Page 50 of Smuggler's Beauty

Aiden was staring at her, eyebrow quirked. He mouthed the word ‘stuff’ at her. She shoved more pita into her mouth.

“We can set you up in the VR deck. Or will that interfere with your practice?” Lillian asked. Evelyn was so grateful that the woman was made of tact and kindness.

“It would be better for me to be somewhere more low tech. I’d honestly probably be fine in a closet.”

“We have a dozen little hidey-holes around here we can stash you in for practice. Or, if it comes down to it, to hide from an inspection,” Elenor said.

“I’m making you a set of identification papers as an emergency precaution,” Tariel said. “Untraceable, just in case you need to be off everyone’s radar. They’re almost finished; I just need a name.”

“Thank you so much. I hope you’re charging Corrie an exorbitant fee for them,” Evelyn said. Her throat tightened a little.

I’m going to have to ask L.I.N.D.A. if she can find a way for me to train myself out of wanting to cry every time someone is nice to me.

“You know it,” he said with a laugh. “We’re all perturbed by all the cloak and dagger bullshit. There’s a fee for espionage.”

Nannette took her empty plate to the sink to rinse. “I’ll start loading your boxes into one of the bigger hidden compartments. Veselko can help me find a table and chairs for you to throw in there for practice. That way you can have a place to sort through all youressential items.”

Evelyn grinned. “I know they’re not as pointy as your knife collection, but I’m under good authority that the pen is mightier than the sword.”

“I would like a word with this so-called authority,” she said, arching an eyebrow. “Also, you didn’t pack pens. You packed a dozen series and more T-shirts than anyone I know owns.”

“Did they stop making commemorative T-shirts? What a dystopian future I’ve awoken into.”

“The horrors truly are unending,” Nannette deadpanned.

After lunch, Elenor herded Evelyn to the lobby. There was a hidden panel in one of the walls, obscured from view by another of Cairn’s lush plant displays. She made note of the exact tile to press to make the door slide open.

They were in a narrow, curved room that clearly hugged the lines of the ship. Evelyn expected this to normally be full of insulation, or wiring access. Something practical. Instead, the walls were lined with shelves that now housed her items from her home in Vegas. Nannette was wrestling with a folding table and Veselko was timing her.

“I bet her she couldn’t open it successfully in under two minutes by herself.”

“What do you get if you win?”

“She has to say three nice things about me in public.”

Evelyn grinned. “That’s dastardly.”

The table legs clicked into place. Nannette wrangled it upright with a flourish.

“Hah!” She slapped the table. “Look at that beauty.”

Veselko waved his communicator at her. It displayed a time of 2:15.

“Balls.” Nannette crossed her arms and slumped against the table.

Evelyn chuckled as she scanned the shelves for her box of homework.No sense in avoiding it now.She found it on a low shelf and moved it to the table, wondering what Corrie had put inside. It rattled a little when she moved it around, and it felt too heavy to be strictly paper.

“Thanks for all the help today. I really will never be able to properly express my gratitude.”

Elenor patted her hand. “Nonsense. We know you appreciate us.”

“Make good use of this damn table,” Nannette said with a smile.

“I’m just happy to be included,” Veselko said. “Also, I enjoy expanding my resume.”

“I look forward to hearing how you spin these vital contributions to Tanalian freedom,” Evelyn said, gesturing to Veselko with a grin.

There was a knock on the wall, and they all turned to see Aiden. He was clutching a small whiteboard and a fistful of markers.