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Lancer brought the rifle up to high port position。 〃Guess it wouldn't be considered good taste to ask where you got them； huh？〃
〃Why should you care？〃 Jesse wanted to know。
〃Good customers don't ask too many questions；〃 cautioned Frank； swigging from a bottle of whiskey。
Jesse laughed。 〃Frank's right； Lavender。 But I reckon there's no harm in tellin' ya。〃
He came across the hold to explain himself； close enough for Lancer to see the space madness in his eyes。
〃Way back when； we was soldiers。 The army issued these weapons to us。〃
〃So you're part of this ship's rusty old crew。〃 Lancer grinned。 〃Then why aren't you out fighting the Invid with all this firepower instead of playing rustler？〃
Jesse scowled and looked away for a moment。 〃We had our fill of fightin'。 We were with Admiral Gloval on the SDF…1； after； we signed up fer duty with the Expeditionary mission。 Traveled clear across the galaxy； sonny； a godfersakin' place called Tirol。 Then we made one heck of a mistake and tied in with Major Carpenter。 'Course； we finally made it back all right； but by then General Leonard and his boys had their hands full with the Robotech Masters。 So we jus' kinda retired； if you know what I mean。 Now we sell supplies to resistance fighters； so I reckon we're doin' our part。〃
Marlene saw Lancer's face begin to flush and did what she could to calm him down by sliding under his arm and laying her head against his shoulder。 But Lancer's anger was not so easily assuaged。
〃Making a nice profit for yourselves； aren't you？〃
Jesse laughed。 〃Reckon we are at that。〃
〃You're nothing but a pack of deserters；〃 he started to say。 But suddenly there were new sounds wafting in from outside the hold。 A truck had pulled up in the arena。 Lancer heard someone shout： 〃Look what we got！〃 followed by a wild 〃yaahoo！〃
Jesse and Frank were standing by the hatch。 〃Wonder where they stole those？〃 Jesse said before the two men stepped outside。
Lancer heard the Cyclone engines。
〃Why don't you see if you can make a little more noise？〃 yelled Frank。 〃I don't think them thangs can be heard more'n twenty miles away！〃
〃Aw； the sheriff didn't even bother to send a posse after us；〃 the new arrival yelled back； laughing as wildly as Jesse had a moment before。
〃Keep that talk down； Shorty；〃 Frank ordered。 〃We got pany。〃
As Lancer and Marlene were stepping down the hold ramp； Jesse swung around to ask them if they were interested in buying a couple of Cyclones。 Lancer saw two men in cloaks and helmets astride mecha they had ridden out of the back of the truck。 It took him a moment to recognize the Cycs； and he had to quiet Marlene before she said anything。
〃Young folks； meet Roy and Shorty；〃 said Frank； gesturing to the men。 Roy was tall； with a blockish； bald head。 Shorty had crossed eyes and a pinched…up face。 He bristled at Frank's introduction。
〃I told you not to call me Shorty； Frank！〃
〃Well； we gotta call you something；〃 Frank answered him。
Jesse leaned across the Cyclone's handlebars to thrust his chin at Shorty。 〃We'd call ya by your real name if ya could remember what it was； Shorty！〃
Shorty raised himself on the footrests。 〃That ain't funny！〃
It looked as though he might have taken a swing at Jesse just then； but Gabby appeared out of nowhere with his pot and put a quick end to it by ladling some hot stew onto Shorty's bare hand。
Shorty screamed and clutched himself； while the rest of the band had a good laugh。
〃Gabby ain't too fonda Shorty；〃 Jesse told Lancer and Marlene。 〃Ain't that right； Gabby？〃
Gabby stood still； almost catatonic； oblivious to it all。
〃Fact is； Gabby ain't too fond of nobody；〃 Frank chimed in。 〃He's a little funny in the head。〃
Lancer looked over at the uniformed man and experienced a rush of passion。 Gabby seemed to pick up on it and walked toward the hatchway； proffering the pot of stew to Marlene。
〃Look out； folks！〃 Shorty warned them。 〃He might throw it at ya！〃
But instead； he simply held the pot out until Marlene took it from his hand。
Frank felt his chin。 〃Well； I'll be hornswaggled。 He's offerin' it to you。〃
Marlene thanked him。
〃Well； isn't this a day for surprises？〃 said Roy。
Shorty nursed his burned hand。 〃First time I ever seen him do anything nice for anyone。〃
〃He tried to rejoin Hunter's outfit when those kids from the 15th ATACs got hold of Jonathan Wolff's ship；〃 Frank explained。 〃But his Veritech got shot down before he could make it。〃
Jesse snorted。 〃Darn fool wuz tryin' to git back into the war agin。 He's gotta be crazier'n a bedbug。〃
The four old veterans collapsed in laughter。
CHAPTER FOUR
Dr。 Lang considered him an army brat and tried on more than one occasion to instill him with some sense of objectivity； but Scott was a lost cause。 If he couldn't persuade； his inclination was to force。 And this kind of behavior was simply nor tolerated in the lab。 Lang would tell him： 〃You can't force experiments or people to conform to your world view！ The universe just doesn't work that way！〃 Scott heard him but was not so easily convinced。 He had little patience in those days and was often accused of being arrogant and judgmental。 Type A； all the way。
Xandu Reem； A Stranger at Home： A Biography of Scott Bernard
Lancer asked himself how Shorty and Roy could have e across Scott and Rand's Cyclones。 There was some talk about a local sheriff and how he had been foolish enough to leave the Cycs unattended。 It was beginning to sound like Scott had gotten himself into another fix； but Lancer had yet to find out why or where his teammates were being held。 He had barely enough scrip to purchase one of the laser rifles； let alone buy back the Cyclones； but he wondered if he couldn't persuade the Robotech veterans to rescue Scott for old time's sake。 After all； they had all been on the SDF…3 together； and chances were that Frank or one of them had at least heard of Scott Bernard； the Pioneer Mission's youngest member。
They had all moved back into the hold of the cruiser； which functioned as the group's living quarters as well as their high…tech trading post。 Marlene and Lancer had gorged themselves on Gabby's delicious stew。 The shell…shocked soldier had taken to them and； in his eerily silent fashion； was treating them more like honored guests than potential customers。 Frank； Jesse； Roy； and Shorty were engaged in a wild game of cards that required two full decks and seemed to be a hybrid of gin rummy and draw poker。
〃e on； Lady Luck；〃 Shorty was saying now； 〃give me the card I want。〃 He took one from the facedown stack just as Jesse was throwing one faceup beside it。
〃You can have this one； Shorty。〃
But Shorty was too busy kissing the card he had picked to respond to Jesse's offer。 〃Jus' the one I wanted；〃 he crowed。 〃How 'bout that！〃
Frank looked at his hand and made a disappointed sound。 The cards were an inverted fan in his left hand； his right gripped a whiskey flask。
〃Don't need this 'un either；〃 said Jesse； discarding another。
〃Gentlemen； I fold；〃 Roy announced stiffly； although he kept the cards in his hand。
Shorty started bouncing up and down in his seat。 〃Frank； y' ole coot； ya gonna play or not？〃