Let's Make a Deal (Bob and Nikki Book 11)
folks and make sure nothing bad happened.”“So, what’s her plan?”
“Wipe the coordinates out of the ship’s memory, and pretend she never found the place, if I understood correctly.”
“How does she figure to get a good enough command lock on Veronica to get her to keep quiet?”
“She didn’t say.”
“She wouldn’t harm Veronica, would she?”
“She and Veronica have gotten pretty close, Bob. I wouldn’t worry about that.”
“I hope you’re right. I consider the bots to be people, and if she hurt Veronica, I would have to take action. I don’t want to do that.”
“I see what you mean, Bob. I’d rather you didn’t have to, as well.”
“Especially since it probably wouldn’t do any good. If I know Veronica, one of the other bots already has the coordinates. Most likely Sally, but Topper if she couldn’t get in touch with Sally.”
“You think so?”
“Veronica is good at her job. She wouldn’t let valuable information like that just slip away.”
“So, anything Phonelia does is going to be too late?”
“I don’t have any reason to go asking around about some new planet Phonelia supposedly found. Whichever bot has the information, most likely won’t tell me, unless I ask. As far as Phonelia has to know, her plan will work perfectly.”
Will said, “I can see why the bots say ‘the Boss is sneaky’. You can honestly say you don’t know where the planet is, but if you need to know, you would be able to find out in nothing flat.”
“That sounds about right. Is that more than I should have told you?”
“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to? I do know a thing or two about keeping a secret.”
“That you do, Falling Will.”
“You’ve decided to call me that, too?”
“Just has more of a ring to it, than D.B.”
“I suppose it does, at that. So, what is your plan for this new planet she found?”
“She seems to think we need to leave it the heck alone. I’m willing to trust her judgment, unless I see evidence to the contrary.”
“You’re not going to go look for yourself?”
“I don’t have time to check up on everybody who works for me. I can trust them, or go nuts. Are you saying there’s a reason I shouldn’t trust Phonelia?”
“No, but a planet that friendly would be quite a resource, wouldn’t it?”
“Look at how many friendly planets we’ve found so far. Do you have a reason to think that’s going to stop?”
“I don’t suppose I do. You think another one will come along that we can use without disturbing those folks, don’t you?”
“From what I’ve seen so far, it seems like the way to bet.”
“Thanks, Bob. I thought I was going to get myself in deep do-do with Phonelia for telling you about this.”
“You’re welcome. Anything else I can help you with?”
“Not that I’m thinking of right now. Sooner or later, we’re going to have to have another one of those chili suppers, though.”
“Hardest part of that will be getting my wife to agree. She objects to the aftermath.”
“Spoilsport! Why doesn’t she make you sleep outside?”
“With friends like you, I’m not sure I need enemies. Besides, I’ve got minders, now. They probably wouldn’t let me sleep outside. Have to sleep in a ship, or something.”
“Minders? How did that come about?”
“Sally thinks I’m too important to let wander around and get hurt, so I have a squad of Marines following me around.”
“Lifestyles of the rich and infamous, huh?”
“You ought to know something about that.”
“Infamous, for sure. Rich, well not really. I didn’t get that much, and we didn’t dare raise our profile, for fear of somebody figuring it out.”
“I better let you go, it’s getting to be time to start a fire, so I can make Nikki some of those roasted animal parts she likes so much.”
“Talk to you later, then.”
“Later on, Will.” I almost got the thing put away. “Captain Wilson.”
Topper said, “Joshua and Rikki just came out of FTL. They would like to talk to you.”
“Send them down, I’ll put on a couple of extra steaks.”
“I’ll pass the word. Thanks, Boss.”
“No sweat. How are things on the Gene?”
“Frank has decided to behave, since Scotti has Shorty and the Marines checking on Julie several times a day. Other than that, pretty mellow.”
“Frank coming up with anything on Shorty’s ideas about sensing normal space from FTL?”
“Not that I’ve heard, but you know Frank waits till his ideas are ready before saying anything.”
“Just curious, that sounds like something we could make good use of.”
“It does, doesn’t it? Really makes you wonder just how much the Squirrels were holding the Commonwealth back.”
“I want to know that story, and then again I don’t. As long as we’re not sure about all of it, we can give the Squirrels the benefit of the doubt. Once we know for sure, it might be hard to forgive them.”
“Some days, I’m glad I’m not organic, so I don’t have to deal with that sort of thing.”
“Some days, I wish you were, so we could go fishing and tell one another lies.”
“Lonesome, Boss?”
“All the friends I brought out here with me are off taking care of their own ships.”
“You can come back aboard whenever you want to, you know. The Gene is still your ship. I’m just keeping your seat warm.”
“I know that. I need to spend some time here while I can. You know, and I know, that this calm spell won’t last. Did you have any luck tracking that old friend of yours you lost touch with?”
“I figured out what ship he was last sold to, and when and where that ship was last seen, and where she was headed when she left. I haven’t found any further mention of her.”
“No reports of