Page 122 of Crash Course

Nukolo sent her a grateful look.

“Well.” Arn stood and inclined his head to them all. “We best go speak with Tamir about the Garmman.”

They said their goodbyes and she, Hal and Hoke stood at the top of the stairs watching the Balcoans leave.

“IsPaxe running the station?” Hoke asked.

“No. Baruke asked if he could assume that he was, and I said of course he could.”

Hal cleared his throat.

“And just to be clear, that’s not actually Eazi?” Hoke asked.

“No. But it doesn’t hurt for them to think it is, does it?” Fee said.

“No.” Hoke turned to look at her.

“That was funny,” Eazi said.

Hoke seemed less sure, because she rubbed her face. “What about the grahudi? Where are you keeping it?”

“It likes my balcony more than being inside my apartment,” Fee said, “but it also likes Eazi’s workshop, so it seems to be there the most.”

Hoke went still. “It’s just roaming free around the way station?”

“The only way to keep it in one place would be to cage it, and I won’t do that. Have you managed to contact the Fitali?” Fee asked.

Hoke nodded. “They’re aware. I should hear back from them shortly.”

“Oris and Bane are here,” Eazi said in her ear.

Fee smiled. “We should go outside,” she said. “There is something really worth watching happening.”

“What?” Hoke looked at her like she was a frien about to attack.

“Let’s go outside and see.” She took Hal’s hand and made her way down the stairs.

By the time they reached the square outside, the crowd had swelled to almost the same size it had been earlier.

“Are you able to project what’s happening onto the square?” she asked.

“I am,” Eazi said. “Good idea.”

“Are you excited, Paxe?” she asked.

“I’m sorry that there is some damage to the frame, but it is fixable, so yes, I am excited,” Paxe answered.

“Is this what I think it is?” Hoke stared up.

“Two Class 5s carrying the frame from the base for Paxe.” Fee craned her neck with everyone else as Oris and Bane maneuvered the frame and then slowly lowered it into the center of the ring platform, where it locked into place exactly at the circumference.

The skeletal beginnings of Paxe’s ship was a sight to behold, even more amazing from below than it had been when she’d seen it from above in the amphitheater.

“Baruke’s probably having a heart attack,” Hoke said.

“No, I told Arn this was coming. I actually thought they were going to protest it happening today when he asked me for the private meeting. I didn’t know Nukolo had come to them with the fake Eazi.”

“I hope the Garmman are watching this,” Hoke said. “Because this is a slap in their face.”

“The Garmman have earned my dislike,” Paxe said in Fee’s ear, and the way Hoke and Hal reacted, she guessed he’d transmitted to them, as well.

“They’re certainly going to pay double on their docking fees,” Fee said.

“Mean,” Hal said. “But as you know, I like it.”