PART 5

Wavingher hand toward the nine guards in the ready room, she said, "Doany of these men look familiar?"didn't breathe. None of theguards around him moved. On the holovid, the Hutt reclined, hisslitted eyes moving languidly back and forth, taking in the room. Atlength he let out a slow, guttural laugh, the mocking ho-ho-ho thatSmight had come to identify with a particularly unpleasant frozensensation through his bowels. He had only heard that laugh oncebefore, and it had been one time too many.

"Youare wasting my time, Warden," Jabba said, answering in the gutturalHuttese that Smight's ear translated effortlessly into Basic. "Irecognize none of these swine."

"Areyou certain?" Sadiki asked. "Because I'll be happy to returnany of your own men to you unharmed in the spirit of maintainingpeace with the Desilijic Clan." A slight frown line formed over herforehead. "The ones that you don't claim, well ..." Sheglanced at ThreeDee. "Let's just say they're slightly moredisposable."

"Killthem all and toss their carcasses to swamp slugs," Jabba said. "Itis all the same to me."

"Isee. Well, perhaps I should ask the men."pushed a button on thewall. Smight heard a faint whirring sound to his right and glancedover his shoulder. Across the ready room, directly opposite theholoprojection of Jabba, an oblong panel slid open to expose arecessed area that had not been there just a moment before—aresult, he guessed, of this last reconfiguration. From this angle,Smight could not see inside it, but he had the sudden realizationthat whatever was back there had already started to move out.

"Gentlemen,"Sadiki said, "I'm sure you all know Mr. Nailhead and Mr.Strabo."thin blade of silence sliced through the ready room. ThenNailhead and Strabo stepped into view, and Smight heard the otherguards drawing back with sharp curses and sounds of disbelief,cramming into whatever space they could find, reaching instinctivelyfor weapons and dropboxes that weren't there.