THE PARADISE SNARE(78)

She nodded. “It’s well sealed. I checked that last week. No way to see it from Teroenza’s apartment.”

Han switched on the overhead lights, and the room was suddenly fully illuminated.

Since Bria had taken over the maintenance of the collection, she’d rearranged the entire room. The collection cases gleamed, the shelves were far less cluttered, and the colors on the tapestries were vivid, freed from their film of dust. The room’s three white central support pillars had been freshly painted.

“All right,” Han whispered. “You and Muuurgh get started and begin picking out the items you selected. I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes, okay?”

She nodded. “But what’ll I carry them in?”

“Last week I hid a knapsack behind the backsides of the two sprites on the white jade fountain,” Han said, pointing to the huge artifact.

“That’ll get you started. I’ll try to bring something else back with me if I see anything that’ll work.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

Muuurgh was some distance away, examining a collection of jeweled daggers.

Bria hesitated, her expression anguished. Han put his hands on her shoulders. “What is it, honey?”

“Vykk … I’ve never done anything like this before!” She bit her lip and gestured at the blasters Muuurgh had brought. “Guns, and stealing!

People could get hurt—even killed! You could get killed, or me!” She was shivering all over.

Han put his arms around her, pulled her to him. “Bria, we have to go tonight,” he said, though it was an effort to keep his voice gentle and hide his impatience. “Tomorrow they’re shipping Mrrov to the mines of Kessel. The ship’s probably going to arrive in orbit anytime now to take her away! It’s now or never, sweetheart.”

“And … and …” She was clinging to the front of his coverall with both hands. “I’m afraid of what will happen to me when I leave here.

Without the Exultation … how can I live without it?”

“You’ll have me,” he reminded her. “We’ll be together. I’ll be with you .

. . every minute. You’ll be okay …”

She gulped and nodded, but two tears ran down her cheeks. Han gave her an encouraging grin. “Hey …” he said. “I’m better than Ganar Tos, right?”

Bria managed a choked laugh, and then gave him a watery smile.

Han grabbed the blasters and headed out the door, making sure it was closed behind him, then down the corridor.

Carrying six guns in one’s arms, he discovered, wasn’t easy. He finally wound up shoving them into the front of his coverall and into his belt.

They impeded his motion somewhat, but that was better than juggling them in his arms and fearing that one or more would fall to the floor with a crash.

The night was as dark as ever, but Han knew that dawn couldn’t be more than an hour away now. He managed an awkward lope down the muddy path, blasters whacking into his legs and bouncing against his chest.

It took him nearly seven minutes to reach the first glitterstim factory, and another two to creep up close enough to the guard, a huge Gamorrean, to stun the alien at close range. Seeing the creature’s huge, porcine bulk, Han gave him an extra shot to keep him quiet for as long as this was going to take him.

Then he turned and walked into the factory, straight to the turbolift, the extra blasters nearly tripping him as he squeezed through the mesh door.

Setting the turbolift for the bottom floor, he endured the ride down, down, into the night-black chill and the darkness beyond darkness.

When Han reached the bottom level, the one where Bria had worked, he turned right to where he’d caught a glimpse of the containers of raw glitterstim waiting to be apportioned to the workers.

Yanking the five blasters out of his belt (he kept the sixth as a spare, since he hadn’t known to make sure his own was fully charged for tonight’s escapade) Han arranged them atop the glitterstim in a tasteful “rayed sun” design. Then he quickly opened each one up and, peering through his goggles, set the powerful weapon to OVERLOAD. A thin whining filled the air, growing louder, echoing in the cavernous space, as more and more whines joined the first in the dank depths of the factory.

“That oughta do it,” Han whispered to himself, and knowing he had only minutes to get free before the whole place went boom, he bolted for the turbolift.

The rush of wind across his sweating face felt good. Han leaped out, ran down the first floor of the factory, leaped over the recumbent Gamorrean, who was just beginning to snort and stir, and ran off, into the night.

He was halfway back to the Administration Center when Han felt the ground shake and turned to see a gout of yellow flame reaching into the night.