On The Imperium’s Secret Service (Imperium Cicernus) Read Online Free Page A

three hours,” he said.  He passed her a credit chip that made her blink in disbelief when she touched her thumb against the reader on the side.  She’d never seen an unlimited credit rating before, not even from some of her father’s wealthier customers.  Imperial Credits were good anywhere; they could buy everything in the store using the chip.  “Just remember that you have to carry everything you buy back to the shuttle.”
     
    He winked at them and walked off, his cane tapping against the floor.  Mariko watched him go, staring at the chip as if she’d just been granted access to the Fountain of Youth, and then looked up at Mai.  Her sister was definitely smitten with Lord Fitzgerald.  Mariko sighed inwardly.  Her sister had always been a little naive – although she hadn't been much better when she’d believed what she’d been told about Dorado.  The planet’s representatives had had every reason to lie about the true state of affairs on their homeworld.
     
    “Come on,” she said, pocketing the chip.  He’d shown an astonishing amount of trust in her by giving her the chip, knowing that she could use it to book passage to the nearest world with a wormhole station.  But perhaps it wasn't such a great gamble.  Everything she purchased would be registered in the computer records and he could have tracked them down with ease.  And there was no way that anyone would stop him from reclaiming his property.  “It’s time to go shopping.”
     
    Disdaining the two fanciest clothing stores, she led Mai into a smaller store that seemed to have more reasonable prices.  Shipsuits were standardised everywhere, but she insisted on checking them all thoroughly before purchasing three pairs for herself and three pairs for Mai.  Lord Fitzgerald had hinted that they would have to look nice for him and so they found a set of dresses that showed off their assets for best advantage.  One of them looked uncomfortably like a wedding dress; the other two looked good enough for formal occasions, assuming that they were ever allowed to attend another formal again.  Class Four Citizens – Indents – were rarely allowed to have a social life.  Their owners believed that they stayed more productive without one. 
     
    Moving on to the next store, she purchased a selection of survival gear and a pair of computer readers to replace the ones that had been stolen by the policemen who had confiscated her ship.  Most datachips with stored books and videos were expensive, so she limited herself to a chip containing the complete works of Darrin Webster, a former Imperial Navy officer turned writer, and a chip with a thousand historic movies, the ones produced long before the Imperium started censoring new movies.  She hesitated for a long moment before picking up a pair of Mark-45 Krypton Blasters – whatever laws Dorado had on firearms ownership might refuse to allow them to buy the weapons – but the dealer didn't hesitate.  The colossal mark-up on the price probably allowed him to bribe the police if they ever came around sniffing for evidence of illegal arms trading.
     
    “We should get some of those,” Mai said.  Mariko followed her gaze and winced again.  Mai was pointing right towards an expensive lingerie store, with a handful of holographic models doing things that made her blush.  “If we have to look nice for him...”
     
    Mariko stared at her sister, and then realised that she might be right.  Lord Fitzgerald might not be as crude as Carlos, but he’d purchased them and he’d certainly expect to get his money’s worth.  Mai was a virgin, as far as Mariko knew, yet she’d come within a hairsbreadth of losing everything to a lout with more money and power than sense.  No wonder she was already clinging to Lord Fitzgerald and trying to make herself look nice for him.  He was the new rock of stability in her life.
     
    Their mother had insisted that Mai was too young to set out on her own, even