Setzer’s glance to Terra saw more than what she wanted seen as she and Edgar exited the Falcon. Helplessness gave rise to a hysteria in her eyes and in her very persona. That hysteria fed a desperation that tore at his own carefully held peace of mind. He moved his gaze away, clenching his jaw as he performed an absent one-handed shuffle of his cards. It was the third deck he’d gone through since leaving Figaro, wearing the corners and edges down to nothing but tatters and pulp.
“We should start at the auction house,” Locke said. “Anyone who wants anything that’s worth a gil or two always goes there.”
Setzer sent him a glare. “Locke, selling children isn’t very widely accepted since the disappearance of the Empire. They wouldn’t do anything quite so obvious.”
“Yeah? Well I don’t hear you giving any bright ideas. What do you want to do? Hold up a sign that says ‘will pay for children’?”
Setzer clenched his jaw. “What I want to do is search somewhere that makes more sense than an obvious wild choco-chase. We should ask the man at the inn if any--“
”The inn?” Locke scoffed. “Yeah. There’s a bright idea. When was the last time you heard an innkeeper tell the truth about anything without the promise of a few dozen gil rubbing holes in his pocket? Might as well go to the innkeeper in Zozo butt-naked with a tattoo that says ‘sucker’.”
Setzer balled his fists and took a threatening step forward.
“Gentlemen, calm yourselves,” Edgar commanded in a firm, no-nonsense tone.
Setzer and Locke both glared at Edgar, but when Setzer noticed Terra’s expression of barely restrained panic, he yanked in his temper as well as his own need to find what he believed he’d lost.
“This constant contention is not helping anyone, and it will only serve to make it more difficult for us to work together when the time comes to face this--“ Edgar glanced toward Terra’s face and pressed his lips together. “This gentleman,” he continued finally, “and believe me when I say I use the term loosely.”
“They’re not here,” Terra said suddenly.
The certainty of Terra’s statement made Setzer change his gaze to her. He raised an eyebrow and ceased the shuffling of his cards.
“He hasn’t been here,” Terra continued, and this time her eyes narrowed.
As Terra continued with her reasoning, Setzer noticed the desperation and hysteria had vanished. Instead, they’d been replaced by self-assurance that didn’t seem natural. Not for Terra. She’d been certain and assured during their exploits so many months before, yes, but there had always been a constant presence of . . . Terra’s underlying timidity. As she countered Locke’s assertion that the attitude of Jidoor didn’t mean the slaver wasn’t there, the pure ‘Terra’ aura seemed changed. Harder. Darker.
Setzer lowered his gaze to his cards and thoughtfully turned the top card. Ace of Spades. Terra passed Setzer and strode to the Falcon. Setzer lifted his gaze from the deck in time to catch Edgar’s ‘you leave her, you die’ look. Then the young king of Figaro followed Locke toward the auction house.
Setzer looked again to the deep black card of relentless power before carefully placing it back into the bulk of the deck. Then he purposefully tucked the cards into the inner pocket of his jacket and turned to make his way back to the Falcon. When he entered, Terra wasn’t in the main room, nor in his private office. Setzer heard her movements down in the engine room.
Setzer leaned against the railing and stood watch.