26
STARTLING STORIES
Durante, and by the time it had cleared, she was gone. A moment later, he spotted her limping across a distant jetty, saw her es-corted aboard a private vessel trademarked IHIT. It was the same firm that had bought the love-stones.
“Nice chat with Commander Knott?” asked Yerzuk, following his gaze as she re-turned.
“No. She called you a ‘burgling bastard’.”
Yerzuk looked unperturbed as she slipped in earbuds to follow the bidding and ignored him.
For the last time, Durante turned to the soothing roof, and as he mellowed, noticed that the sound of it was changing. From a steady shushing, it had grown percussive, more metallic and louder. Now he could see that what was turning the copper leaves was not the wind, but a shower of rain.
“I thought,” he said to Yerzu
