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name.”
    “Kathryne. Yours?”
    “Lena.”
    “So, Lena. Who is this girl you are looking for? Does she owe you money?”
    “No. Look, I don’t even know if she’s here. I just need to find her.”
    “A friend then. Is this friend in trouble?”
    “What does this have to do with clothing?”
    “Humor an old woman.” She grabbed one of the reading pads and started swiping, no longer looking at me.
    “I'm looking for my sister.” I felt defeated.
    “See. That wasn’t so hard. Can you swing thirty-five hundred? She looked up from her reading pad.”
    “You don’t even know what I want.”
    “No. You don’t know what you want. You obviously are from off-world and have never shopped for clothing in your life. I, on the other hand, have been fitting women with clothing for most of mine. What do you think we’ve been talking about?”
    “What? Are you always this difficult?”
    “Yes. At least I answer your questions. How about it?”
    “How about what?” I was fuming at this point.
    “Don’t be dense. Can you swing thirty-five hundred m-creds?”
    I looked at her for several minutes, and she returned my stare, neither of us looking away. I finally made a decision. “Yes. I can swing it.”
    “Good decision. Come back in two hours. And while you are out, fix that hair. I won’t have you wearing my clothes looking like that.”
    “Anything else?” I could feel the flush in my face.
    “One more thing. Stop and see my friend Emir. Pay for and pick up two small devices. I need them for your clothing.” Kathryne reached into the air just in front of her eyes and pinched her fingers. She held her hand toward me, as if to drop something at my feet. I held my reading pad forward and she released her fingers. Emir’s Emporium showed up with an address.
    I left Kathryne’s company, relieved to be away from her. Emir's Emporium was several blocks away but in the direction of Punjay’s Pawn. When I arrived, another dark-skinned man with thick hair met me at the door. I wondered if there was a settlement of a particular nationality here.
    “You must be Lena,” he said.
    “Yes. Kathryne recommended you. Are you Emir?”
    “I am indeed. She sent the specs for a couple pieces. I have them in the back.”
    I followed him past vac-suits, weapons, racks of blaster rifles, flechette pistols and all different types of weapons and armored clothing. On a back table he showed me two items. They were both small rectangular devices not much bigger than the end of my thumb.
    “Power packs,” Emir explained before I could ask. “Flexible, regenerating, parasitic, top of the line. Kathryne only works with the best.” The packs didn’t look like much, so they must be expensive if he was selling them this hard.
    “Anything else?” Emir asked. “I have the biggest selection in town. You need it, I either have it or can get it.”’
    “How about a small pistol?”
    “Blaster or flechette?”
    “I’m not sure. Needs to be small and if I have to use it I don’t want them getting back up.”
    “Blaster then. Flechettes with stopping power are bigger. Personally, I like their control; your AI can adjust the flight while the dart is en-route. Nothing beats a blaster for putting ‘em down, though. I know just the thing. Of course you know blasters aren’t legal on Puskar Stellar and you will need to keep it locked up?”
    “Of course.”
    Emir walked over to a shelf and moved a few boxes around. He finally found whatever he was looking for. He returned, opened a box and pulled out a small pistol. It was small, the barrel half again longer than if I simply pointed my finger. The grip fit easily into my hand. I hadn’t realized that weapons were made with smaller grips for a woman's hand. I would definitely have picked out this gun if I'd only known what to ask for. It would be easy to hide.
    “Perfect fit,” Emir said. “Your thin fingers are a little unusual. Interest you in a blade? Nice looking girl like you