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over.”
    “A fight between animals?” Jules said, surprise audible in his tone. “Such events are illegal, are they not?”
    “We are star travelers. In the arms of the mother-void,” Thrott said, gesturing broadly at their surroundings. “The legalities in space are, shall we say, murky. With a little discretion, we could arrange–”
    “It is illegal! And it’s cruel,” Zenn said. All eyes in the room turned to her. She instantly regretted her outburst.
    “Oh, are you a qualified expert on the subject?” Thrott gave her a mocking, thick-lipped grin. “You practice interstellar law, do you?”
    “No,” she stammered. “But… I know animal fighting is banned. On all the planets. And it’s inhumane.” Her face burned hot.
    “But I am no human,” the Skirni said. “And so cannot be inhumane, har. Who are you, in any case, to lecture me? What right do you–”
    “She is correct to speak.” Jules cut him off. “And I agree. I will not wager on any such animal battles. It is regretful to hear you request such an event.”
    “Oh, I apologize for disappointing you,” Thrott sneered, sarcasm twisting his face.
    “The dolphin and the girl have it right.” The soldier gathered up his own colored discs as he spoke. His voice was… what? Commanding, Zenn decided. “We’re still in Sol space. Solar conventions in this case apply until we move out of the system.”
    “Ah, conventions. They are formulated to be interpreted, are they not?” Thrott gave the soldier a jowly grin.
“The law’s the law,” the soldier said, unsmiling. “When laws are clear, interpretation doesn’t come into it.” Zenn realized then what it was about the young officer that kept his appearance from that of a cookie-cutter hero: his eyes. They were pale gray, almost silver. And she couldn’t define it, but there was something about them that seemed able to take in everything about whoever he looked at, as if he had some uncanny skill at reading those around him. Thrott’s own eyes looked away from the challenge of the soldier’s piercing gaze.
    “It is your loss, then,” Thrott growled at Jules. “And I will go now and spend your money on a jug of your excellent Earther tequila. Har.” The dolphin was about to reply to this when another voice sounded behind them.
    “Boarding passes, please.”
    Zenn turned around. The Gliesian steward was right behind her, his webbed, three-fingered hand outstretched. Panic washed all thought away and she drew back from him like a hunted animal.
    The Alcyon, who had been quietly observing the confrontation between Thrott and Jules, now unfolded himself from his chair. He thanked Jules for inviting him to the game, showed the steward his pass and left.
    Thrott brusquely showed his own boarding pass and moved toward the exit.
    “Forgive me; boarding pass, please,” the steward said to the Fomalhaut trailing behind Thrott.
    “This thing?” Thrott said, waving one hand at the cowering alien. “It is a slave, obviously. It cannot be expected to have a pass.”
    “I am sorry; all passengers must show a pass before ship’s departure from orbit.”
    Thrott sighed heavily and gave the steward an indulgent smile.
    “My good friend–” the Skirni reached up to drape one arm around the steward’s shoulder and with his other hand pulled his credit relay from beneath his robes “–I was mistaken. I have that creature’s pass right here. Shall we say… five units?”
    The steward glanced nervously around at the others in the room. Jules and the soldier both suddenly found something else to look at.
    “Five units?” The steward quickly showed his own relay to accept Thrott’s funds. “Yes. All is in order here. Thank you.” He then gestured for them to exit.
    Thrott gave the soldier a gloating grin.
    “There. You see? Even in Sol space, the interpretation of law has its place.” With that, he grunted at the Fomalhaut to follow him and waddled off.
    The soldier stood and flashed