them.” The Master of Cerements paused. “I’m glad you’ve realized the truth, Zak. I believe I can help you, but it’s important that you keep what you’ve seen to yourself. If word spreads it could cause a panic in the city. As Master of Cerements, I must know for certain what has happened before I make an announcement. Wait there. I will send someone.” Pylum touched a button, and the screen went dark.
Zak spent the day on pins and needles. There was nothing to do-the boys he had met were all in mourning over Kairn, so there was no one to show him around the city. Uncle Hoole had apparently decided to buy the sleek new starship the slick dealer had pushed on him, and spent the day arranging the data work.
And Tash seemed preoccupied with Uncle Hoole himself. At first Zak was too distracted to pay attention, but by the afternoon, with nothing better to do but sit in the hostel and watch old holograms, Zak went to her room and listened as she told him about Hoole’s meeting with Boba Fett.
“But Hoole’s an anthropologist,” Zak replied. “He’s a scientist. What would he want from a bounty hunter?”
Tash shook her head. “I don’t know. But there’s definitely more to our uncle than meets the eye. And we’re going to find out what it is.”
“How are you going to find out?” Zak asked. “Uncle Hoole won’t even tell us his first name.”
It was true. But Tash only shrugged. “I’m not going to ask Uncle Hoole. I have another plan.”
Boba Fett’s ship was not hard to find. The maintenance workers at the dockyard had all gotten a glimpse of the intimidating killer, and knew exactly where his ship was. It sat on its landing berth like a poisonous dinko ready to spring. The ship’s engines hummed. When they had first arrived, Tash thought the bounty hunter was about to launch, but that had been almost an hour ago. She figured that Fett always kept his ship primed for launch, just in case he had to make a quick getaway.
Her plan was simple. Since she couldn’t ask Uncle Hoole, and she knew she couldn’t ask Boba Fett, she would follow the bounty hunter to see what he was doing.
“If he ever comes out of his ship,” she muttered to herself.
She lurked in the shadows of a building near the docking bay, where she could see the bounty hunter’s ship. Beside her, Zak was growing anxious. Pylum had said he would send someone to the hostel, and evening had begun to fall. He was beginning to think that either the bounty hunter was not on board, or he never planned to leave his ship.
Zak became impatient. He didn’t care about Boba Fett, and he had more important things to do than to discover Hoole’s personal secrets. He decided he had to get back to the hostel so he could meet Pylum. “Tash,” he began, “I- “
“Shh! There he is!”
The hatchway to the ship had opened. For a second no one appeared, as though the occupant was scanning for any lurking danger. Finally Boba Fett exited from the ship and strode down one of the numerous alleyways.
“Come on!” Tash whispered, and took off after the bounty hunter. Reluctantly Zak followed.
The alleyway curved into one of the city’s main streets. Turning onto it, Boba Fett walked in a straight line down the middle of the avenue. People got out of his way.